“Yeah,” I agreed. “The boys’ damage is gonna be blood.”
We all looked at one another and then started laughing all over again. “Then again…” I stole an M&M from Mo. “It is Vegas.”
“To Vegas!” Trace took the wine bottle from my hands and lifted it in the air.
“To six-packs!” Mo held up an M&M.
Both girls set their eyes on me, waiting. I laughed and lifted my one M&M into the air. “To the craziest honeymoon in history.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nixon
“That’s enough, Chase.” I jerked him away from the bloody mess and semi-mangled body. But Chase lunged again for William’s face. “I said…” I gripped his shoulders and shoved him toward Tex. “…that’s enough.”
“Sorry.” Chase stepped away from the rat bastard, a smirk of self-satisfaction plastered all over his face. “I didn’t hear you.”
“My ass,” Tex said from the corner, grinning like an idiot as he took Chase’s place and pulled out a switchblade. “Now, we can do this the easy way.” He pointed to himself. “Or the hard way.” He pointed to me and smirked. “And word to the wise? Always choose easy.”
William spat in Tex’s face.
With a laugh, Tex wiped his face, handed me the switchblade, then walked toward the bar and poured himself a drink. “He’s all yours, man.”
Smirking, I pulled the little freak to his feet and dragged him to the bathroom. “Don’t feel like talking, hmm? Think you’re tough? A mafia bad ass?”
I threw him against the wall, his head cracked against the tile. After a second push, blood ran from the back of his neck. I leaned in and growled, “You disgust me.”
To his credit, the guy didn’t even yell. Maybe he wanted to die, maybe he didn’t care, but I couldn’t take that chance. I needed to know for sure who he worked for because if it wasn’t Campisi, someone else was tailing our every move.
I kicked his legs out from underneath him and pushed him into the shower, motioning for Chase to hold him against the floor. I grabbed a washcloth and put it over William Herald’s face and then started the Jacuzzi tub. Chase’s hands were on either side of William’s body, holding him down as he choked and gasped for air.
“Enough,” Tex said from behind me.
Obviously I’d done enough if Tex was the voice of reason. That happened once every ten years.
I turned off the water and pulled the washcloth from his face. “Ready to talk yet? A simple nod will do.”
Hatred dripped from his eyes.
I tilted my head to the side. “Impressive.”
With a grunt, I pushed him down again and motioned for Chase to hold his jaw open as I turned on the water, this time leaving it on twice as long. William’s body started to shake.
Cursing, I turned off the water and pulled the cloth off for a second time. “Memory still fuzzy? Or you think we can have a nice little chat. Tell you what.” I tapped his face with my hand. “I’ll even pour you a drink, and when you’re done spilling your guts, put you up in one of the nicest rooms in the hotel, William. How does that sound? I may even send you a nice call girl, someone real classy, maybe two. Hell, I’ll send you three.”
Snot mixed with spit trailed down William’s chin and onto his chest. He gave a jerky nod. Chase got off of him and tugged him to his feet.
We walked in silence back to the main living room and each poured a drink. When I handed our guest his whiskey, he could barely hold it in his hand, let alone drink it without getting it all over his face. Maybe we’d beaten him too much. Or maybe he was just a really good actor.
“Spill,” I pulled out my gun and aimed it at his face, “or this ends here and now.”
“You’d kill me without knowing who sent me?” William threatened, his voice gravelly and hoarse.
“Absolutely.” I laughed. “What’s one less person in the world? Hell, what’s one less hired man? You’re replaceable, even to the people you’re working for. You mean absolutely nothing. Damn shame, I doubt anyone would even mourn your passing. Ten bucks says when I bury your body out in the desert, people won’t even file a missing person report for another two weeks.”
His eyes flared to life, his lower lip trembling.
“Aw.” I tilted my head. “Did I hurt your feelings? Strike a sore spot in that greedy little heart? Let me be very clear.” I lowered my voice. “You don’t matter. You never did, you never will. You’re a joke. An idiot, actually. Tell me, how much did you get paid to spy on us? Were you even told what you were dealing with? As far as you’re concerned, I’m the judge, jury, executioner, and the only prayer you have of walking out of this hotel alive. As it is, I’m debating whether or not I want to cut out your tongue first or start with your hands. It’s an art form, you know… breaking the tiny bones in a person’s fingers. You want to be sure to snap them at just the right angle to inflict enough pain and swelling to render a person utterly useless.”
The man’s leg shook as a stream of piss ran out of his pant leg and across his shoe into a puddle on the floor.
“I take that as a yes, then?” I grinned. “You feel like having a nice long chat now?”
“Y-yes,” he stammered. “I didn’t know.”
“Know?”
“They didn’t say who you were. I don’t know who you are,” he repeated. “I’ve been taking odd jobs for years from him. I got the tattoo after the first job. He said I was part of the family, that this was the last test.”
Him. At first he said they, now he said him. Why? I stored that piece of information in my memory and asked, “How many years?”
“Six, maybe seven.”
“You a local?” I bared my teeth and leaned in.
He nodded his mouth trembling again. “I never met with the main guy. My orders always came from someone else.”
“Name?”
“I don’t know.”
I cocked the gun and pushed the point of it against his skull. “Name?”
“I don’t know!” William whimpered, his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
Rolling my eyes, I rose from my seat and slowly approached him. With a grunt, I pulled William’s arm out and twisted until I heard a pop. “Name?”
The man started screaming. I covered his mouth with my hand, muffling the sound.