CHAPTER 65 - RED
CHAPTER
Red
“ L OVELY VIEW ISN’T IT, TOM?” My hands in my pockets, I keep my back to Tom Slater and stare through the huge balcony doors over the spectacular vista from the room at the top of the Phoenix hotel. Arianna will love this view of London, and she’s welcome to see it once this is over.
The thought of getting her to myself again later brings mixed feelings. I want her more than ever, but things are even more strained between us now. But I have to concentrate on the job in hand.
The smell of fear hit me as soon as I let myself into this room. Just as I expected, Liam’s done a good job making Slater realize he’s in deep shit. Another reason proving that Arianna’s pathetic attempt to turn me against my brothers is pointless.
Despite this, I’d be lying if I said the other theory regarding who has been feeding the Bristonis information isn’t rearing its head once more.
I’m aware that when the first “honor warning” arrived yesterday, what happened to Steve wasn’t public knowledge, so the words on that note couldn’t be from anyone but a Bristoni.
The only other explanation being that someone - someone from inside my firm - is behind all of this: the warnings, the heart...
As much as the thought horrifies me, it’s still true that there are two other people with the knowledge, who also have a major issue with my decisions of late.
My brothers.
And that theory is a thousand times worse than anything else .
There’s also the slight issue - one which I’ve dismissed - that Arianna believes it was them she overheard talking in the corridor.
My eyes narrow. It was also Oscar and Liam who flagged up the tail on the way back from Steve’s wake, as well as the “unknown person” at the place itself. Both of which turned out to be false alarms...
I shake my head. I don’t want to consider it a possibility. I can’t . Not my brothers. It’s insane.
They wouldn’t.
Inwardly resetting myself, I instead concentrate on the pleasure to come: Tom Slater.
Casually turning from the French windows, my gaze flits around, pleased that my instructions have been followed to the letter.
I revel in the terror of the wide, bulging eyes of the man kneeling on a tarpaulin spread out in the center of the suite’s living area.
One cheekbone is already smashed, and there’s a tooth missing, as well as a few clumps of hair.
I nod at Liam, who promptly releases his grip of Slater’s head.
“I-I don’t understand what this is about, Mr Bateman,” Tom Slater gabbles, his panic escalating.
“I don’t believe that for a minute, Tom.
” I glance at my Rolex. Five minutes and he’ll be gone, but in the meantime, there’s time for a little game.
There’s not much better in life than giving cunts like Slater the belief there’s a chance they might escape with their lives, when in reality, anyone with a brain knows that won’t happen.
Not to thieves. And not on my turf.
“Are you honestly telling me you have no idea why you’re here? Oh! I forgot... Honesty isn’t one of your strong points, is it?”
“What? No... I mean I don’t know why I’m here... I don’t understand... I thought that...”
Slater’s bullshit ends as I boot him in the face, sending him sprawling backwards.
Liam laughs at Slater’s howls of pain and yanks him back into the center of the tarpaulin. “Silly cunt thought himself all special when I told him this is your room and said we’d come here to do a few lines of coke - your treat.”
“No!” Slater chokes, his fingers fumbling with his smashed nose. “I didn’t think th...”
“Maybe he thought there would be a couple of hookers lined up for him too.” Liam nonchalantly takes a seat in an armchair to the right of the tarpaulin .
“You have absolutely no idea what this is about?” I pace around, my eyes not moving from the sniveling mess of Tom Slater for one second.
“I don’t know what I’ve done wrong! I’ve worked for you for years. I’ve worked really hard and I...”
“Yes, you have!” And now it all makes sense. I can’t believe I’ve lost sight of myself not to see it before! It’s Slater! Tom Slater is the one who’s been passing information back to the Bristonis and Galvatores!
My teeth clench, irritation rising that this cunt actually allowed me to start suspecting my own brothers.
It was Slater who Arianna overheard in the corridor, not them. Now I’ll enjoy this even more than I was before.
Spinning around, I pull my gun from my waistband, loving the burbling squeaks of fear spilling from Slater’s smashed mouth.
The gun isn’t loaded. I wouldn’t waste a bullet on this toerag.
Plus, it will make a mess, and as Arianna will be in here later, there can be no sign of anything untoward going on. Besides, my plan is much better.
But Slater doesn’t know that.
“I’ve found it most hurtful that you took it upon yourself to steal from me.”
“W-What? Steal? No! I didn’t!” Slater’s hands flail around. “I wouldn’t do that! I’d never... I...”
“Hmm...” I wonder if this dramatic hand waving is part of some major denial, but his efforts are in vain.
Sitting down in the armchair to the left of the tarpaulin, I point my gun at Slater.
“You see, amongst other things, I’ve discovered that you’ve been skimming off the coke drops.
You’ve been doing it for some time, which is a very silly, greedy thing to do. ”
“N-No! I...” Slater’s eyes dart between me and Liam. “Please! There must be a mistake! I... It’s...”
“Shut it!” Liam’s fist smashes Slater in the temple, knocking him face forward this time.
“Dear, oh dear. Still lying?” I snarl. “Get the fuck back up!” I wait until Tom scrambles back to his knees, his whole body shaking. He knows it’s all over.
God, I’m enjoying this. It takes my mind off Arianna’s body encased in that red satin evening dress, looking every inch the hot goddess I want to fuck. Anything distracting my brain from that is a bonus.
But this bonus is a necessity and one that will be delivered on.
“Stealing from me and the firm who pay you is bad enough, Slater, but setting up an innocent man to take the flack is unforgivable!” I’m roaring now but I don’t worry about anyone overhearing because the rest of this floor and the one below it is booked out. By me .
“Cal Bennett would be dead by now if I hadn’t worked you out.” Getting up, I stroll over to Slater and press the barrel of the gun into the center of his forehead. “If only the shredding firm had arrived a little earlier that day, you’d have succeeded again.”
Slater visibly sags with defeat, my reference to shredding uncovering the stark realization that he’s been brought bang to rights. “I... I’m sorry,” he gibbers. “I really am! I had no choice... I didn’t set out to do it. It’s... Our house was about to be repossessed and... the wife, she...”
“What?” I laugh incredulously. “Are you saying I don’t pay you enough?” This fuckface is starting to wind me up . “You get five times the going rate for any accountant in London, so how does that give you the need to steal from me and set another man up for your greed?”
“No, no! I know it doesn’t!” Tears stream down Slater’s bloodied face, the vivid purple bruising and swelling making him look pitiful.
Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t remove or reduce the coming punishment.
“It... it was Theresa... my wife, she... she racked up loads of debts. Tons of them. I didn’t realize how bad it was until the demands piled up. I... I borrowed money, but I couldn’t meet the repayments... The interest kept going up and...”
“But what about the hefty cash injection you’ve received from supplying information? That should have helped, surely?”
“C-Cash? What cash? What information? I...”
“Shut the fuck up!” I bark. “Your denials only underline your guilt. You’re a LIAR!
” I pace around. “You’re supposed to be an accountant!
If you’d come to me with your problem, I might have helped you.
But you didn’t, which is a shame really because your wife will get fuck all now.
Payouts to staff families in the event of death only extend to genuine employees. ”
As the impact of my words sink in, Slater spirals into begging mode, which I don’t think I can bear. I just need full admission that he’s the mole before I finish him. It’s time . “You sound depressed, Slater. Suicidal, even?”
On cue, Liam rises from his chair and throws a pen and piece of paper at Slater. “Write these words down.”
Leaving Liam to dictate Slater’s last note, I shove my gun back into my waistband and walk over to open the balcony doors.