Delores let out a laugh that answered the question to show she didn’t know.
“You don’t know where your boyfriend is?” he said skeptically.
Delores’s laughter grew louder.
“I’m his girlfriend,” she replied. “Not his keeper.”
“But…”
“But nothing,” Dolores interrupted harshly. “I mean, did you ever tell me where you were going or what you were doing when we were together?”
“Yeah, fair point,” Matt conceded and moved across the room. He wasn’t about to make himself comfortable and sat down on the arm of the sofa when he got to it.
“You bad boys don’t like being questioned about your activities,” Delores said in a slightly mocking voice.
“You don’t know what Brett does then?” Matt queried.
“I might not ask, but I’m not stupid,” she replied, with a shake of her head. “I know he’s no saint.”
“How in the hell did you two get together?”
Delores pursed her lips as she stared at him, then ran fingers through her thick, dark hair. She remained silent for a few seconds before eventually answering the question.
“I work as a waitress in a place not far from here. I’ve been there around a year and it’s a good job, with decent enough pay. Brett started coming in for a meal and something to drink around five or six weeks ago. We got chatting and he was nice to me. I liked him and started to suspect he was coming in more to see me than for the food and alcohol.”
“He’s a fast worker,” Matt commented.
Delores shrugged her shoulders before going on.
“We ended up here one night after I finished work and well…, one thing led to another.”
“You decided to stay,” Matt said.
“He asked me and I saw no reason to turn down the offer,” Delores replied.
Matt stared across the room at her and wondered if he should say what was in his head. He didn’t think she would like it but came out with it anyway.
“You really picked the wrong man to hook up with this time.”
“What are you all of a sudden…, my dad?” she joked and laughed.
“I mean it,” Matt went on.
“You’re telling me the story of my life,” Delores let out. “Good guys just don’t do it for me. It’s a bad trait that usually gets me into trouble, but what can I do?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Matt went on in a louder voice. “I’m being serious. This guy is stepping on all the wrong toes and it might not end well…, for him and anyone associated with him,”
“What do you mean?” she asked and leaned forward in her seat.
“Why the hell do you think I’m here?” Matt said. “To ask after this guy’s wellbeing and see if there’s anything I can do for him. He’s getting on the wrong side of some bad people.”
“You seem to know more about what he’s doing than I do,” Delores said.
“Only what I’ve been told…, by Eddie Millar.”
A look of concern spread across Delores’s face at the mention of the name and she sprang to her feet.
“What the hell has he got to do with anything?” she let out.
“Sit down,” Matt told her.
Her brown eyes blazed as she stared at him and he thought she was going to ignore him before she eventually dropped back down in the armchair.
“Are you still working for Eddie Millar?” she asked. “The last I heard, you were…”
“In prison,” Matt finished. “I got out less than a couple of months ago.”
“And went back to working for him?” Delores asked.
Matt shook his head.
“That wasn’t the plan,” he said. “He hunted me down.”
Delores lifted a hand and closed her eyes as she massaged her forehead with fingertips.
“Give me the bad news,” she eventually let out.
“What I’ve been told is that Brett is trying to muscle in on the drug scene here. I’m sure you understand that the man that sent me isn’t exactly happy about it.”
“Ah, shit,” Delores let out in a quiet voice and screwed up her face.
“The only thing that’s saved Brett for the moment is that he’s from out of town,” Matt went on. “Eddie reckons he can tap into his contacts to expand his own business empire. I was told to pass the message on and convince your man that it was in his best interests to play along with the offer.”
“Convince him how?” Delores asked.
Matt raised his eyebrows in response, but said nothing. He didn’t need to because Delores already knew the answer to her question. She’d been with him long enough during their affair to know what his particular skills were.
“Not that I’m one hundred percent sure,” she went on. “But I don’t think he will play along.”
“Then he gets out of town or he’s dead,” Matt said matter-of-factly. “Eddie won’t tolerate someone cutting into his trade unless it’s on his terms.”
Delores slumped down in the armchair and put a hand over her face,
“I can sure pick them, can’t I?” she said forlornly.
Matt was about to ask when Brett was due home, but didn’t get the chance when the sound of ringing interrupted their conversation. It wasn’t his phone and he looked towards Delores as she got hers out and looked at the screen.
“It’s Brett,” she said.
“Don’t tell him I’m here,” Matt replied.
He wasn’t sure whether she would do as he asked, but the brief phone conversation passed without the mention of his name.
