Chapter 37
Brady
One of my favorite parts about every evening was watching Lily sleep. The way her face was so relaxed and beautiful. Peaceful. Her breathing quiet and rhythmic. Her fingers usually clinging to me, like she needed to know I wasn’t going anywhere, but tonight, there was a pillow under her hand. And she was breathing harder than normal, her expression a mix of emotion, the dream appearing as though it wasn’t a good one.
I could understand.
It had been a hard evening.
But it hadn’t ended when she gave me the answer I wanted to hear. What followed was a deep, thorough conversation, filled with details she needed to understand.
How it would work.
Who would be doing it.
How I’d gotten Bale’s information.
Was there a chance I could get blamed? Could it be traced back to me? Would it stay confidential?
Did the family know?
Would anyone say anything?
The inquiries went on for quite some time, early into the morning. She was emotional, apprehensive, and with good reason.
This decision would be final.
It would change everything.
It shouldn’t be taken lightly from any angle.
And it wasn’t.
I’d been thinking about it since Dominick had placed Bale’s number in my hand. But for Lily, this was all new. It was something she hadn’t even considered. In fact, her plan had been to end our relationship so she wouldn’t put anyone at risk.
God, that gorgeous woman was willing to sacrifice so much.
But I wouldn’t let that happen. Because even if she left, that didn’t mean David would stop. He wasn’t exactly a man of his word; I couldn’t trust anything he said.
The only thing I could trust was that he couldn’t hurt anyone I loved when he was dead.
I waited until I was positive she was sound asleep, a slumber so deep that she wouldn’t feel me leaving the bed or hear me quietly walking out of the bedroom. With Bale’s card and my cell in my hand, I went into my office and shut the door, flipping on the light before making my way over to my desk.
I set the card on the wooden desktop, staring at the numbers before I unlocked my phone and pulled up the keypad and hit the appropriate digits.
I didn’t immediately press the green Call button.
I focused on it for several minutes.
It wasn’t that I was wavering on my decision.
I knew what needed to be done.
I just needed a fucking moment to get my head straight.
And as though David could hear my thoughts and wanted to confirm I was making the right decision, a text from him came across my goddamn screen.
David
Too afraid to leave your house? Unsure where I’m going to hit next?
Jesus, you’re a fucking baby.
A real man would come out and face me.
Me
I’ve given you every opportunity to face me. You’d rather do everything behind my back. Because you’re afraid of what will happen if I get my hands on you.
David
I think we both know I’m not afraid of anything.
He wouldn’t say that when Bale confronted him.
Motherfucker.
I returned to the keypad and hit the green Call button.
Within two rings, my call was answered, and I heard, “Brady Spade.”
Bale knew my name and must have had my number saved in his phone. I wasn’t surprised. Someone in his line of work didn’t get random calls and was tipped off before his number was handed out.
In this case, I was sure Dominick had let him know I would be phoning soon.
What was interesting was that Dominick had told me Bale would answer regardless of the time.
It was four in the morning.
Apparently, Bale nor David ever slept.
“Bale …” I replied.
“What can I do for you?”
I moved his card into the top drawer of my desk. “There’s a man.” My eyes closed as I envisioned David’s face, which I’d only ever seen through pictures. “David.”
“David …” Bale repeated. “Yes.”
“How does this work?”
“I’m going to text you an address. We’ll meet there and discuss things a little more in detail.”
I rubbed my hand over the top of my head. “I have a tail.”
“You’ll lose it the moment you enter the guarded garage.”
“Perfect.”
“I’m going to ask you a question. It’ll be the most important question you ever answer.”
I pushed back my chair and crossed my legs. “All right.”
“Is she worth it?”
My head hit the cushion of the chair, bouncing ever so slightly, a smile pulling at my fucking lips. “Hell yes.”
“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” he said, and the phone went dead.
David
You fucking asshole, you leave her in that house like a prisoner. You’ve got some nerve.
Me
Go fuck yourself.
Bale’s description of the garage had been accurate, which I learned the moment I approached the gate. It was located on the first floor of the high-rise, where there was an armed guard at the entrance. I gave him my name and showed identification, and he instructed me to park in spot 107 on the east side of the lot. From there, Bale’s instructions were to get out of my car, lock it, and come to spot 162 on the west side of the lot.
There were no windows in the garage, no access to the outside, except for the entrance I’d just come through. One of the reasons, I assumed, Bale had chosen this spot. Unless David killed the guard, there was no way he could get in here.
The only thing I’d brought with me from my house was my phone, and I had been told to leave that in my car. So, that was what I did as I climbed out, locked up, and walked to the opposite side of the large space, passing all the rows of vehicles.
The numbers hung from the ceiling, making it easy to find 162, where a black Suburban with tinted windows was parked. As I approached, I heard the locks. I took that as a signal that Bale was unlocking the passenger door. To check if I was right, that was the side I went to, wrapping my fingers around the wide handle, the door instantly becoming ajar.
He looked down at me from the driver’s seat. “Brady …”
I took in his black hair, blue eyes, and thick beard; my first thought was that he didn’t look like a killer.
