The Hit (Team Zulu 1)

“I guess it doesn’t.” He let out a disturbing chuckle. “This is a kicker. Shep’s buddy ratted him out. Made it easy for us.”

Shit.“Ben? A new friend of yours, is he?”

“Hardly. He cut a deal. We have someone he wants. He has skills we need.” Lou snorted and shook his head. “The shit these clowns will do for a woman. Pussy-whipped fools.” He took another sip.

It sounded like Franky had Ben backed into a corner. It didn’t excuse what he’d done to us, but perhaps I could understand his choices. Shep and I had made our share of questionable ones lately.

I still didn’t know how Ben had tracked Shep’s truck. Traffic cameras, perhaps?

Done with me for now, Lou pulled out his cell and began scrolling. The airplane started its descent. My ears ached and popped as we moved through a patch of clouds. The small jet lurched and Lou’s drink splashed onto the crotch of his gray suit pants. He grumbled and dabbed the stain with a napkin. “For fuck’s sake.”

I glanced out the window and tried to hide my smirk because it looked like he’d pissed himself.

“What the fuck are you grinning at?”

“Nothing. I’m sure your mom always packs you a spare pair of pants in case you have an accident.”

His expression turned murderous as he stood, but heavy turbulence jostled him about and flung him into his seat. The captain’s voice came over the intercom, requesting everyone to fasten their seatbelts while we landed.

Lou remained calm as he pointed a chunky finger in my direction, even though his hard, unblinking eyes told me he was anything but. “You’re in a world of shit.”

I glanced at my bound wrists, shrugged, then stared at him like the piece of shit bully he was. “Didn’t need to buy a vowel to figure that out.”

The brave face I put on was mostly bluster, but I refused to cower to these men. They were like a circling pack of wolves. One sniff of fear and they’d go in for the kill.

The airplane touched down and taxied to a remote hangar where two black sedans waited. The Rock’s evil twin emerged from the back row to open the aircraft door and unfold the stairs. The whirring jet engines shut down, and the aircraft became silent enough to hear the ringing in my ears.

Lou rose from his seat. “I’m taking you to the boss. Any more smartass comments along the way, and you’ll regret it. This is the one and only warning you’re getting from me. Understand?”

I swallowed hard and nodded. Fear gnawed at me again. As much as I tried to be strong, I wasn’t ready to meet Franky Russo.

In South Philly, our sedan drove along Wolf Street before turning down a narrow laneway. It stopped at the back entrance to a plain red brick building much like the others in this area. Two burly bouncers guarded the entry.

Lou didn’t wait for the driver to open our door. He yanked me out of the car by my arm and hustled me up a set of concrete stairs. I struggled not to trip over my feet. The dank alley reeked of sewer rot and trash. Seemed I’d gotten used to the fresh mountain air, and the once familiar smells of the city now added to my nausea.

“Would you stop pulling so damn hard?” I tried twisting out of his grip, which only hurt more.

The asshole attached to my arm didn’t acknowledge me. The bouncers shared a laugh as we passed. For all I knew, a woman being dragged inside against her will happened every day around here.

As we moved down a dimly lit corridor, the beat of electronic music grew louder and pulsated through my body. Or was that my pounding heartbeat? The hallway opened into a large room with several near-naked women grinding against poles. Cigar smoke hung thick in the air along with the ripe scent of stale alcohol. As we neared the elevated platform, the vacant eyes of the scrawny, miserable women seemed oblivious to the ogling patrons. I’d seen that glassed-over look on Justin before. Those strippers were as high as clouds.

Other women escorted men to curtained-off rooms. The sticky floor made me cringe.Gross. It was all kinds of wrong in here, and soon I’d meet the owner of this classy joint. My gut roiled and my heart rate ratcheted.

I don’t want to do this.

Lou led me past a long bar where a pretty waitress approached carrying a tray of drinks. She was different from the other girls. Set against ivory blemish-free skin, her long dark brown hair was thick and lustrous. The tiny black shorts and low-cut cami she wore showed off a curvy yet toned figure, and she had an alertness in her big brown eyes that the other women lacked. The way she balanced the drinks tray with both hands made me think she was new to her job. How long would it be before she ended up like the rest of them?

As we passed, I mouthed the words,help me, please!I don’t know why I thought to appeal to her. Perhaps it was the sympathetic look she’d given me, or that she seemed as out of place in this club as I felt.

She slowed, and her eyes flared as they flickered between Lou and me.

“Get back to work,” Lou growled when he noticed her attention on us.

The tray wobbled in her hands before she righted it. She sneered at Lou as if he were a persistent glob of gum stuck to her shoe. It made me wonder what the women here endured with creeps like him lording over them.

Lou pushed me in front of him and up a set of open steel stairs. The upper floor had a row of offices and a balcony that overlooked the club floor. My nerves ramped up when he stopped at a closed door.

This was it. I was about to meet the man who wanted me dead.