Read Online Lace and Bullets: A Hitman Romance by Marie Carnay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marie Carnay
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still haunted him. The bitter cold. The hard concrete. The grunts and fast shuffles of feet as strangers passed them by. People rushing home to their houses and heaters and fireplaces. To waiting blankets and warm soup and love.
Men and women stepped over the tiny pair huddled into the walls like they were weeds that needed pulling. Damien shoved his hands in his pockets to ward off the chill. It wasn’t all from the night air.
People like Mia would never understand what it meant to be scared and hungry and so damn desperate you’d do anything to survive.
The headlights of the car in front of him flicked on and off. She would understand soon enough.
He slid into the passenger seat. “Hey, JJ.”
“S’up, man, you look rough.”
“I was with Angelo at the DA’s place.”
JJ hissed and shook his head. “That shit’s not good, man. Cops are everywhere. Media’s a fucking circus. You need to get the hell outta here, man.”
Damien glanced at JJ. Built like a tank and a half, the man took up all the space on the driver’s side of the Crown Vic and then some. His massive forearm sat on the center console, bulging with veins.
With a reputation for hitting first and not bothering to ask questions, the guy had one serious temper. But he’d always been chill with Damien. One of the few guys in the scene who took him at face value.
If JJ said shit was bad, it was a God damn cesspool.
“How’s Marcelo?”
JJ snorted. “Foaming at the mouth. He wants someone to pay for this fuck up. It took him years to get in with the DA’s office. Now he’ll have to start all over. With the turnover in cops, he’s feeling the heat.”
Damien nodded.
“He finds out you were involved, he’s gonna want your head.”
“Gotta ask for a favor.” Damien knew it was a risk, but there was no one else he could trust.
“Depends. What’s in it for me?”
“If it goes down like it should, you’ll be a fucking hero to Marcelo.”
JJ twisted in the seat. “Yeah? Then talk.”
“After Angelo fucked it all up, I showed up. Took him out.”
JJ leaned back. “You shot Angelo? Yo, man, that’s…bad.”
“Hear me out.” Damien turned to face the other man. “Now it looks like the DA shot him. Couldn’t risk Angelo talking to the EMTs. If they found out Marcelo was involved…It was the best way to keep it quiet. It looks like a robbery gone bad.”
His fellow criminal thought for a moment. “I got you. All right. So, what you want me to tell Marcelo?”
Damien shook his head. “That’s not it. He already knows.”
JJ frowned. “Then what is it?”
“There’s a witness. I took her.”
“Shit.”
“I don’t trust Donny not to play me. I need you to get word to Marcelo. Tell him I want to set up a trade.”
“You’re playing with fire, Damien.”
“I know.” He ran his fingernails over the seam in his jeans. “But will you do it?”
The way JJ looked at him, Damien wasn’t sure whether he’d gone too far. You could never trust another criminal. Not all the way.
At last, he answered. “Yeah, I’ll do it. But that’s it. I’m tapped out on favors for your sorry ass. Don’t ask me again.”
“With any luck, I won’t need to.” Damien leaned in and gave JJ a quick pat on the back. “Thanks, man.”
“Keep your phone on. Marcelo doesn’t like to wait.”
Damien nodded and got out of the car. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched against the wind. If he knew JJ, the man was already on the phone, relaying what Damien had told him.
He opened the door to the safe house and slipped inside as his phone rang. “Damien here.”
“You wanted to speak with me.”
“Good evening, Mr. Marcelo. Thank you for calling.”
“Spit it out.”
Damien pushed back his hood and turned toward the window. He looked out at the darkness as he spoke. “I took care of Angelo for you. I’m sure Donny told you.”
“Yes. I appreciate your quick thinking.”
“When I was cleaning up, I heard a
Men and women stepped over the tiny pair huddled into the walls like they were weeds that needed pulling. Damien shoved his hands in his pockets to ward off the chill. It wasn’t all from the night air.
People like Mia would never understand what it meant to be scared and hungry and so damn desperate you’d do anything to survive.
The headlights of the car in front of him flicked on and off. She would understand soon enough.
He slid into the passenger seat. “Hey, JJ.”
“S’up, man, you look rough.”
“I was with Angelo at the DA’s place.”
JJ hissed and shook his head. “That shit’s not good, man. Cops are everywhere. Media’s a fucking circus. You need to get the hell outta here, man.”
Damien glanced at JJ. Built like a tank and a half, the man took up all the space on the driver’s side of the Crown Vic and then some. His massive forearm sat on the center console, bulging with veins.
With a reputation for hitting first and not bothering to ask questions, the guy had one serious temper. But he’d always been chill with Damien. One of the few guys in the scene who took him at face value.
If JJ said shit was bad, it was a God damn cesspool.
“How’s Marcelo?”
JJ snorted. “Foaming at the mouth. He wants someone to pay for this fuck up. It took him years to get in with the DA’s office. Now he’ll have to start all over. With the turnover in cops, he’s feeling the heat.”
Damien nodded.
“He finds out you were involved, he’s gonna want your head.”
“Gotta ask for a favor.” Damien knew it was a risk, but there was no one else he could trust.
“Depends. What’s in it for me?”
“If it goes down like it should, you’ll be a fucking hero to Marcelo.”
JJ twisted in the seat. “Yeah? Then talk.”
“After Angelo fucked it all up, I showed up. Took him out.”
JJ leaned back. “You shot Angelo? Yo, man, that’s…bad.”
“Hear me out.” Damien turned to face the other man. “Now it looks like the DA shot him. Couldn’t risk Angelo talking to the EMTs. If they found out Marcelo was involved…It was the best way to keep it quiet. It looks like a robbery gone bad.”
His fellow criminal thought for a moment. “I got you. All right. So, what you want me to tell Marcelo?”
Damien shook his head. “That’s not it. He already knows.”
JJ frowned. “Then what is it?”
“There’s a witness. I took her.”
“Shit.”
“I don’t trust Donny not to play me. I need you to get word to Marcelo. Tell him I want to set up a trade.”
“You’re playing with fire, Damien.”
“I know.” He ran his fingernails over the seam in his jeans. “But will you do it?”
The way JJ looked at him, Damien wasn’t sure whether he’d gone too far. You could never trust another criminal. Not all the way.
At last, he answered. “Yeah, I’ll do it. But that’s it. I’m tapped out on favors for your sorry ass. Don’t ask me again.”
“With any luck, I won’t need to.” Damien leaned in and gave JJ a quick pat on the back. “Thanks, man.”
“Keep your phone on. Marcelo doesn’t like to wait.”
Damien nodded and got out of the car. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched against the wind. If he knew JJ, the man was already on the phone, relaying what Damien had told him.
He opened the door to the safe house and slipped inside as his phone rang. “Damien here.”
“You wanted to speak with me.”
“Good evening, Mr. Marcelo. Thank you for calling.”
“Spit it out.”
Damien pushed back his hood and turned toward the window. He looked out at the darkness as he spoke. “I took care of Angelo for you. I’m sure Donny told you.”
“Yes. I appreciate your quick thinking.”
“When I was cleaning up, I heard a
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