“He’s on his way here now,” Delores said when she hung up the call and looked across the room. “Don’t hurt him.”
Matt rubbed a hand across his face and wished he was somewhere else because things were getting complicated. Brett Collins meant nothing to him, but he didn’t want to land his ex-girlfriend in the shit and that put him in an awkward position he hadn’t anticipated. He’d planned to walk out of the apartment that evening having completed the job asked of him to make sure he and Brigitte remained safe. Now he wasn’t certain he’d be able to do that. A glance towards Delores showed the pleading expression on her face and he wanted to block it out, so he looked away from her.
“I wasn’t planning to hurt him,” he told her although he wasn’t sure he could guarantee it. “Does he carry a weapon?”
“A handgun in a shoulder holster,” Delores replied. “I’ve seen him putting it on before he leaves.”
“Shit,” Matt cursed.
The situation would be a lot easier to handle if Brett didn’t have a weapon and he knew the first thing he needed to do was disarm him. He reached in his pocket to take out the switchblade and saw the look of horror cross Delores’s face.
“You said you weren’t going…,” she started.
“Relax,” he cut in. “All I want to do is get the gun from him.”
“How the hell am I supposed to relax when you’re wielding that thing,” she exclaimed.
He ignored her comment to go on talking.
“How long before he gets here?”
Delores shrugged her shoulders.
“Come on, Delores,” Matt urged. “This could blow up in all our faces. I’m sure you’ve heard enough stories about Eddie Millar to know what he’s capable of doing to us.”
“What do you mean us?” she retorted. “You’re working for him, so you have nothing to lose.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, but made no mention of Brigitte. “Just help me out here.”
“Why the hell should I?” she exclaimed.
“Because Brett’s fucking dead if you don’t,” he spat out more harshly than he intended and saw her face fall, so he lowered his voice as he went on. “All I want to do is get him in here without a weapon. We can talk then.”
“You promise?” she asked as she glanced at the knife.
“Yes,” he told her.
She let out a slow breath and stared at him, as if she was trying to figure out if he wa
s being honest.
“OK,” she eventually said. “One thing though.”
“What?”
“No mention of us being an item at one time,” she told him. “We were friends and that’s it as far as Brett finds out.”
“Sure, if that’s how you want to play it,” Matt agreed. “How long do we have?”
“He’ll be here in around five minutes or so,” she told him.
Matt walked out of the lounge. The best option would be to disarm Brett the second he walked through the front door, but the narrow confines of the hallway would make that difficult. He turned to see Delores watching him.
“If I wait in the lounge, will you shout on Brett when he arrives to get him in here?” he asked.
The expression that showed on her face revealed she didn’t really want to do it, but she nodded her head after a few seconds.
“He won’t like it,” she said in a resigned voice.
“You’ll be doing him a favor,” Matt went on.
“Yeah…, I’m not sure he’ll see it like that,” Delores replied.
It was the last of the conversation and the pair of them stood inside the lounge door, without saying a word as the minutes ticked past. Delores flinched when she heard the sound of the key in the lock. She waited until the door opened and closed before speaking.
“I’m in the lounge, honey,” she yelled in a loud voice.
Matt positioned himself behind the open door and tensed as he listened to the approaching footsteps. He sprang into action the second he caught sight of the man walking in the lounge. His left arm snaked around Brett’s neck and he quickly tightened his grip to a choke hold, while bringing the knife in his right hand up to touch the point on his captive’s throat.
“Stay calm,” he barked. “And everything will be fine.”
The arm around his neck prevented Brett from saying anything in reply, as his air supply was restricted.
“Take the gun out of the holster using only your thumb and forefinger,” Matt went on harshly and pricked the knife into skin to emphasize that he was in charge. “Don’t give me a reason to use the blade.”
Brett let out gasping wheezes, as he tried to catch a breath. The shock of the surprise attack hitting him from behind was wearing off, but there was little he could do to combat it and he complied with the order. Slipping his hand under his jacket, he slowly extracted the pistol from the holster and held it up.
Matt pulled the knife away, so he could take the gun, then released his grip and shoved Brett hard between the shoulder blades. He aimed the weapon at the stumbling man and waited for him to turn.
“What the fuck is this?” Brett let out through rasping coughs and lifted a hand to rub at his neck.
“Listen to him,” Delores implored.
“You know him?” Brett exclaimed.
Delores saw his gaze coming to her and nodded her head.
“Yes,” she admitted. “We were friends back in the day although this is the first time I’ve seen him for years.
