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But the big man was shaking his head, his double chin wagging, spaghetti sauce staining the corner of his lip. He reached up with a napkin now, dabbing at his mouth.
This done, he lowered the napkin, and glanced at the one-armed killer.
“Good job,” the large man said.
The figure with the plastic arm adjusted his black, seamless suit. An expensive piece from Venice. Some people said Venice was a tourist trap, but if you knew who to call, there were hidden gems in the sinking city.
He had always found it fascinating that the city would sink. Like Atlantis. Like Florida, some said. There was a fascination he had with the water ever since he had trained with the Navy. He had been on track to be a SEAL. But of course, they had kicked him out.Conduct unbecoming.He hadn’t passed the psych evaluation.
Their loss. Narcissism and psychopathy were just words used by armchair soldiers.
These things meant nothing to him.
“What do you what me to call you again?” Asked the man eating pasta.
The killer shrugged. “Tom.”
The big guy snorted, spluttering red sauce across the ornate tablecloth. “Tom,” he said with a snicker. “Right. Whatever. The money was already wired. For both jobs.”
“Want me to keep going?” Tom said. Secretly, he hoped the answer was yes. He would sometimes hunt in his spare time, just for the fun of it. But he always preferred to be paid. Why do something you love for free if you could do it for dollars?
“Yeah, yeah that sounds right. Keep up the pressure. He’s not getting the message.”
Tom smiled. He adjusted the sleeves of his expensive suit, pulling them past his wrists, including the plastic one. “I already have an eye on the new target.”
“Good. This time, make it painful. He’s not getting the gist.”
Tom smiled. He had an expertise when it came to pain.
He began to turn to leave, but the big man at the table called out, “Is it true you drowned her in her own pool?”
“It felt like the right thing to do at the time.”
“You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”
Tom smiled faintly. It wasn’t a playful smile, but a dangerous one. Because as they both knew, he most certainly didnothave balls or an arm or his actual skin on the left side of his body. The accident while training with the SEALs had taken most of him. Half a man, some said. He was forced to consume testosterone pills in order to offset the lack of testicles.
He studied the big man for a moment, wondering if the guy was playing him.
“Are you making a joke?” Tom said quietly.
His hand tensed ever so slightly, hovering near his weapon.
Two men in the back of the restaurant were frowning in his direction. One of them was pulling a weapon from his waistcoat.
The fat cat just chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s just a joke, Tom. Take it easy. You got balls. Get it? What’s it like? Did it take out just the berries? Or the twig as well?”
The big guy was still chuckling. He shook his head as he took another bite of pasta. Tom adjusted his suit once more. The two guards farther back in the shop were taking steps closer.
And then he said quietly, “You’re just a lieutenant. You don’t pay me, and I don’t think you’re that funny.”
The big man looked up, frowning now. A piece of noodle fell from his mouth back onto his plate.
“Hey, you,” snapped one of the thugs approaching from the door.
Tom smiled. “Do you want to know what I think is funny?” He said softly.
The lieutenant suddenly went for his own weapon, clearly realizing he’d crossed a line, and there was no going back.
