Page 88 of Caught Up

“Why?”

“Because he pissed me off.”

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” he asked. “Dead clients don’t bring in any more money.”

So hedidknow what I really did for work. “No,” I said. Not that I would tell him if Iwasplanning to off the guy.

Tyler pulled his phone from his pocket and looked to be checking over something. “He owes me two million.”

“Bullshit,” I spat.

Tyler’s douchey expression disappeared, replaced by something far more ruthless. Great. He and Josh were more alike than I’d realized. “He’s a drunk old fuck who thinks he’s more important than he is, so he weasels his way into high roller games and then loses his ass because he’s also a goddamn idiot.”

I let my own crazy shine through, taking a step closer. Tyler might have been bigger than me, but I doubted he’d ever been in arealfight before. “If I find out you’re lying about the amount,” I said, “not even your friendship with Josh will keep you safe. I’ll tear this entire enterprise down around you and then scatter your body parts all over the city.”

“I’m not lying,” he bit out, wariness creeping into his expression for the first time since I’d met him. “McKinney owns a bunch of buildings over on the West Side. He thinks he can keep piling on the debt, because he just turns around and squeezes more out of his tenants to cover the monthly payments.”

My mind went to work. So that explained the constant upticks. How many more people besides Lauren and the other owners of Velvet was McKinney fucking over?

“That’s what you’re after, isn’t it?” Tyler said. “One of his properties.”

Goddamn it. I really wished he was as stupid as he looked. It would make dealing with him so much easier. “None of your business.”

“Are you trying to expand mob territory? Is that it?”

This nosy motherfucker was getting on my last damn nerve, and it was time to turn the tables. “Josh know about your little business venture?”

Tyler’s expression shut down, all the answer I needed.

“Tell you what, give me McKinney’s debt for a million, and I won’t say anything.” I grinned. “To Josh,orall the other bookies who are after you.”

Tyler took a menacing step toward me.

“Careful,” I said, pointing at the little red dot that suddenly bloomed on his chest.

He glanced down, saw the laser, and swore, stepping back. A calculating gleam entered his eyes as he studied me. “Your father know what you’re up to?”

“Yup,” I lied.

“Somehow I doubt that, or you would have come here with a bunch of mob thugs instead of whichever mercs you hired.”

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

“So, if I show up at Nico Senior’s house tomorrow to hand over McKinney’s slips, he’ll be fine?” Tyler asked.

Shit. We were at a stalemate, and I could tell from his expression that he knew it.

“I can’t let it go for a million,” he said, eyeing me. “Not unless you take me on as a partner.”

Was he serious? “Fuck, no. We don’t even get along. Why would I want to work with you?”

“Because it makes fiscal sense,” he said, like that answered everything. And maybe for him, it did, but the thought of having to deal with this asshole all the time gave me an instant headache.

“I’ll stay silent,” he went on. “Let you handle all the daily bullshit as long as I get my cut.”

“Careful,” I said. “Verbal agreements are binding in my line of work.”

“I’m serious, bro.”

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