Read Online Caruso 01 - Boom Town by Trevor Scott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Trevor Scott
Ads: Link
Tony walked out through the crowd. He brought her to the outside deck and they stood for a moment at the rail. The river churned loudly below them, but he couldn’t see it in the dark abyss. There was a chill in the air, like it was about to snow.
Raising a glass of red wine, she took a sip and then licked her lips. “Where’s Melanie?” she asked.
“Went home.”
“You work fast. I heard that about Italians.”
BOOM TOWN 57
“We might work fast, but we always finish the task at hand.”
She smiled and widened her eyes at him. “How’s your back?”
“I want to apologize for earlier today,” he said. “I don’t like to deceive people. Especially good people.”
“Right,” she said. “That doesn’t bother me, though. You’re an interesting man, Mr. Caruso. But isn’t Melanie a little too sedate for you?”
He had to laugh at that. Sedate wasn’t even close to describing Melanie. Yet, when he thought about it, she was probably just that compared to those who frequented the Humphrey Jacuzzi parties.
Suddenly, the door opened and the two rent-a-cops plowed out onto the wooden boards. They trudged to within five feet of them and stopped, their stances wide and identical. They reminded Tony of a couple of marines blindly popping into parade rest at a family picnic.
The one who had clubbed Tony, Goatee, spoke first. “You made us look like idiots this morning in front of our boss.”
“Sorry about that,” Tony said. “But I’m afraid I didn’t help you out much in that area.”
Dawn giggled.
Goatee twisted his head and lowered his bushy brows at Tony.
“Let’s go inside,” Dawn said, pulling on Tony’s arm. “I’m getting cold.”
Now the other guy, Flattop, spoke up. “You go. We need to talk with him.”
She hesitated.
Tony nodded. “Go ahead.”
She got to the door and looked back at him, unsure.
“Do you work on Sunday?” Tony asked her.
She stared at him blankly, the door against her shoulder.
“Someone might need a session,” he said, nodding his head toward the two rent-a-cops.
She smiled and went inside. But she didn’t go far. Tony could see her watching from through the window.
58
TREVOR SCOTT
There was usually a few ways these things could go, Tony knew. A lot of verbal foreplay, followed by pushing. And then someone takes a swing. Since he already knew how these two moved, he didn’t plan on letting them hit him first.
The only advantage he had was that the two of them were high school football types; the offensive line variety. The kind that got all worked up but didn’t have the agility to throw a straight punch with any speed. They did have muscles though, and if a wild punch did find its mark, Tony could be in trouble.
Fortunately, while in the Navy and not seeing how many brain cells he could destroy, he spent some spare time while stationed in Japan working on a couple of the ancient physical art forms.
“You wanted to say something?” Tony reminded them.
“Stay away from Cascade Peaks,” Flattop said.
“Or?”
“He’s not going to take our advice,” Goatee said to his partner.
“I think he’ll need some persuasion.”
“Wow!” Tony said. “Three syllables. Impressive.”
With that, Flattop wound up for a right roundhouse punch. It was like he was moving in slow motion. Tony simply sidestepped to the left, parried his arm, let him slide by, and punched him in the kidney. He followed that up with a right roundhouse kick to his face. That phrase, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall,”
is true. Especially when the huge guy crashed into the wooden deck face first.
By now Goatee tried to tackle Tony, lunging at him with his arms spread outward. Tony caught the guy’s head in his right hand and hooked his left arm under his right, twisted around, letting his momentum carry him past Tony. He twirled flat onto his back on the hard boards. Then Tony drop kneed him in the gut and sent a palm into his jaw, knocking his head
Raising a glass of red wine, she took a sip and then licked her lips. “Where’s Melanie?” she asked.
“Went home.”
“You work fast. I heard that about Italians.”
BOOM TOWN 57
“We might work fast, but we always finish the task at hand.”
She smiled and widened her eyes at him. “How’s your back?”
“I want to apologize for earlier today,” he said. “I don’t like to deceive people. Especially good people.”
“Right,” she said. “That doesn’t bother me, though. You’re an interesting man, Mr. Caruso. But isn’t Melanie a little too sedate for you?”
He had to laugh at that. Sedate wasn’t even close to describing Melanie. Yet, when he thought about it, she was probably just that compared to those who frequented the Humphrey Jacuzzi parties.
Suddenly, the door opened and the two rent-a-cops plowed out onto the wooden boards. They trudged to within five feet of them and stopped, their stances wide and identical. They reminded Tony of a couple of marines blindly popping into parade rest at a family picnic.
The one who had clubbed Tony, Goatee, spoke first. “You made us look like idiots this morning in front of our boss.”
“Sorry about that,” Tony said. “But I’m afraid I didn’t help you out much in that area.”
Dawn giggled.
Goatee twisted his head and lowered his bushy brows at Tony.
“Let’s go inside,” Dawn said, pulling on Tony’s arm. “I’m getting cold.”
Now the other guy, Flattop, spoke up. “You go. We need to talk with him.”
She hesitated.
Tony nodded. “Go ahead.”
She got to the door and looked back at him, unsure.
“Do you work on Sunday?” Tony asked her.
She stared at him blankly, the door against her shoulder.
“Someone might need a session,” he said, nodding his head toward the two rent-a-cops.
She smiled and went inside. But she didn’t go far. Tony could see her watching from through the window.
58
TREVOR SCOTT
There was usually a few ways these things could go, Tony knew. A lot of verbal foreplay, followed by pushing. And then someone takes a swing. Since he already knew how these two moved, he didn’t plan on letting them hit him first.
The only advantage he had was that the two of them were high school football types; the offensive line variety. The kind that got all worked up but didn’t have the agility to throw a straight punch with any speed. They did have muscles though, and if a wild punch did find its mark, Tony could be in trouble.
Fortunately, while in the Navy and not seeing how many brain cells he could destroy, he spent some spare time while stationed in Japan working on a couple of the ancient physical art forms.
“You wanted to say something?” Tony reminded them.
“Stay away from Cascade Peaks,” Flattop said.
“Or?”
“He’s not going to take our advice,” Goatee said to his partner.
“I think he’ll need some persuasion.”
“Wow!” Tony said. “Three syllables. Impressive.”
With that, Flattop wound up for a right roundhouse punch. It was like he was moving in slow motion. Tony simply sidestepped to the left, parried his arm, let him slide by, and punched him in the kidney. He followed that up with a right roundhouse kick to his face. That phrase, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall,”
is true. Especially when the huge guy crashed into the wooden deck face first.
By now Goatee tried to tackle Tony, lunging at him with his arms spread outward. Tony caught the guy’s head in his right hand and hooked his left arm under his right, twisted around, letting his momentum carry him past Tony. He twirled flat onto his back on the hard boards. Then Tony drop kneed him in the gut and sent a palm into his jaw, knocking his head
Similar Books