“And you let him in here?” Brett said in an angrier voice.
“I didn’t give her any choice in the matter,” Matt interrupted. “Delores being here was a surprise to me, but I forced my way in to get to you.”
Brett narrowed his eyes as he stared across the room.
“And what now?” he asked. “Are you going to kill me?”
Matt shook his head as he closed the switchblade and put it in his pocket. He kept the gun in his hand but dropped his arm down by his side.
“No,” he replied. “I’m here to give you a message.”
“Oh yeah,” Brett said in a show of defiance. “What makes you think I’m interested in listening?”
“Well, I’ve got the gun for a start,” Matt said. “And you should listen if you want to live.”
Brett let out a humorless laugh.
“I live just fine,” he spat out.
“Yeah, well, that could change,” Matt went on. “Did you think what you’re doing would go unnoticed?”
Brett rubbed a hand on his throat and coughed before speaking.
“Why are you interested in what I’m doing?”
“I’m not,” Matt replied. “But the man who sent me is and he doesn’t like it. Chasing down drug deals in this town will get his attention, since he sees it as you cutting into his business.”
“And you’re here to warn me off?” Brett said.
“No, I was sent to make you an offer and ensure that you accepted it.”
“I’m not interested in any deals,” Brett replied.
“Then you’re dead,” Matt said. “Eddie Millar is the man that controls the drug trade around here and things get done his way…, or they don’t get done at all. I should know”.
“Listen to him, Brett,” Delores said in an imploring voice. “Eddie Millar isn’t a man to cross.”
He looked at his girlfriend, but said nothing for a few seconds before returning his attention to Matt.
“What’s the offer?”
“Eddie is prepared to let you have some of the action in town if you give up your suppliers and contacts to him,” Matt stated.
Brett let out a spluttering laugh.
“Yeah, like I said,” he went on. “I’m not interested in any deals.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Matt barked as he stepped forward to close the distance between him and the man he was speaking to. “You are so far out of your fucking depth here that you can’t even see the surface.”
“So you say,” Brett responded dismissively.
Matt’s move was so explosive that it took the other man completely by surprise. The quick-fire punch caught Brett on the side of his chin and sent him crashing to the floor.
“MATT,” Delores yelled and shoved him aside when she moved to her boyfriend.
Brett slapped her helping hands away as he scrambled around on the carpet then tried to get up. His jaw ached but his anger flared that he’d been caught so easily with a sucker punch.
“I’m just the messenger here,” Matt said. “And you can’t even cope with me. I’d say you’re out of your depth.”
Brett managed to regain his feet and stepped forward, but the gun was raised to hold him at bay. Matt sucked in a deep breath then let it out slowly as he moved away and lowered his hand. He knew he needed to calm things down before they ended in someone getting seriously hurt. Things weren’t about to be resolved using violence and he let the moment of irritation that came over him pass.
“Look, I’m in the same boat as you, so I understand how you feel,” he went on. “You need to understand that you don’t say no to Eddie Millar. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he will cut you up into bit size pieces and feed you to something. I’ve been around the blocks enough to recognize the signs and know you aren’t going to deal, whatever I do or say. If it were only you and me, I’d walk out now and pass that message on the Eddie to let you deal with the consequences.”
“So, fuck off then,” Brett cursed, as he rubbed his palm on his chin.
“Brett, you need to listen,” Delores said. “Eddie Millar is a psycho.”
She reached out but her hands were slapped away again. Brett eyed Matt warily.
“What did you mean by saying you’re in the same boat?”
“I got an offer from Eddie Millar as well,” Matt replied.
“What are you talking about?” Delores asked when she turned to look at him.
Matt moved further away from them and wasn’t sure he should go on. Things were getting out of hand and he wanted to just walk out and leave Brett to his fate. He knew that would put Delores at risk too though and he couldn’t do it. He lifted a hand to wipe it across his forehead.
“I got out from a four year spell in prison recently and my plan was to leave my old life behind,” he said. “That changed when my old boss came calling to say hello. He’d obviously been watching me because he knew everything about my life…, including details of the girl I met.”
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“So, you have to do the job or he’s going to kill your new girl,” Delores said.
“That pretty much sums it up,” Matt replied. “My plan was to come here and make every effort to get a deal done for Eddie. If that proved impossible, which I can see it probably is, I’d have thrown Brett to the wolves. It’s no skin off my nose. All I’m interested in is surviving.”
Enforcer Page 18
