Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
His response said: Because I hear you could use some friends, kid. The other men looking for you aren’t going to be reasonable like me, but I’m willing to make you an offer. Cut me in on what Art left you, and my people become your people.
That was actually a pretty compelling argument. Gileki ran a huge crew out of New York, and in a lot of ways, teaming up with him made sense. The two other men looking for me, Berger and Romano, had a certain degree of respect for Gileki. If I got him on my side and got his numbers behind me, they’d back off. I was sure of it.
I sent another message confirming the meeting, and then I tossed my phone onto the bed and exhaled slowly. There was a chance this was a huge mistake, but it felt like a calculated risk. I had a lot to potentially gain from this meeting. Plus, I couldn’t keep dodging these men forever. Sooner or later, I’d have to take a stand, show them I wasn’t going to be intimidated, and put an end to this game of cat and mouse. Tonight was as good a time as any.
After checking the time, I went and changed into my best suit. Then I opened the bottom drawer of the dresser and found the brown paper bag I’d hidden under some sweats.
Inside it was the Glock I’d purchased the week before.
I checked the handgun’s clip to confirm it was loaded. Then I tucked it into the back of my waistband and straightened my posture.
My thoughts went to Romy, and I had to push down all the emotions that suddenly threatened to overwhelm me. I’d walked into countless dangerous situations over the years, and I’d barely given it a second thought. But this felt completely different, because it wasn’t just about me anymore. For the first time in my life, I had someone who cared about me, and who’d be devastated if I died tonight.
And for the first time, I had something to live for.
It was so tempting to bail out of this meeting, to go to Romy and beg him to run away with me. We could go anywhere in the world. We could disappear.
But running wasn’t the answer. Resolving this once and for all was.
“I’m doing this for us, baby,” I whispered.
Then I took a deep breath and pulled up my game face. It was time to step back into Mario Greco’s world.
19
Marcus
The bar where I was meeting Gileki didn’t look like anything special, just your basic neighborhood tavern. The only window was heavily tinted so I couldn’t get a look inside, but the place didn’t immediately raise any red flags.
After driving past it in my rental car to check it out, I circled the block and selected a parking space behind the building. San Francisco was continually becoming more upscale and expensive, but gentrification hadn’t reached this industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of town. There was litter and graffiti just about everywhere I looked, and the whole place had a sense of neglect.
I was on high alert as I walked around to the front of the tavern, but everything was perfectly still. Once I reached the door, I squared my shoulders and set my expression to one of cold indifference before stepping inside.
The shabby room was one long rectangle, with a bar to my left and a few booths in the back. Except for some music playing in the background, it was oddly quiet.
Maybe half a dozen men were seated at the bar. I strode past it, moving deeper into the building. After a moment, I spotted Gileki seated in a booth in the back corner. He was fidgeting with an empty highball glass, and when we made eye contact, he quickly looked away.
Something was wrong.
My pulse sped up as I stopped in my tracks and looked around. Where was the bartender? And why were all the patrons big, muscular guys?
The man immediately to my left was tense. I could sense it even with his back to me. That was when it finally dawned on me—we weren’t meeting in public at all. Gileki had taken over the entire tavern.
It was a trap.
I turned around and was about to bolt for the door when it opened and two older men stepped inside. Romano grinned at me while Berger said, “You’ve been a real pain in the ass, Mario, making us hunt for you like we got nothing better to do with our time. I’m gonna make sure you pay for that. Not that I can kill you until you fork over Art’s money, of course, but I can sure as hell make you wish you were dead.”
It felt like time slowed down over the next few seconds. Berger started to reach into his jacket, and I grabbed the big guy next to me by the shoulders and pulled him backwards, so he fell into the aisle and blocked it. Then I sprinted toward the back of the room.