Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“I have a good lawyer,” I murmur.
He’s aged in the seven years I’ve been in prison. Frankly, he was older than dirt before that.
“So I guess you didn’t quite die in that car that blew up,” I say wryly.
“Doesn’t look like it.”
I step closer to him. Will he actually shoot me?
“That’s far enough. We both understand I know how to kill,” he says.
“I would assume killing people is in your past.”
He’s wearing a pink polo shirt that covers his sunken chest and old-man pants that are held up by a belt over his belly. Grizzly gray and white hair sticks up all over his head, and his eyebrows are so bushy I’m surprised they don’t crawl across his face. His eyes are a cloudy brown and his ears much larger than I remember.
“Why did you fake your death?” I ask.
“I wanted out,” he says. “Your dad was dead, and that just changed the entire organization. Lillian doesn’t know what she’s doing. Or rather she does, and I didn’t like what she was doing, and Hendrix is no better. You were an asshole, and I didn’t see you ever making anything of yourself. So I decided to die.” He shrugs. “I ended up here, and I was her first boarder. Once I got here, once I got to know her, I couldn’t leave.”
Rosalie. She does seem to draw men to her like butterflies to the perfect flower.
I shake my head. “Why would you even remotely stay in this area if you wanted out?”
“Rosalie. Plus, I don’t go anywhere. Look at this.” He sweeps his free hand out toward the multitude of bushes, flowers, and plants. “This is what I do. I’m the gardener here. We all have a role.”
“None of them know who you are or what you’ve done.”
“Of course not. Rosalie thinks I’m a retired accountant, which I kind of am,” he says.
My chin drops. “You’re an assassin.”
“Well, I counted bodies, and sometimes I helped with the books,” he says defensively, his voice croaking.
I look at the gun. “What’s your plan?”
“What do you want with her?” he asks.
I cock my head. “She’s a little young for you.”
Red flushes over his cheeks. “It’s not like that. She’s like a granddaughter to all of us.”
I can see that. She obviously cares for them. “She’s going broke feeding all of you.”
“We try to help,” he protests. “It’s not like you get Social Security for working in the mob. Plus, don’t you have a lot of money now? Rumor has it your funds were released.”
I cock my head to the side. “Rumor has it, huh? So you do have a couple of people still in the organization who know you’re alive.”
“Yeah, but I’ll never tell you who they are.”
I believe him. He’s legendary. Some men just don’t crack. “That’s fine. But Hendrix and Lillian have no idea you’re alive.”
“Of course not,” he says, “or I’d be dead.” He snorts. “Rumor has it you’re stepping back up.”
“Rumor’s true,” I say quietly. “You want back in?”
His gaze is hard. “No. I’m eighty-two years old. I want to be completely out.” His hands shake slightly, and I hope he doesn’t accidentally shoot me. “But if you do anything to hurt Rosalie, I will kill you.”
I read the sincerity in his eyes. “She cares about you, and I don’t want to kill you,” I return easily. “She is my future, and I plan to rebuild my entire organization. If you have a problem with that, you should probably shoot me right now.”
He gulps, and the saggy skin around his neck moves. “What do you mean she’s your future?”
“Exactly that,” I say. “I’m keeping her, Percy. I’ll make sure she’s safe and well taken care of. She’ll never worry about money again.”
“When the hell did you decide that?”
Probably the first time she glared at me in that prison meeting room. “Doesn’t matter.”
He stares into my eyes and reads something there that finally has his arm lowering. “I don’t know that she wants that kind of life.”
“Too bad. That’s the life she’s going to have.”
He tucks the gun at the back of his waist. “If she asks me to kill you, I’ll do it.”
I smile. “Fair enough. Are we done?”
He nods. “For now.” He starts to walk away and then turns. “You’ve changed.”
“I hope so,” I say dryly. “I really was an asshole back then.”
He gives one short nod. “How many men do you have?”
“About ten,” I say. “I won’t give you names.”
He stands straighter, still stooped over. “I can get you a few more,” he says. “Hendrix is not well-liked.”
We’ll still be outnumbered, but that’ll be a good start. “I appreciate the assistance.”
“I expect to be paid,” he says instantly, looking around at the flowers.
“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I turn and head toward the private entrance to the top floor. I walk up the stairs, for the first time taking a really good look at the keypad next to Rosalie’s door. Oh, I know the code because I saw her key it in, but it’s much nicer than I expect at this little house.