Total pages in book: 227
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 220940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1105(@200wpm)___ 884(@250wpm)___ 736(@300wpm)
“No, he didn’t. That was all you. Because you’re a greedy fuck, aren’t you? You want to get yourself noticed by the FBI, don’t you?”
“Oh, you’d hate being an agent,” Danny says, grimacing. “We kill them even more gruesomely.”
“So you gave King what he needed to frame us—fuck what his motive was—and thought you’d swoop on in and claim the murders of the two Russians and two Mexicans solved. Except it didn’t work out, did it? Because our friend Agent Higham raised the fact that the emblems were carved by someone left-handed.” I tug the line again with my right hand, hearing Danny and James’s huffs of comprehension. “And Higham just confirmed it was you investigating those crimes. You trying to nail us for the murders King committed. So, with that plan fucked—because you couldn’t very well arrest King, could you?—you resorted to blackmailing my son for information on Danny. Because one unlawful man is better than none, right?”
“I feel targeted,” Danny grunts.
“I feel insulted,” James adds.
“Problem is, Bean, you dumb piece of shit, you neglected to see past your own agenda to make it into the FBI, and now you’ve contributed toward a huge fucking shitstorm in Miami. You’ve stalled us, sent us on a wild fucking goose chase.” I thrust my face in his. “And King has my son and is using him to blackmail us!”
“I didn’t . . . I never—”
“Do you know what King used to do to his niece?” I ask, suddenly calm.
“His niece?”
“Yes, his niece. He abused her for years. Sold her to some rich, depraved rapist. She happens to be my woman now.”
“Oh, God, please.” He leans back, and I yank on the line. “Arhhhh!”
“This. This is what he used to do.” Another sharp tug. “Not nice, is it?” Tug, tug. Yelp, yelp. I walk toward the fireplace. Look back when the line pulls. “Oh dear,” I whisper. “It appears we’ve reached the end of the line.”
“No, please!”
I yank it with force and rip the hook out of his tongue, provoking a blood-curdling scream as James keeps him in his chair.
“Ewww.” Danny grimaces at Bean’s flapping tongue. “That’s fucking gross.”
The office door swings open. “Ah.” James releases Bean. “Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”
Higham watches Bean hit the floor. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” And walks straight back out, Tank following him.
“That was a flying visit,” Danny muses, just as Higham pushes his way back in and takes in Bean on the floor again, like he’s hoping he walked into the wrong room and will find a completely different scene.
“What the hell is going on?” he asks, looking at each of us in turn, like a principal giving a group of boys an opportunity to explain before their punishments are laid down.
I point to Bean. “I’m kind of in the middle of something here, so do you mind waiting in the kitchen?”
“Fucking hell, you three will be the death of me.” He backs out and slams the door.
“Don’t eat all the stew!” Danny yells to the door.
Bean rolls onto his back, spitting blood, mumbling inaudible prayers. I go to him, get down on one knee, and hold out my hand. A gun lands in it swiftly. “I will rip the tongue out of every man who has ever worked with Bernard King, helped him, associated with him.” I push the end of the Glock into his groin and fire. “And blow their balls off too.” He goes limp, and I toss the gun aside, fetching myself a fresh drink.
It's silent while I enjoy it, Danny and James giving me a moment.
Then I face them.
“So King killed the Russians and Mexicans?” James asks.
“Yeah. Like I said, only Bean knows who Nolan is to me. That’s how King knows Nolan’s mine. That’s how he got the Black family emblem. He’s been talking to Bean.”
“Fuck.” Danny curses, looking at the piece of scum on the rug.
“And Nolan’s face confirmed it.” I point to Otto, who’s still happily working in the corner, unperturbed. “There’s more damage to the right side of his face.”
“Left hooks,” Danny breathes.
I drop into a chair and take a breather. “And Pearl indicated the right side of her head when she was telling me what he used to do to her.”
“The fucker.” Danny lights up and takes a few puffs.
“King was promised the money from the Polish after Pearl’s safe delivery to her new owner. As we know, she didn’t make it to her new owner.” I blow out my cheeks as all the puzzle pieces begin to slot into place nicely. Or not so nicely. “The polish removed the tracker from Pearl’s neck. Must have been at Winstable, so that was her last known location and it brought King to Miami. King made a point of getting pally with Bean at golf, made a few threats. The rumor was, we took the Polish out, so finding his virgin started with us. King knew he couldn’t take us on alone, and he’d heard the Russians and Mexicans were in the market for some weapons, so he went to them.”