Page 47 of Dark Things
She closes her eyes for a moment and turns to me, grabbing my hand. “It’s been five years, and he was such a little kid. He won’t even remember me.”
I grab the back of her head and pull her over on the seat before kissing her temple. “It doesn’t matter,gioia mia.We get him to safety, and then we get the fuck out of the country if we can’t take care of Stan. We take Catwith us, too. She’ll want to know him, and I’m not leaving her to that monster.”
She blows out a breath and slides over to her side of the truck. “You’re right. Nothing else matters except getting him back. We do the job like always and take next steps after. Where do you think they’re keeping this Michael guy?”
I hand her my phone and she clicks on the tracking app. There are four dots currently on the screen, but we only need one—Gino’s.
“Looks like he’s parked over by the nature preserve. You think they killed him already, or they’re doing it there for easy clean up?”
I shrug, pressing on the gas and praying we get there before they kill him. If he’s dead, I’m not sure I can save Stella. Stan is going to want to kill him after he signs the business over. Stan is the definition of a new conqueror. He’s obsessed with Ancient Rome and all the pillaging shit that the Vikings did. He sees businesses as new countries to take over.
I park the truck further in the dark cover of the trees and Reb hops out, coming over to the driver’s side. She grabs my jacket and pulls me down for a kiss before resting her forehead on mine. “In and out, no regrets. Job gets done and we go home.”
“Home,” I reply, stepping back to check my weapons. She does the same before we pull down our balaclavas and disappear into the night.
Gino is alone, and Michael is tied in a bundle at hisfeet. He’s mumbling something, but I can’t make it out from here. Reb signals and takes out her smaller gun from her belt holster. She slips into the darkness, and I stand at the ready for when it's time.
A small whooshing sound disturbs the night and Gino’s hand goes to the back of his neck where the dart is sticking out. He wobbles on his feet for a moment before murmuring ‘fuck’ and going down face first in the grass.
Reb comes out from her spot and I meet her, standing over Gino’s body. I kick him to make sure he’s out and then pull the dart from his neck, pocketing it. Reb uses his shoulders to flip him over so he doesn’t suffocate in the dirt.
We could have just killed him, but we don’t need Mario going crazy looking for his second and making this whole fucking thing worse than it is.
Michael starts crying about how he doesn’t want to die, but I tune him out. The less I say to this piece of shit the better. Reb doesn’t have any trouble, though.
“Hey, asshole. Seems like you got caught in quite the fucking mess,” she says, bending down and cutting the zip ties at his ankles. He tries to stand up, but she pushes him down and crotches in front of him.
“I didn’t say you could get up. You’re going to listen to me and agree to everything I say. Otherwise I’m going to finish what Gino started, got it?”
Michael’s head is nodding so fast it’s a wonder it’sstill attached to his head. “Anything, I just want to get back to my family.”
“The family that you abandoned and made stupid decisions for because you’re gambling and side pieces are more important than your daughter who has fucking cancer!”
I’m yelling by the end of my rant and kicking him in the leg. I have to take a walk, or I will kill this asshole. Reb takes my place and starts to talk to Michael more quietly. I’m sure her words are a threat and not a sweet chat.
She gets up from her crouch and spins to face me.
“Michael agrees that he’s not going to be a problem. We’re going to give him to Stan and leave with Stella. He’s also going to give her a divorce and all the money to take care of his kids. And be there in the hospital until Patty dies. Then he’s going to either disappear or do what he needs to survive away from his wife and other daughter. Right, Michael?” she asks.
“Yes, that’s what I’m going to do. You have my word,” he says, scuffling into a sitting position, eyes pinging between Reb and I.
“Get up,” I yell, crouching down and pulling him up by his armpits. He scrambles, but is steady on his feet after I let go.
We walk him back to the SUV, and I pull out a blindfold, tying it around his eyes before getting him settled in the trunk. He begins to cry but I drown out his pity party with music.
Reb and I are silent until we pull up outside the slaughterhouse. Stan’s guys are smoking outside, but when they see Pitch they stub their cigarettes out and move out of the way of the entrance. Rook is there, and he gives us a nod before opening the door.
I grab Michael from the SUV and walk him into the building behind Reb. She hasn’t been to this site yet, but she acts like she owns the building. The guys all stop and stare for a moment, but when she turns toward them they find something else to do.
Even if most of our Kentucky crew isn’t here, Reb is still a legend in her own right. People fear her because she’s so unpredictable, and to anyone here that makes her dangerous, but it just makes me smile on the inside. My girl is a terror.
“You found him!” Stan yells, walking across the open room to get to us.
I take off Michael’s blindfold and step around him. Stan comes up to us, and I see Reb straighten her spine and plant her feet.
“He was with Gino,” I say, giving my father a nod. He looks between Reb and me before smiling atMichael.
“You fucked up, Mikey. Now we’re going to have a long conversation about the new friends you made,” Stan says.
