Total pages in book: 183
Estimated words: 178343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 892(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 892(@200wpm)___ 713(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
I wince.
“Yeah. So it was my fault he made the play to escape. Tony’s fault for letting Jessa come. Jessa’s fault for fucking with Tony’s phone. An all-around cluster-fuck.”
I blow out a long breath.
“Not to mention I equipped him by leaving his pain pills with him. All of them.”
I double-blink.
“It was up to him what he’d do with them. Figured I’d get in his head one more time for fun.”
I roll my eyes.
“And he dissolved them in his water bottle.”
I gasp. “He tried to force-feed them to Tony!”
“Yeah. I shouldn’t have tried to mindfuck him one more time. That’s on me. He had nothin’ to lose and obviously it went sideways. So,” he continues on, “Ass-wipe let Jessa go on the side of the road not knowin’ who she was. She got to a diner and called her brother collect and he sent a car for her and then knew where to have the chopper do surveillance to find him. So now not only do I have the Raymond in custody issue to deal with but also there’s the fact that Jessa Carson knows I was holding him captive.”
“Oh God.”
“Yeah. Stop scratching your neck. See. I didn’t wanna do this.”
“I’m fine. I’ll sit on my hands.”
“I’ve made some moves to keep Jessa’s mouth shut.”
“You what?”
“No. Nothin’ like that. Jagger and I have been friends since we were teenagers. And believe me, if anyone laid a hand on his sister, there’d be hell to pay. Turns out he’s pretty dangerous himself. Way more dangerous than I am, evidently because Jag’s level of dangerous is untraceable.”
I frown.
“Anyway, that was my day. Making treaties with Jessa. Talkin’ over the New Year’s Eve strategy with Jag. And dinner with Tony where I gave him my blessing to pursue Jessa. Tony will make her his responsibility and I’ve laid out a business partnership with her that should keep her mouth shut. Pain in my ass, but whatever.”
I blow out a breath. That’s a lot to digest. “What about Ray?”
“He’s goin’ to Campo.”
I frown. “How?”
“I have a plan.”
“But, he won’t get bail again after missing his last court date.”
“No, he won’t,” Killian agrees.
I’m confused. “So, how will you make that happen?”
“Remember the gun he brought to Numbers opening night?”
“Of course I do. That was terrifying.”
“That weapon was discharged the same day Raymond turned himself in.”
“Discharged?”
“Used to commit a murder.”
I gasp. “What? I thought you kept the gun.”
He grabs my hands, probably worrying I’m about to start clawing at my neck again, I guess.
“I did keep the gun. And it was used on Felix Hoffman.”
I frown.
He elaborates. “Amber Buckley’s junkie boyfriend. The one planning to rob Numbers.”
I gape at him.
“The gun will be found. Registered to Raymond with his prints on it. Murder took place the same day Raymond was caught.”
“You shot Felix Hoffman?”
He shakes his head. “Not me, no. Timing would’ve been off for what they’ll estimate as time of death by about five hours, but should still work out fine. I’m working that part out. Iadanza has already been moved back here from California where he was held last night. But he’ll either get moved to another jail, maximum security for the new charge, or he’ll be moved to a courthouse for that additional charge and whichever comes first, that transport will be intercepted.”
“What? How? Huh? Okay, hang on. Let me process this for a second. You’re having him kidnapped from jail guards? And you framed him for murder?”
“Hoffman lived in your old hood. Four blocks from Ass-wipe’s favorite watering hole. Was known to frequent it. Maybe they had a beef nobody knew about.”
“What if Ray implicates you before he’s caught?”
“He might try. But his new public defender is already in the pocket.”
I do a double-take.
“That’s who he’d give the information to. And it wouldn’t go anywhere.”
“You kept that gun with his prints on it as a contingency?”
“Yep.”
“What if the public defender tells someone?”
“He won’t. Wherever I can, I have contingency plans, baby.”
“But… you ordered a hit on Felix Hoffman?”
“I thought you might have trouble with that one. Listen, Felix Hoffman was a lowlife drug dealer and drug manufacturer with a lab and zero quality control. He knocked Amber around, got her hooked on drugs, and has direct responsibility for her overdose as well as other bad drug deaths in the city earlier this month. Add to that, he caused harm to several of my employees not to mention was planning to rob my club and target me New Year’s Eve despite that he got paid a visit and given a beating with a warning after the last time he fucked with me. He got his stepsister to get herself hired and seduce one of my managers so they can plan their heist and steal money from children’s charities as well as me and likely my customers. Like I told you before, violence isn’t something I jump into lightly, but I won’t hesitate when people or things I care about are in jeopardy.”