Page 107 of The Arrangement

“Mmhmm, and two sons. But your youngest girl is just twenty-one. Cici,” he repeated, drawling the name out on an exhale of ashy smoke. “Shit, you even got that girl in etiquette school. I have to say, her bull is a downright idiot, though. You should get on that one. He might be fucking her like Vine’s was. Sorry about that, by the way. It was better we do it than you, of course, because you would have if I let him live, but still. They made it quick. Apologies nonetheless.”

The bull comment might very well have done what Anton was looking for. Sonny was murmuring on the other end of the phone in what sounded like Italian while a particular movement from the far left of his scope caught his keen eye. A bigger body was moving away from a tall, female-looking figure.

Again, Anton’s mouth curved into a smirk, his tongue already tasting blood.

“You wanted to make your point, so I’m going to make mine now. You’re a stupid man, but you’re an even worse boss.”

“Fuck you, Anton.”

“Ouch, try a little lower. You should have killed her when you had the chance, idiot. Lucky for a lot of people that you didn’t manage to get the job done. You want to know one more difference between you and me, Sonny?”

“Not really. Your opinion doesn’t add any merit to my life.”

Anton watched the figure move in sync with the sound of muffled voices being passed by, sirens getting closer, and grass shuffling underfoot over the receiver.

“I’m going to tell you anyway. Figure this will be a life lesson you might want to take from here, you know, should it ever happen again …” There was a goal to Anton’s rambling madness. The last thing he wanted Sonny thinking was that he was in his vicinity. “When you go into hiding, the rest of your family does, too. Third row building, first floor, eighth apartment down from the left side is Cici’s bedroom window at her school. The building doesn’t have electronic security for room break-ins, so why on earth did you think it was okay for her to be situated on the bottom floor?”

Other than the background noise, all of Sonny’s sounds and movement had stopped.

Just like the figure in the scope.

Anton had him.

So damned easy.

Snap, click … boom.

“Don’t—”

“Yeah, because you get to make all the fucking calls right now, asshole.”

Zoning in to ready the shot, Anton felt himself grow cold all over again.

“Before I finish this off, there’s one more thing, Don.”

The voice was choked on the other end of the phone. “What?”

“The last thing you should have ever done was stepped in my way. Contrary to the old tale, there’s no honor among thieves, especially our kind. Your biggest mistake was picking up your phone tonight and saying hello …”

“Wh—”

“Because if you haven’t figured it out yet, you’re nothing like me,” Anton finished.

The trigger pulled back under his finger.

It’d be a clean hit. Through and through.

This boss wasn’t one to miss and he didn’t second guess.

The body dropped.

The phone’s speaker went silent as screams cut through the dark air.

Anton slid down out of sight.

• • •

A nurse slipped into Viviana’s room in the early morning hours. Anton had damn near fallen asleep, but even her quiet footsteps had his eyes snapping open. Nothing like natural adrenaline to keep someone alert.