“Out of the game,” Asa said. “He went straight long before Pope got out.”
Silence fell over the room. The Albanian eyed Dante and then Asa again, doing the maths that had led them to this point. “No one told us this,” he said. “For long time now, we have dealt with your men thinking Martell was commanding. We trusted him. We do not know you.”
Asa sat back on his heels. “We didn’t want to trouble you with politics while our supply was still good. It didn’t seem worth your time.”
“You decided that for me?”
“Yes.”
More silence, but it was loaded. Violence tainted the air, bitter and thick.
Dante braced himself, every nerve strained tight, but the backhand across his face still surprised him.
He fell sideways, expecting to collide with Asa, but the big man wasn’t there. Distantly, a door slammed, and when Dante raised his head, blood dripping from his split eyebrow, he was alone.
Fuck.
He stood, spinning from the blow to his head. Low voices reached him from somewhere within the rabbit warren of the warehouse, but none close enough that Dante could see them.Run.But instinct warned him to move slow, as if he was part of the scenery and walking out of the door was supposed to happen.
On shaky legs, he slipped out of the room and moved along the corridor. The factory floor had a fire exit. Dante made his way back, trying to forget about Asa.He’s not your concern. He doesn’t care about you.
So? Asa’s morals aren’t yours.
For some reason, the last part hit Dante in Sid’s voice, that warm, northern brogue that was so deep it rumbled through Dante’s chest when they were pressed together in bed or Sid was wrapped around him, hugging him like no one else ever had.
Fuck, I love him so much.
Footsteps came up on Dante as the thought completed. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and spun him around.
The man who’d put a bullet in Dante’s foot leered, showing gold teeth. “Where are you going?”
“Outside. To smoke.”
“Can smoke in here.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I think you run away.”
“Run away from what? I vouched for Asa because he asked me to. I’m not part of whatever he’s doing with your boss.”
The Albanian nodded. “This is true. So, you leave him here?”
Dante shrugged. “There’s no reason for me to stay.”
“Go then.” The Albanian stepped back and waved him on. “It is a shame you not stay. I like it when you scream.”
Shuddering, Dante kept walking. The factory floor was in sight, but as he neared the entrance, more bodies appeared, foot soldiers, hired muscle.Boredmuscle with nothing better to do than beat down a nobody from a rival crew.
They blocked his path.
Dante sighed and trailed to a stop. “What now?”
The same man who’d stomped him when they’d arrived threw a punch, sending Dante to the ground again. “English boys are soft, no?”
“If you say so.” Dante fought the pain in his ribs and stood. “Are we done?”
The man shrugged. “The boss said we have to let you go, so I suppose we are, but he is very angry that he was lied to. If he finds out you are not really out of the game, it will be me that comes for you.”