“Yes, sir?”
“So you do still know how to use a phone,” he said. He didn’t give me a chance to respond. “Just tell me if it’s true or not, Arden.”
His voice was cold.
“I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
“The fuck you don’t!” he yelled loud enough that I had to hold the phone away. I looked up at Lia and motioned her out of the room.
“Take the price off her head,” I said when Rinaldo went quiet. “I don’t have anything to say to you until you get rid of that contract.”
“It got your attention, didn’t it? At least you answer the fucking phone.”
“I didn’t have my phone until recently,” I replied. “Confiscated along with a lot of shit from my apartment.”
“You never used to be a man of excuses.”
“Things change.”
“Apparently.” There was a long pause. “Tell me why. You knew I was going to get you out of there—so why?”
“Revoke the contract.”
“No.”
“Then I don’t have anything else to say.”
“Is it the money? Jesus, Evan—I paid you more than anyone else in my outfit for a job.”
“I know, sir.”
“So, what is it?” Rinaldo demanded.
I wanted to tell him, but if he suddenly stopped being concerned about me, the information would get back to Gavino. If he suspected me, I’d be screwed.
“Everything happens for a reason,” I said simply. “Sometimes you don’t get to know what the reason is, though.”
There was another long moment of silence from the other end of the phone.
“So that’s it?” he asked.
“For now.”
“I’m disappointed,” Rinaldo said, his voice tight. “The contract stays, and yours is added. I can’t have you working for the competition, Arden. We’re done now.”
He hung up.
“Fuck,” I muttered. I placed the phone down on the bathroom counter and looked up. Lia was peeking in the doorway.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“No one.”
“Evan…”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head and headed back into the shower.
I probably should have just stayed half-shaven. When I got out, Lia was sitting on the bed, waiting for me with my phone in her hands.