Page 44 of Beastly Armory
We sit, me on the edge, and Max casually all the way back with his legs spread wide as he asks, “How do you know a lot about me?”
With a look of surprise, as if Max should already know the answer, he responds, “Oh, from the fights and Tony Two Fingers.”
Max’s chest expands with a deep inhale. “Ah. Yeah…” He clears his throat. “Are you friends?”
“Nope.” He leans back in his chair, and it groans loudly under the weight of his body. “I’m glad to hear you’re not working for him anymore.”
My lion leans forward casually, relaxed now. “No, no. Gave that up to go back home. And you’re, um,The Ear?”
The man’s neck rolls bounce with a chuckle. “Call me Lavinio, please. But yes. That’s the nickname for me. I understand you’ve come to me to talk about some weapons.” Lavinio’s open nature seems to be putting my partner at ease, but I’m still waiting for the other shoe to drop. My pulse is less hurried, but still steadily keeping me aware of any extra noises that may indicate he’s brought more backup.
“Yes, sir. I have. I understand you’ve got somestocksyou want rid of. We can take those off your hands.” Max has probably done this before, during those years after his parentsdied. I know Cal has been keeping an eye on him, and sometimes I’d glean some intel from my twin, but not as often as I would’ve chosen, never wanting to seem too eager. A few times I had sneaked into his fights to watch him, just to see his body move, reminiscing about the time he fought off that man in the alleyway and saved my life. And I figured he was part of local mafias, but I didn’t allow him to ever get a glimpse of me to find out.
“Yep, that’s true; I’ve got a lot of stocks to unload.” Lavinio picks up the cigar and puffs on it a few times. “I have a proposition for you.”
Max’s throat bobs, and I try not to lean forward in my chair, showing how anxious I am about his request. Mindlessly, my fingernails scratch at the leather of my jacket as I cross my arms. The man could ask for anything and we’d probably agree. We need those guns, and my tongue is on the verge of just saying yes before he’s even asked what he wants from us.
“What’s that?” Max’s deep bass rings out in the dead air.
“Well, I know you’ve spent time before. You’re obviously a good fighter and probably did some other, ah,workfor Tony. I think you’ll be up for my little task.” Does he want Max back in the ring? Eyeing Max, I wait for his reaction, but he’s as still as a statue, waiting for the next words out of our contact.
Lavinio stands and goes to the edge of his desk, leaning a hip against it while adjusting his brown leather belt, which holds no weapons. The desk almost shifts under his weight. “You need my supply and I have plentyfor you. Glocks, Smith & Wesson, Rugers… Any handgun you want, I got it. I run this town’s supply, and I don’t want these fuckers anywhere near it when I die... And I’m dying.” Quickly pulling a fist up to his mouth, he coughs, then he hacks as if he can’t stop himself from the ruckus expelling from his chest. Through a strained voice, he says, “Lung cancer,” as his guard approaches with a glass of fresh water. He sits again and drinks, his voice wet as it comes out in a burst once he collects himself. “Ha! Who woulda thought Lavinio Merli would be taken out with cancer!”
“Um. Sorry to hear that.” Max eyes the guard briefly, sizing him up, but he walks back to his position near the doorway. “So, yeah, I would like to get back into my family’s business of trading. Things are being arranged, and I can move those guns quickly. What do you need from me?”
Lavinio’s gray eyes look back and forth between Max and me. “I figure this could be a win-win situation. You get my supplies of the handguns if you get me my ear.”
Max blinks heavily, and I hold my breath, my pounding heart clouding my hearing. “I’m sorry, yourear?”
“Yes. You see, there’s a cleaner, a fixer, if you will. I think you people in Gnarled Pine Hollow call them ‘necros.’ Anyway, this necro is from your parts. He stole my collection of trophies, and I’m not letting him get away with it. I want to see them one last time.”
Max’s brow furrows. “And you want the, um, ears back?”
“Yep. Andhisear.” Max licks his bottom lip as Lavinio continues. “After you kill him, of course. But I wantallmy ears. The necro goes by the name Ken Doyle. That’s not his real name, of course. His real name is Anthony Renzo, and he’s Tony’s nephew. Did you ever meet him on your adventures?”
Max shakes his head. It could be trouble if we take out a mafia leader’s nephew… But Max seems to know Tony, so I’ll have to defer to his judgment on that.
“Oh, that’s good for you, then. He tried to get out of the business and hide underground. I want him gone for stealing from me. I want his ear and my collection back once you’ve completed that job.” He taps the desk with a thick index finger three times. “Then, you get your guns.”
Max quickly glances at me, and I nod. Thissoundslike a simple enough task for him, and I believe we can do it. But we’ll have to be stealthy to avoid rumors of who took care of this necro. My mind races with ways to sneak in and out on a kill mission.
“Yeah, okay. No problem. Where is he?” Max asks with more confidence.
“Ace Donovan’s casino. In the basement, probably.”
The blood stops moving in my body. This is not good.
I hear Max’s breath catch, and he sputters a cough. “Uh, why would he be there?”
“Oh, he’s Donovan’s necro, didn’t I say?” Lavinio’s eyes widen as he looks between us. “Is there a problem?”
Max’s shoulders tense, and he stops himself from glancing at me before he speaks. “Well… if I dispose of one of Donovan’s people… I mean, that’s-that’s declaring war against him.”
We shouldn’t get into war with Ace. That would cause a chain reaction of chaos I don’t want to see. His people,ourpeople, east siders. All three in battles that would delight Strauss to no end. Max’s hesitation pours out of the sweat glistening on his forehead.
Lavinio chuckles. “Maybe you can ask your fox here for some tips on how to be sly, then. No ears, no guns.” Before I can ask how he knows my family’s crest, he responds, “I knew your father. He would’ve found a way to do this.” Yes, he would have. And not given a fuck who he hurt in the process. Was he loyal to the West and caring for the people? If it suited him.
I place my hand on Max’s thigh, but he must take it for reassurance instead of my reluctance. Before answering Lavinio, Max is already nodding. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll take care of him for you. And get the collection. Happen to know where he keeps it?”