Page 122 of With A Little Luck
They exit, and the other three wait to be given their orders.
East doesn’t keep them waiting long. “You’re going to take Calder to my home?—”
“I live there too. That makes it our house,” Calder mutters without looking up.
Easton’s head tips toward the ceiling as it shakes. “You will safely deliver Calder toourhouse, and Keir will give you further instructions on where you’re needed.”
There’s some additional back and forth between the team leader and Easton, but I tune them out, studying the faces on the screen.
It sets a bad precedent to have that many unknowns on the board.
Stepping over to stand near Calder, I ask, “The two from the alley yesterday were from the first contract. Is that right?”
The first listing Costa set up was for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He more than doubled it with the second. The first would have appealed to any lower-level contract workers—the ones looking to make a name for themselves—or those who were already in the area and considered it easy money.
Costa failed to mention the listing was for a fully trained mercenary.
Target information is usually kept minimal in the listing, so perhaps he forwarded extra details once someone accepted the job. However, I doubt they had any information about Shadow Security. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to make an enemy of Easton for such a low payday.
The higher bounty is closer to what I would assume would be necessary to coax out the real threats, but truth be told, even that is a bit on the low end.
“The ones who went after you and Knox? Yeah, they were who snagged the contract for the lower bounty,” Calder says, nodding. “I’ve been monitoring the listing to see if it becomesactive again, but either Costa doesn’t know they’re dead, or he doesn’t plan to reopen it.”
Some listings are one-shots while others are free-for-alls. The first becomes inactive when someone commits to the job. The second indicates more than one team may be fighting it out to see who completes the contract first.
Both come with benefits and complications. When multiple teams compete to see who can get the target first, there may be a larger spectacle. They also might decide to try to take out each other to knock out the competition.
“The second listing…” I murmur as I make my decision. “I’m going to take it.”
“What?” Calder asks, twisting to face me.
“Get out,” Easton says, but I ignore him. He’s talking to the team that’s waiting to take Calder home. The sounds of them exiting the room fill the air, and the door closes quietly.
I nod, agreeing with myself. “It will lull Costa into a false sense of security.”
“And fuck up your completion rate when you don’t fulfill the transaction,” Easton says with a hint of amusement lining his tone.
He’s not wrong about that.
“Costa’s team already knows who you are,” Calder says. “Even if that first time they passed by the restaurant was a coincidence, they clearly made the connection when they tried to kill you and Knox in the alleyway.”
Stepping back, I lean against the wall near Valor once more. “They know my face. They also know I’m guarding Ridge. That doesnotmean they know I’m the King of Hearts.”
I despise that fucking name.
It was a parting gift from my mentor, much like the scar Quincy asked about.
I don’t care who you are—even if you’re born with psychopathic traits and an excellent ability to compartmentalize—you don’t get murder right on the first try. No matter how much you study or practice, it’s a honed skill.
“There are no pictures of me related to my professional persona. Very few past associates could pick me out of a lineup, and none of them would partner with Costa Maloney.” I shrug. “Tell me if you think I’m misreading the situation, but I believe we should have gone this direction from day one. Granted, if I had taken the first bounty, it would have looked suspicious, but the three quarters of a million offering is something I would normally considerifit was convenient and the target was interesting. Considering my reputation, I believe Costa will gleefully accept my bid.”
“There’s no way he’ll meet with you unless it’s to receive proof the contract has been completed,” Easton says, his tone thoughtful. “But if we try to take him out under the guise Ridge is dead, it will not only tarnish your reputation but also Shadow Security’s.”
Yes, well, no one would have known about my connection to Shadow Security if I had taken this route from the beginning, but I think it’s still possible as long as we play our cards right.
If it were anyone other than my half brother who made the call asking to bring me in, I would have declined, but I’ve been a bit aimless lately. I might not be as old as Ridge or even Hartley, but I turned twenty-seven a few months ago. Perhaps being on the downhill slope to thirty put me into a bit of a rut.
I’ve been bored.