But who does?
“Bale,” I said as I climbed in, shaking his hand.
There was a timer glued to the dashboard. One that we would have used in high school when we were running sprints. He hit the side of it, and a countdown of four minutes was underway.
“That’s how long you’re giving me?” I asked.
“In my line of work, time is crucial. It must match up perfectly. Four minutes is two minutes longer than I gave my last client. If you have questions, you’d better start asking them.”
I didn’t know what to expect from this conversation. Dominick hadn’t told me much about Bale or his personality or how the process worked.
The beginning sounded like the best place, so I said, “What’s the first step?”
He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket, removing a small envelope, and he handed it to me. “In there is my fee and where I need you to take the cash.”
I began to lift the corner flap.
He said, “Do you really want to waste time looking at that information? You have three minutes left. Given that money is the least of your concern, why don’t you focus on more pressing matters?”
He had a point.
I didn’t know if I liked that about him or hated it.
“How are you going to do it?”
He folded his hands in his lap. “With a bullet.”
“Where?”
His brows rose, his forehead folding with deep lines. “Where am I going to put the bullet, or where am I going to take him to do it?”
“The latter,” I said.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Then, when are you going to do it?”
He tapped the side of his head, like he was scrolling through an invisible calendar there. “Within a week. David’s case isn’t overly messy, so I can work within a short time frame. But there’re some loose ends I’ll need to tie up in his home in Atlanta. I need to clean his phone. And I need to make sure his family—whose ties are thin, but they still have ties—doesn’t connect any of this to you or Lily.”
I hadn’t mentioned Lily’s name to him, but I wasn’t shocked to hear that he knew it or where David lived or his family’s affiliation.
There probably wasn’t anything in this world that Bale wasn’t privy to.
“I have a request,” I told him.
“What is it?”
From the moment Dominick had given me this option, I’d thought about every detail of this. I’d analyzed all the layers. I’d considered every scenario.
I knew what I wanted.
Now, I needed Bale to give it to me.
“I want to be the one who pulls the trigger.”
“Absolutely not.” His voice wasn’t a bark, but it came out with a serious, caustic bite.
“Why the hell not?”
He set his hands on the steering wheel. “Clients are liabilities. I don’t work with them, I work for them, and I only work alone.”
“Make an exception.”
He shook his head. “My answer won’t change.”
“Fuck—”
“Brady, listen to me. You might think you’re comfortable holding a gun in your hand and pulling the trigger and putting a bullet in a man’s skull. But when it comes down to it, it’s nothing like it sounds. Trust me, I’ve been doing this a long time.” His voice echoed in my ears. “These jobs come with risks. Timing. I’m not willing to ruin a job over a client having an emotional crisis seconds before the mark is to be killed.”
“Are you going to send me proof that he’s dead?”
“Proof? Another liability.” He let out a shallow laugh. “This job will be untraceable. No, I will not send you proof.”
“Then, I don’t know if I can do this, Bale. I need to be able to close my eyes at night and know this man isn’t going to kill Lily, my family, or me. It’s not that I won’t take your word for it. But without being there, without seeing, I can’t?—”
“Fine …” He released a long, loud sigh, and I could feel his annoyance from the other side of the car. “I have an idea.”
David
How do you know I’m not going to blow up your house? You think you’re keeping her safe, but you don’t know me at all. You don’t know what I’m fucking capable of.
Me
If you’ve ever questioned why I’m protecting her from you, it’s because of that statement right there.
David
Of course I’m going to fucking say that. SHE’S MINE.
Me
She was never yours.
David
If I were you, I’d be nervous about getting back in your car.
I’d even be nervous about walking out of your office building right now.
Me
Yet I’m still alive. Why is that? Because there’s one person more powerful here, and it’s me.
David
Because I’ve shifted my focus to Macon. You have two brothers … I don’t think you need both.
Me
You’re pathetic.
David
You won’t be saying that when he’s dead.
David
Putting the whole family on lockdown now, huh? Someone took my threat seriously.
Me
What happened to you? What made you so fucking miserable that you’ve dedicated your life to hurting people? Did your parents not love you? Did they choose a favorite child, and it wasn’t you? Were you fucking dropped as a kid? Forgotten?
David
You took what’s mine. I’ve made that very clear.
Me
Let me make something clear to you—and I won’t say it again. She’s mine now. She’s going to be my wife. She’s going to be the mother of my children. She’s going to be with me until she takes her last breath. I’m telling you this so you won’t ever forget. I want those facts to stay in your head for the rest of your fucking life.
David
It’s already forgotten.
Asshole.
David
Come out of your fucking house.
Me
I’m done having any conversation with you … and I’m done with you.
David
If Rowan was smart, she would drive faster to work, or I’m going to catch up to her.
Or maybe it’s Brooklyn I’m tailing.
Or your mom while she drives to the nail salon …
David
Have you really gone silent on me?
You’ve got nothing to say?
David
Answer me, Brady.
FUCKING ANSWER ME.
David
2 Missed Calls
David
4 Missed Calls
David
Answer your goddamn phone.
Me
Goodbye, David.