Laurel’s gaze softened as she looked at her husband. When she stared at Sara again, it was accompanied by a sigh.
“Tanner is always welcome here, and, so are you… for as long as you two last.”
Sara’s smile was tentative.
“Thank you… I think.”
Laurel took out her phone.
“Joe, I’m going to text the chauffeur. I want to go home and sleep.”
“All right, baby, and tell Red to drive slow.”
“He does, in fact, he crawls along since I became pregnant. I think he’s afraid I’ll go into labor and he’ll have to deliver the baby.”
“I don’t think I know anyone named Red,” Tanner said.
Joe smiled.
“The kid is Russian. He was Michael Krupin’s driver.”
“One of Krupin’s men is driving your wife around?”
“Yeah, but the kid’s all right.”
“Can he handle himself if there’s trouble?”
Joe laughed.
“Red is strictly a driver, but Big Ralphie never leaves Laurel’s side. Anyway, I’ll tell you the story later.”
Laurel hugged Tanner, then kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s so good to have you back in the city. Please tell me you’ll be staying.”
“I will, as soon as Sara and I find an apartment.”
“I can help you there,” Joe said.
After getting a return text saying the limo was ready, Laurel kissed Joe goodbye and headed for the elevator. As she was closing the office door, Laurel sent a cold stare toward Sara.
“Well, Laurel hates me, is that true for you as well, Joe?”
“I won’t lie, honey, you’re not my favorite person, not after what happened to Johnny Rossetti.”
Sara’s eyes grew moist.
“I loved Johnny, and it was my misplaced hatred for Tanner that caused his death. I live with that every day, Joe, believe me I do.”
Joe stared at Sara for long moments, then, he gestured at the two of them, as he pointed at Sara’s knee brace and Tanner’s arm splint.
“Did you two do that to each other?”
Tanner looked down at his arm.
“I received this from a fight I had with a Russian revolutionary during a blizzard, Sara’s injury came from a plane crash after we’d been shot down in Siberia.”
“You two aren’t boring, I’ll say that for you, now, how about a drink?”
Sara declined a drink, as she was meeting her sister at a bar soon, but Tanner had a beer. They settled together on the long sofa with Sara sitting at Tanner’s right and to the left of Joe.
“How is Sammy doing these days, Joe?” Tanner asked.
“Physically, he’s gold, but that kid hasn’t been the same since Sophia died. There’s no joy in him anymore, Tanner. No lie, that boy hasn’t smiled once since Sophia was killed, and the kid was always the happy type.”
“What’s he doing?”
Joe chuckled.
“He’s following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Sammy’s my main enforcer. That’s how Sam got his start, hell, me too, and Sammy is as good as I was.”
“And do you need my help?”
“Maybe.”
Sara kissed Tanner on the cheek, then stood.
“I’ll be going now, Joe. I’m meeting my sister in Midtown.”
Joe nodded at Sara, but didn’t rise from the sofa.
Tanner rose, kissed Sara, and told her he’d see her later.
“If you need a taxi, there’s always at least one in front of the club,” Joe said. “You know, to pour the drunks into.”
Sara moved her hand around, in a gesture that encompassed the whole building.
“Johnny would have liked this, Joe. I think he’d be honored that you named it after him, and that he’s not forgotten.”
“It’s the least I could do, Sara. I failed to protect him.”
Sara made a pained expression.
“You share no responsibility in his death. That’s my cross to bear.”
Joe studied her.
“You really loved Johnny, didn’t you?”
“Yes, and now I care for Tanner. I hope someday you’ll accept that.”
“What the hell, if Tanner can live and let live after all the shit you put him through, I guess I can too. Now Laurel, that’s a different story.”
“I’ll avoid her. She shouldn’t be upset during her pregnancy, and congratulations on having a son. Have you picked a name yet?”
Joe’s smile was bittersweet.
“He’ll be named Johnny.”
3
Red, Fed, And Dead
After Sara left to meet her sister, Joe brought Tanner up to speed about what was happening in New York.
“Business is good, as usual, but we’ve been hit twice over the last few weeks by a heist crew.”
“You’ve been hit? You mean the Giacconi Family?”
“Yeah, a drug shipment, two tons of weed, and then a hijacked truck filled with flat screen TV’s was taken from the guys who stole it in the first place. Let me tell you, that was embarrassing.”
“It sounds like an inside job.”
“Oh yeah, and we’re looking into it.”
“Any suspects?”
“Three of them, Red, Fed, and Dead.”
“What?”
Joe laughed.
“Red is the kid I talked about earlier. He’s our chauffeur. It’s not him. The kid isn’t the type, and he’d do anything for me.”
“Why?”
“Once Michael Krupin died and the Alvarado cartel took over, Rico Nazario went on a purge in that office building they had. When it came time to whack Krupin’s chauffeur, I saved the kid’s life.”
“Why?”
“His real name is Andre, and he’s no gangster. He only took the gig of driving Krupin around because it was his late father’s job and the family needed the money.”
“The kid’s father was killed during the war with the Russians?”
“Nah, he wasn’t a soldier either. He died of lung cancer.”
