Page 45 of Glamour and Grit

“If this guy works for Moreno, why doesn't he have the money to afford better lodgings?”

Dane grunts. “Because he’s not here to catch some Z’s, or because his apartment is being fumigated. He’s here because this kind of place doesn't ask questions and does not have security cameras.”

He turns his gaze to me and a chill runs through my body.

“He’s here to do business of some sort. Hopefully it’s nothing too messy. I want to tail this guy and get information, not shoot him because he’s doing something…sordid.”

“You think Moreno would tolerate him being like that? I thought the mob was all about honor.”

He snorts. “The mob is all about making money and holding ontotheir power. The honor among thieves thing is pure bullshit they like to spout to make themselves feel better. They’re just criminals and murderers and thieves like any others. Just because they wear a three-piece suit and donate money to the local orphanage doesn't make them heroes.”

“I never said they were. Jeez, this really pisses you off, doesn’t it?”

He gives me a look. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it upsets you that the mafia is afforded a certain degree of respect and even hero worship by the public. Which makes sense, seeing as youactuallyserved your country and kept people safe.”

Dark clouds obscure Dane’s face. He turns his gaze back to pierce through the windshield.

“I served my country, but I didn’t do a very good job of keeping people safe.”

There’s venom in his voice, but it’s directed only at himself, not me.

“What’s that mean?” I ask softly.

“Nothing.”

His eyes widen, his body tensing like a panther about to pounce.

“What are you doing?”

“Petty. I just spotted him, and he’s on the move.”

14

DANE

Marksmanship is about self-control. About reaching the absolute peak level of discipline a human can hope to achieve. Mastering yourself and then extending that mastery to the environment.

Fear of failure kept me from taking the shot on Klaus. Now, fear of the unknown kept me from taking a shot on Selene.

Just being close to her taxes me. Selene’s dark, golden brown, silken mane stirs in the air coming from the AC vent on the dashboard. It’s hard not to get lost in the semi-curly locks, and the impish, perfect face her tresses frame.

She’s thrown me off my game completely. I don’t know which way is up or down. It’s taking all my concentration just to keep the tail on Petty.

“Hey, he’s getting away.” Selene leans forward, peering intently through the windshield as a car pulls into the lane ahead of us.

“Petty’s going to get stuck at the next red light, same as us. He’s not getting away. Besides, we don’t want to be too close to him. A man like Petty can spot a tail.”

She shifts in her seat and grimaces. “Great. What if he’s made us already?”

“Maybe he has. If so, he hasn’t given any sign. Then again, he probably wouldn’t give a sign. That's what I would do, in his position.”

“Is there anything we can do to, um, blend in better?”

I grunt as the light turns green and we roll along the avenue. I let Petty put some distance between us.

“We give him plenty of room, like I’m doing now. And we try to act like we're not tailing him.”

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