Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
I toss him a stack of hundreds. “Enjoy.”
He shouts a loud laugh and storms back into the private room. Simon’s watching him go, and for a moment, there’s true loathing in his eyes.
I let the moment pass and ask him more questions about his kids.
Olivier doesn’t emerge for another hour. This time, he’s practically staggering, and I don’t even bother asking for change. Simon helps him out the back door. We emerge into the night in a dank, empty alley. Clouds cover the moon and our footsteps are muted by the close brick walls. I shrug on a light jacket and tug on a pair of thick leather gloves.
“Fuck, hold on,” Olivier groans and says something in French. Simon pushes him away and the stocky man leans up against the wall with one hand and starts pissing all over the ground.
Simon looks disgusted as he walks out of the alley, mumbling to himself. Curses or what, I can’t really tell.
Olivier’s stream slows and stops. He’s shaking himself when I stand up close to him.
“The fuck are you doing?” he grunts at me. “I’m all dried up now, if that’s what you’re looking for. Not interested in men usually, but you’re pretty. Maybe some other time.”
“You have no clue how much he hates you, do you?” I say very softly.
Olivier looks up. He seems confused and angry. “Who the fuck are you talking about?”
I knee him hard in the gut. He gasps, his eyes bugging, as I slam the heel of my right palm directly into his chin. Olivier’s head snaps back and his eyes go unfocused as I grab the front of his shirt and swing him hard into the wall.
His head thumps against the stone and leaves a smear of blood as he collapses to the ground. I kneel on his chest and wrap my hands around his throat, digging in tight.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Simon shouts, standing a few feet away with a gun wobbling in his hands.
“Doing you a favor.” I squeeze tighter. The darkness in me screams for blood and feasts on Olivier’s death. The stocky asshole is only half-conscious, but he’s trying to struggle out from my iron grip.
“Let him go.” Simon’s voice is small.
“When he’s gone, the crew will be yours. Think about how much better things will be. No more Olivier to get into trouble. You’ll have more money, more freedom.”
“Let him go or I will kill you.”
“Think about your daughter. Think about Celine. Keep your finger off that trigger for thirty more seconds and she’ll have enough money to go to college and then some. Olivier won’t be in the way of our deal. You and I, Simon, at the rate you originally agreed on with my father. No bullshit, no more problems.”
Olivier gags. He chokes and gurgles and claws at me. His eyes roll as if he’s searching for Simon, and I know what he’s thinking. Why won’t he shoot? Just shoot! Save my life! I’ll pay!
He can’t beg because I’m crushing his windpipe.
The barrel of the gun waves. Simon’s finger is still on the trigger. I’m on the knife’s edge. If Simon decides whatever history he’s got with Olivier is more important than his own children, I’m going to die.
But this is what I’m good at. Meeting people, getting to know them, reading them, and making decisions based on my understanding of who they are. I’m right, more often than not. And I know I’m right here.
“Ten percent more on my end,” Simon says. “And I want a bonus. Ten thousand American.”
“Done.” I lean into Olivier’s throat, putting all my weight on him, grinning like the monster I am. “Hear that? You just got sold.”
Olivier’s face is dark red, then purple, then he’s not struggling anymore.
I climb to my feet once I’m sure that he’s dead. His body is cooling in a puddle of his own piss as I walk over to Simon and take off my gloves.
The new leader of his crew puts away the gun and shakes my hand.
“Congrats on your promotion,” I tell him.
“I appreciate that.”
“I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”
“To that and more.” He glances at Olivier’s body behind me. “I’ll take care of him.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Poor Amelie.”
“I doubt she’ll mind all that much.”
He grins and laughs, and the tension breaks between us as we leave the body behind for the rats to gnaw.
Chapter 40
Carmie
Iknew something was up when Lev came home in a frenzy after taking Simon and Olivier out that night.
He was voracious and barely keeping his mask on as he feasted on me. It was like a beast came storming into our hotel room and fucked me until I was so satisfied I could barely think straight.
Then we got the hell out of Montreal the next morning.
“We should go on a honeymoon,” he says as we drive across Canada, heading toward the border. “Ottawa isn’t far. We’ll stay in nice hotels and tour the country for a while. Then it’s down to Toronto, and then we’ll cross the border back into the States. What do you think?”