Bow Down(31)
“Drink?”
“Of course.”
I poured two whiskeys, handing him one and sitting in my usual spot on the couch. I was nervous for some insane reason. I knew he wasn’t going to walk into the bedroom and find Louisa, but there was still some irrational part of me that was afraid he’d know she was there, just on the other side of a wall.
That would be a disaster. I didn’t know where Ethan was, and I doubted I could take both of his guys out there. Without weapons, probably, but I was sure they were packing, and my gun was in my room with Louisa.
“What can I do for you?” I asked him.
“You know why I’m here. You met with the chief.”
“I did.”
“And how did that meeting go?”
“It went well. He seemed receptive to my ideas.”
I was keeping it as vague as possible to avoid Arturo checking any facts. I didn’t want him to see the knife I planned on plunging into his chest until it was far too late to get out of the way.
“That’s good to hear,” he said. “Did you ascertain why the chief wasn’t going after them?”
“No, not really.”
“Not really?”
“He alluded to their own incompetence.”
He laughed loudly, tossing his head back. “He didn’t.”
“He did. He said that the Spiders were very difficult to find.”
“That dumb bastard.”
“He was probably trying to praise them. But he just sounded pathetic.”
Arturo shook his head, grinning. “Herbert is pathetic. I remember when he was just some desk sergeant back in the day. He’s a puffed up asshole with no brain, and that whole department is fucked.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I’m always right, Wyatt. You’ll see one day.”
“You don’t get to your position in life by being wrong all the time, that’s for sure.”
“Exactly that, Wyatt. Exactly that.” He knocked back his drink.
“I think Herbert might be a dead end for you.”
“Could be.” He stood and got himself another drink.
“What are you planning, then?”
“We have some ideas.”
I wanted to press, but I knew that I shouldn’t. “If I can help, let me know.”
“Help in exchange for a healthy bribe, you mean.”
I help up my drink in a salute. “Of course.” I knocked it back.
He laughed. “I like you, Wyatt. You’re not like the other politicians. They’re all stuffy rich fucks, but I think I understand you. We come from the same place, you know.”
“I knew you grew up in the city.”
“Grew up poor as dirt, like you. Look at us now, though. Powerful men, born with nothing.”
He wasn’t wrong about that, though we were nothing alike. Arturo was a brute, a stupid hammer. I thought ten moves ahead while Arturo was still understanding the rules.
“I take that as a high compliment,” I said.
“As you should.” He sat back down. “I have big plans for this city. I need men like you on my side.”
“What kind of plans?”
“Oh, big dreams. I want to run all the little gangs out of town and crack down on crime. If my organization is the only game in town, I can keep this city as peaceful as I want it.”
“While controlling the cash flow.”
“Of course.”
“But that means taking out the Spiders.”
“And every other little upstart in my way.”
“Big dreams.”
“I’m not far from it.”
“What do the Russians think?”
“The Russians are nothing. They’re spit under my shoe. I will crush them as I’ve crushed the Spiders.”
I smiled and nodded, not saying anything.
The man was clearly delusional. His organization was the strongest in the city, it was true, but the Spiders were doing serious damage. If he kept this war up the way it was going, he’d win, but the Russians would swoop in and take everything.
Either he saw that as clear as day, or he was a complete idiot.
“Well, Arturo, as I’ve said. Anything I can do.”
“Push to arrest and get those damn Spiders behind bars, that’s what you can do.”
I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Good.” He stood. “Now, I’ll let you get back to whatever gorgeous girl you were sleeping with before I arrived.”
I smiled. “My laptop is hardly gorgeous, but thank you.” I stood and walked him to the door. I opened it and he turned to me.
“Stick with me, Wyatt. I can take you places, give you more power than you’d ever dreamed of. I’m taking over the city and I’m taking you with me.”