Crossfire by James P. Sumner

Author:James P. Sumner [Sumner, James P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Both Barrels Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2018-09-30T06:00:00+00:00

10.

I should never have left Alyana, thought Collins as he stared across the table at Patty Velasquez.

They were sitting at a private table on the balcony of a restaurant overlooking Miami Beach, shaded from the afternoon sun by a large blue and yellow umbrella. Four men wearing dark suits formed a wide and impenetrable perimeter around them. Collins found himself feeling sorry for them, to an extent. Their suits were fitted and smart, their earpieces and wires were visible, their black sunglasses tight on their faces—professional security through and through. But it was in the low eighties, despite the shade, so he couldn’t imagine how hot and uncomfortable they must feel.

Velasquez put a forkful of steak into her mouth, dabbing the corners of her lips elegantly with a napkin as she chewed. Collins didn’t have an appetite. Instead, he sipped at a glass of scotch on the rocks, trying to relax.

He felt angry with himself for allowing the situation to spiral so dramatically out of his control. He knew he was better than that. He made one mistake, and he was paying the highest price for it.

He owed Patricia Velasquez.

“Are ya gonna tell me what ya want me to do?” he asked with a hint of frustration.

Still chewing, Velasquez held up a finger, wagging it side to side. She took her time swallowing her food before taking a long sip of her red wine, which left a faint lipstick mark around the rim of the glass.

“Patience is a virtue, Ray,” she replied.

He felt a small smile creep across his face, triggered by a sudden fond memory of the two of them he couldn’t ignore. “Since when have ya known me to be virtuous?”

She held his gaze for a long moment before returning the sentiment. “Fair point. That’s one of the things that attracted me to you.”

“There were more?”

She leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. She stretched a long, tanned leg out in front of her and began moving her foot up the inside of his leg. Her smile widened. Her eyes softened.

“There were many, many more…”

Collins knew better than to think he could charm his way out of the situation, but he figured there was little harm in playing along. Perhaps appealing to her sense of nostalgia might buy him some grace.

He took a slow gulp of his drink as he felt her foot reach his knee. He rested both hands casually on the table, eager to demonstrate his restraint.

“Well, if ya ever fancy a little trip down memory lane, I could probably force myself.”

She laughed playfully. “Only a little trip?”

“Aye. For now. We can always stay for longer if ya want…”

“Hmm, maybe. The only thing is…”

In a sudden and precise movement, she lunged across the table, grabbed her steak knife, and stabbed it into the wooden surface between two fingers on Collins’s right hand. A millimeter either way, and it would have pinned him there.

“Jesus!” he yelled, flinching in his seat.

“…you

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