Tanner studied Joe.
“There’s something else. There must be, or you wouldn’t trust the kid.”
“You’re right. He saved me. One of Krupin’s thugs was hiding up in the ductwork. Once we thought they were all dead, the guy came out of hiding. Red tackled me to the ground as the guy took a shot at me. Bosco killed the bastard, but Red took one in the shoulder. After that, I made Red my driver.”
“All right, that leaves Fed and Dead.”
“You know who Fed is, it’s Tamir Ivanov.”
“The FBI man who killed Krupin? He works for you?”
“He retired, became bored, then asked for a job when I opened up this place. He’s the manager of Johnny R’s. The guy grew up in his old man’s bar, and he’s a natural with the girls.”
Tanner wore a smirk.
“I’m almost afraid to ask who Dead is.”
“You know him too.”
“Who is it?”
“Rico Nazario.”
“Joe, part of the reason I killed Alvarado was so you could get rid of Rico.”
“I know, but the bastard is good at what he does. The jobs that are too big for Sammy to handle are passed off to Rico and his crew.”
“You gave him a crew?”
“All guys I’ve known since forever. They all vouch for Rico and were with him at the times we were hit.”
“But you still don’t trust him, or do you?”
“Hell no, Tanner, that bastard is on probation forever. The thing is, before you killed Alvarado, Rico could have made life hell for me. He didn’t though, and I remembered that when the tables were turned.”
“You mind if I kill him?”
“You dislike him that much?”
“It was a joke, like calling him Dead.”
Joe smiled.
“That nickname makes for a good reminder of how thin the ice is he’s skating on.”
“Now, abou
t those bouncers?”
“Robert and Michael, what about them?”
Tanner grinned.
“They don’t look Italian.”
Joe waved a hand at that.
“That was Sam’s rule. I just look to hire the best, and those two came highly recommended from Philly.”
“Any other surprises?”
“Not really, but Johnny’s kid sister is home after finishing college in L.A. Her name is Gina and she’s a knockout.”
“Any chance of her and Sammy hooking up?”
“I wish, but all Sammy ever does is work.”
“Is that where he is now?”
“Sammy is visiting a late payer who owes us some big stacks, and get this, the guy lives on Park Avenue.”
“Is Sammy visiting the guy to remind him of his responsibilities, or is he visiting the guy to break his legs?”
“Legs, the sonofabitch owes nearly three-hundred grand.”
“And Sammy is good at the work?”
Joe shrugged.
“It takes his mind off losing Sophia, and losing that girl hardened him.”
“He’s young, he’ll find another woman to give a damn about someday.”
“I hope you’re right, and look at me, married and soon to be a father. I never saw it coming.”
“Sara’s been a surprise too.”
Joe cocked his head.
“You two are serious?”
“Like you said, I never saw it coming.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.”
Tanner laughed.
“That makes two of us.”
On Park Avenue, Sammy Giacconi stood in the foyer of a luxury condo. It was owned by a man named Chase Rawlins. Rawlins was forty-six, a graduate of Princeton, and the owner of his own brokerage firm. He was also seconds away from experiencing more pain than he could imagine.
“But I paid!” Rawlins said. “I gave the money to that other man, Valente.”
“Ricky Valente doesn’t collect at this level. That’s why you’re dealing with me now,” Sammy said.
Sammy’s suit was as finely-tailored as Rawlins was, and it fit his lean frame well. Sammy’s hair, which had always been worn long, was much shorter. The eyes, always so full of mischief and youthful exuberance, were cold, and looked older than the face they sat in.
“Mr. Giacconi, I swear to you I paid every damn cent. Look around, see the empty walls? I sold my wife’s art collection to get that money, some vacant land too. I paid. I swear I paid.”
Sammy stared at Rawlins. The man seemed sincere, and why lie about something that was so easy to confirm.
Sammy took out his phone and called Ricky Valente. There was no answer, so he left a message.
“When did you pay Valente?”
“Today. He came by my office and said he was there to collect. I didn’t have it there, of course, so we returned here and I gave him the money from the safe.”
“Come with me,” Sammy said.
“Wh… where?”
“Relax, we’re just going down to talk with building security. If Valente was here they’d have a record of it. There are cameras in the lobby and in the elevators.”
“Yes!” Rawlins cried. “Yes, and that will prove I’m not lying.”
“We’ll see,” Sammy said.
Ten minutes later, Sammy was looking at video of Ricky Valente that was recorded in the building that afternoon. Valente was a large man in his early-forties with curly brown hair. When Ricky Valente left Chase Rawlins’ apartment, he was clutching a laptop case and wearing a smile.
Sammy sighed. The dumb bastard had stolen from them.
Rawlins looked at Sammy with a worried gaze.
“Is that proof enough for you?”
“Yeah, consider yourself paid up.”
The relief on Rawlins’ face was palpable, while Sammy’s face had reddened from the anger he was feeling.
“Did Valente say anything while he was with you? What did you two talk about?”
“Nothing really. Thinking back on it, he was as nervous as I was.”
“He should be more nervous now. If you hear from him, give us a call.”
