Page 58 of Callan

“Yes.”

“I’m not in the business of killing women.”

His eyes stay on mine for a long second.

“In her defense, she had no idea who she dealt with. She thought I was some sucker looking for pussy.”

Daniela Contreras was my first mistake in a long period ofnowomen–related mistakes.

When you’re doing what we’re doing, walking a narrow line to appease everybody, and frankly, staying alive and leading a double life while permanently swinging between legitimate businesses and street lawlessness, your instincts must be sharp.

There is no room for errors.

The slightest error in this life can put you six feet under in a luxurious coffin in St. John’s Cemetery. Or Calvary Cemetery in Woodside Queens. Or Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Take your pick.

It’s too early to think about that, so it’s important to play this game well. All this time, I’ve been on top of things, but somehow,picking up this woman in a club to have some fun turned out to be a crime against me.

Me?

I’d laugh if I weren’t so pissed.

Alarms should’ve gone off in my head. They didn’t.

The entire story was so embarrassing I couldn’t even share all the details with Alistair, my younger brother. Forget about Duncan and Ewan. I don’t want my older brothers to make fun of me.

It’s not a laughing matter, though.

The woman had no idea who I was, yet she knew enough to snatch a ten million diamond necklace from my place. That piece should’ve been in my safe deposit, not in her pocket.

Someone tipped her off, and whoever it was, they didn’t tell herwho I was. Who she was stealing from.

They used her or blackmailed her. Or both.

Nothing alerted me she might be a thief. Who would dare to steal from the Bard Brothers, anyway?

People lost their lives for way less.

For lying and snitching.

For not showing loyalty.

Or simply for being dumb and knowing too much.

We’ve always weighed our options carefully.

We couldn’t let compromised people in our crew.

Who knew that I’d be tricked by a woman?

There was nothing suspicious about her. Other than her good looks. That was her weapon of choice, and she used it well. Her blue eyes and dark hair distracted me while she used whatever information she had to pull that stunt on me.

Honestly, it wasn’t that I was smitten with her. I wasn’t. I’m surrounded by beautiful women. I know them in and out.

So it wasn’t that.

I wish it were, though.

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