“You sure you want to stay for this? It’s gonna get bloody,” I warn him for the second time today.
“There is always a little blood involved with you, Viddy. I don’t know why you keep asking me. You’d think after almost a year you’d know by now that I’ll be at your side every damn time. I knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed to work for you.”
I grin at him. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. “You know, it baffles me how someone so ruthless and bloodthirsty can be sweet enough to give me a toothache.”
“Hey now, let’s not get carried away.” I huff as I sit on the chair and cross my legs, letting my fitted black dress rise up my legs a touch to flash a little skin.
I’ve kept it simple today, teaming the figure-hugging dress with high heeled black Jimmy Choos. My outfit is elegant, classy, and dark enough to hide the impending bloodstains.
The door opens, and a few guys walk down, chatting together amicably as they make their way down the rickety steps that groan with protest.
They don’t even look up and acknowledge us as we observe them from the dark corner. I can identify each one on sight, Freddie, Boise, and David. Three of the last Gemini’s most respected men.
My problem is, over the time they’ve worked for me, they haven’t been pulling in any more money than others, and yet the suits they wear are handmade Italian and the watches on their wrists cost the same as a small car.
The door opens once more, letting more men through as Danny and I stay quiet and watch them. I spot the ones who see us straight away and make a note of who they are until finally, everyone is accounted for.
I wait for Baker to slide the lock into place and for the lights to flick on before engaging them.
“Hello, boys.” Some startle at my words, some don’t react at all, but all of them look a little freaked out at being locked down here.
“What’s going on, why are you here?” the guy called Freddie asks, all bluster and bravado.
See, Freddie here still thinks I’m Gemini’s secretary, which is fucking stupid after all this time. If it were me, I’d be curious about the man behind the curtain, but not these guys, and as of yesterday, I know why.
“Well, hello, Freddie. I was wondering if you were finally going to acknowledge my existence.”
“Lady, I don’t know what you think you’re doing but when I tell Gem—”
I pull my gun from the holster behind my back, my silencer already fitted, and shoot him in the head. He crumples to the ground as everyone stands around, staring at him in shock before turning to look at me warily.
“Perhaps we should start this again.”
Nobody says anything, but I’m betting if Baker hadn’t frisked them and removed their weapons, a few would have their guns pointing in my direction right now.
“I don’t know what the previous Gemini was like. Frankly, I don’t care, but things have changed now. You’ve been given time to adjust but if I can’t guarantee your loyalty by now, I never will. Not much has been asked of you, and yet some of you greedy fuckers still want more. If you’re curious to know what happens to people that betray me or mine in any way, look at Freddie over there. Now, does anyone else have anything they would like to admit to me?”
Nobody says anything, but I don’t miss the way Boise shuffles a little.
“Hmm… You see, I had an interesting call from a dear friend of mine. He seems to think a few of my men are working on a deal with Kristoff Libernesh, offering him safe passage at the harbor in exchange for cash. Cash I’m clearly not getting a cut in.”
I pace backward and forward slowly, the loud clicking of my heels against the concrete the only sound.
“Now, it’s not the lost revenue that bothers me you see, but the blatant disregard for my rules. I know, I know,” I look at them and shake my head ruefully, “rules can be tedious. We are criminals, after all, we’re expected to break the rules, right?”
I lift my gun and fire a round into Boise’s head this time before continuing to pace.