“Oh, yeah, and listen, Mr. Giacconi, I may need to borrow again soon, just a little. It all depends on what my accountant says I owe the tax man.”
Sammy stared at Rawlins. Some people never learned.
However, Ricky Valente would learn a lesson about stealing from the wrong people, and it would be his last lesson.
4
This Is A Joke, Right? – Part 2
Sara smiled as her sister Jennifer wrapped her in a huge hug of greeting.
Jennifer was a newlywed, having recently married Sara’s ex-partner from her days in the FBI, Jake Garner. Jennifer was several years older than Sara and was a blonde. The blonde hair was shining beneath the lights of the pub they were meeting in, and was worn shoulder-length.
When Jennifer released Sara, she pointed down at Sara’s left leg.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you, but what happened to your knee?”
“I suffered trauma to a ligament. The brace comes off in a few days, but then I have to do certain exercises for several weeks.”
“That doesn’t sound too serious, but how did you hurt it?”
Sara wasn’t about to tell her sister the truth, that she and Tanner had been shot out of the sky by a group of mercenaries and crashed atop a frozen lake in Siberia. Jennifer had always been motherly toward her younger sister. If she knew how close Sara came to dying, it would only worry her.
“I slipped on ice and hit my knee on something, and you’re right, it’s not a serious injury. Now, tell me all about your honeymoon.”
Jennifer grinned.
“I can do better than that. I have pictures.”
The two sisters caught up over drinks, martinis for Sara, and white wine for Jennifer. When Sara thought the time was right, she brought up the subject of Tanner, or rather, Jennifer asked a question that would bring their relationship out in the open.
“You’re seeing someone, aren’t you?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“I thought so. What’s he like?”
“Well… I once thought of him as the worst sort of human being, but after getting to know him… I, well I… I think I love him.”
Jennifer tilted her head to one side as her lips parted in surprise.
“Love? Who is this guy?”
“Jenny, I’m talking about Tanner. He and I are together now.”
Sara waited for a reaction, but Jennifer just stared at her with a blank expression.
“Jenny? Jenny, say something.”
Jennifer let out a gasp, swallowed the remainder of her drink in a gulp, then, released a sigh.
“I was happy when you moved on from your obsessive hatred for the man, but if you’re with Tanner, perhaps your obsession with him has just taken a different form, a dramatically different form. I mean, seriously, are you two really lovers?”
Sara felt herself growing angry, but she dispersed it with a long exhale of breath. She could understand Jennifer’s reasoning, as well as her concerns.
“I was obsessed with paying Tanner back for killing Brian, yes, but I’ve gotten over that. As you once pointed out to me, Brian was no saint. He was killed by Tanner as a direct result of the choices he made.”
Jennifer looked surprised again.
“You blame Brian for the fact that Tanner killed him?”
“Brian was responsible for the series of events that brought Tanner to him. There are consequences that come with the life Brian was leading. Tanner was one of those consequences.”
“Tanner risked his life to save me last year, but Sara, the man is still a paid assassin. How can you be with someone like that?”
“When Tanner and I rescued you last year, that was when I began to see him as a person. Tanner is not a heartless killer, a highly-trained assassin, yes, but not a heartless killer. He has his own sorrows i
n his past, and he has more heart, more compassion than I ever would have imagined, and, surprisingly, one hell of a good sense of humor.”
For several tense seconds, the two sisters stared at each other without speaking. Then, Jennifer broke the silence with a question.
“What do you want me to say, that I’m happy for you?”
“You don’t need to say anything, just know that I’m happy, and I’m with someone who cares for me and understands me.”
“Do you really love him?”
“Yes.”
“Does he know that?”
“I think so, and I think he loves me, although, we haven’t said the actual words yet.”
Jennifer made a small sound of laughter.
“I’m at a loss as to what to say here. On one hand, I’m overjoyed that you found someone, but on the other hand, I feel dread for what the future may bring. Jake tells me that Tanner lives a dangerous life.”
“He does face danger on a regular basis, yes, but then, so does Jake, am I right?”
Jennifer made a face.
“Don’t remind me. Jake was shot at just last week when he tracked down a terror suspect with his team of agents.”
“It seems we both have men who aren’t afraid of danger.”
“But they’re on different sides of the law.”
“True, but don’t forget, Tanner helped Jake get his promotion by giving him that informant in the Chemzonic case.”
“I know, but I still don’t understand why Tanner helped him.”
“Tanner is a complicated man, but my guess is that he likes Jake. The two of them managed to get along when we all worked together in Guambi to save you from those terrorists.”
“Jake was impressed with Tanner, and he’s grateful for his help.”
Sara hesitated for a moment, as she was uncertain of the reaction she would receive.
“I want you and Tanner to meet. You’re the two most important people in my life and I would love it if you two could at least be civil to each other.”
“I’ve already met Tanner, and why wouldn’t I be civil to the man?”
“You weren’t civil towards Johnny Rossetti when you met him. In fact, you insulted him.”
Jennifer winced at the reminder of how she had behaved.
Manhattan Hit Man (A Tanner Novel Book 18) Page 2