Page 84 of Total Obsession

I shrugged. "Ask him yourself. He doesn't want you in charge."

"That's enough talking from you," Beau said from the other side of me, kicking me in the ribs.

I landed harshly on my back, breathing hard. Beau always wore steel-toed boots, so he'd definitely shattered a few ribs with the impact.

My breathing was labored as I clutched my side. "I never liked you," I said to him with a laugh. "Always thought you were sloppy and outspoken. Hated the fact that we worked together."

"Yeah, well that makes two of us," Beau said. "Too bad for you that I'll be the last partner you ever had."

"I dunno if that's true," I said.

I made a move to speak into my earpiece. I figured if Will could get the cops here, I might go to jail, but at least I wouldn't die at the hands of these two men. At least it would buy me some time. But, that's when I really found out just how fucked I was.

"A pointless endeavor." The voice that I had only ever heard from the phone echoed in the room. I let my head fall back on the floor, and I started to laugh.

"E tu, Brutus?" I said to Will.

He stepped forward just enough so that I could make out his features in the low light of the flashlight. He looked every bit the part of a 24-year-old internet hacker. Indistinct brown shaggy hair, a rough beard he didn't take care of, and just enough skin to stretch over his bones.

"A better offer was made available to me," he said.

"Ah," I said, wheezing with the pain. "It onlyseemslike a better offer. I thought I'd taught you better that money isn't always what should dictate your actions."

"It's nothing personal," he said to me.

I smiled up at him. "That's what they all say."

"Do you have any last words?" Primo asked, cocking his gun and pointing it above my head.

"Actually, I do," I replied.

"Better say them now."

"Seems like there's a fourth person in the room. Considering that I'm going to be dead in the next 90 or so seconds, I'd like to know who else is joining us."

"Hey, Axe," said Teddy from the corner.

"Ah, Teddy," I replied. "Are you here to clean up afterward?"

"Something like that, yeah," he said. I could tell from his tone that he wasn't comfortable with this entire situation. That made sense. Teddy was entirely loyal to his father. He also wasn't into murder, which was odd, considering that he worked as a cleaner.

But, the man had his reasons. He liked coming in after the job. He didn't like being there for it.

Which was also to my benefit.

"You don't have to be here for this," I said to him.

"Don't listen to him," Primo said.

I put up my hands. "Just trying to help a childhood friend out. We all know how he gets."

"Pri," Teddy said. "Honestly, he's right. I'm just going to wait outside."

"Don't be such a fucking wuss," Beau said.

"Don't call him that," Primo replied. It was a little-known fact, but all of the Maldonado brothers were somewhat protective of Teddy. I was never sure exactly why. I knew something had happened to him in high school that he never really got over. I'd always just assumed it was the "protect the youngest" mentality that kicked in.

"Chill, man," Beau said. "Let's just get this over with."