Page 57 of Keeping Kasey
I refuse to give him any satisfaction.
“Like her? No. Likesleeping withher, yes—and I intend to continue doing so until she’s gone,” I say with a sardonic smile. “We can talk about moving forward with Romano then.”
His expression is calculating, but he doesn’t seem annoyed by my rejection, and I briefly wonder if there’s another motive behind his questioning before deciding I don’t care either way.
I glance at my watch. Kasey and Damon should be landing in less than an hour, and I plan to be home by the time she gets there.
I shoot to my feet, ready to give some excuse that I know he won’t believe for why I’m leaving early today, but Matteo bursts into the room.
The look on his face can only mean one thing, which he confirms when he opens his mouth.
“There was another attack.”
Fifteen minutes later, James, Matteo, and I are staring at a map of Chicago with thirteen pins marking sabotaged locations over the last four months. Some have been more substantial than others, but each sabotage is another crack in the armor protecting this family.
The method varies—cargo going missing during transport, inventory numbers being tampered with, oranonymoustips that lead to some of my associates getting busted—but the ending is always the same.
The responsible person makes themselves known when they completely fall off the map.
These men—soldiers who aligned themselves with Mason—either make a deal for immunity with law enforcement and opt for the witness protection program or use their insider information for a payout that funds their escape.
Matteo puts a new pin on the map—our accounting firm.
“This morning, we sent four soldiers to deliver a quarter million to the firm. Two hours ago, I received word that they never arrived.”
Matteo slides a photo onto the desk. It shows one of our inconspicuous black vans with blood splattered across the inside of the windshield. Three bodies are sagging lifelessly in their seats, and based on the angle of the splatter and the direction in which the bodies are slumped, I estimate gunshots to the back of the head for all of them.
“The fourth soldier—Billy Ridge—took off with the money,” Matteo explains.
“Witnesses?” James asks.
Matteo shakes his head. “I still have men investigating, but so far, no one has seen or heard anything.”
“He’s traveling with a ridiculous amount of cash,” James notes. “He’s not about to risk hanging out at bus or train stations—not in this city.”
“If he’s smart, he bought a crappy car and is well out of city limits by now,” Matteo agrees.
“Lucky for us, these guys are rarely smart,” I note. “Is this the same Billy who used his advancement on a Rolex when he was three months behind on rent?”
James nods.
“Then a quarter million won’t last him long. I’m willing to bet he’s got another sabotage planned and never left the city. Send out the normal team to apprehend him.”
“Already done,” Matteo confirms. “But I think we need to take extra precautionary measures, considering the implications of the timing.”
“What implications?” James asks.
“After Mason died, there were five sabotages in two weeks. After Moreno fixed the leak, there were three in ten days. This is the second ineight days.”
“You think there will be another?” James asks.
“We would be ignorant to assume otherwise,” Matteo answers. “We need to be ready when it happens.”
“The question isn’t when. It’swhy,” I say. “What would’ve spooked the traitors this time?”
Three seconds of silence follow.
Three seconds during which each of us considers what possible change could’ve led to the sabotage.
