He walked off toward the exit. On our way, he swiped a bottle of wine that a waitress was carrying on a tray. She went to say something but we were already moving off. We got to the doors, pushed them open, and then left.
“This way,” he said. We followed a back hallway and eventually went out a back door. A small wooded area stretched out ahead of us, and I could hear a major road on the other side of that.
Wyatt leaned up against the wall and took a pull from the bottle before handing it to me. I took a long drink.
We stood there in silence for a moment, enjoying the night. I was glad to be out of there.
“I have to go back in,” he said finally.
I frowned at him. “Why?”
“Because as gross as it is, it’s part of my job. We need me back in there. We need me to shake hands and kiss ass, because that’s the role I play in all this. You should go back to the city.”
“Wyatt—“
“It’s okay,” he said, shaking his head. “You run the mafia. I run the politics.”
“Okay,” I said softly.
He took the bottle from me, took a drink, and then threw it into the parking lot. It shattered on the ground. I couldn’t help but laugh.
He took my hips and pulled me against him, his hand on the small of my back. “I just wanted to see you,” he admitted.
“I know. I wanted that, too.”
“I know.”
He kissed me hard, and I returned his kiss. For a second, the whole trip seemed worth it, even if it was ending in a disaster.
Finally he broke off and sighed, letting me go. “I’ll see you again soon.”
“When are you coming back?”
“Next week. Hopefully I’ll have something for you by then.”
“What?”
“Money,” he said. “Lots and lots of money.”
“How?”
He smiled. “You’ll see.” He kissed me again then turned to the door. “See you soon.”
“Bye.”
He opened the door, stepped inside, and was gone.
I sighed, leaning against the wall again. I felt like an idiot teenager, and that almost made me angry. But really, it felt damn good to want him this way.
I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to.
23
Wyatt
Being a public servant does not pay well. If I wanted to follow the rules and be a good little boy, I’d be poor as fuck and weak.
Which was why I made my money taking bribes.
After seeing Louisa that night, I went on an aggressive bribery campaign. Starting that night after she left, I courted bribes for everything from getting men out of jail to unpaid parking tickets. The rich were always smart enough not to ask questions and not to press too hard, and they always paid well.
Which was how I ended up bringing Louisa a few duffel bags filled with half a million dollars when I finally returned to the city.
She was staying in the same safe house, though I had to wonder if that was really safe. She assured me it was, and so I didn’t argue. Still, I worried about that, and her.
The war was heating up. Her mercenaries were working out well, and she was paying them as well as she could. She seemed stressed though, and if I pressed she always just said things were fine. I knew she was the type to shoulder her own burdens. I understood that. But I could help her if she let me.
Her guys were doing their jobs. They were dealing serious damage to Arturo and the mafia, though they had lost a few men. The other mercenaries didn’t seem to mind that, though, since that meant one less guy to split the earnings with.
It was a cool, clear day. Kasia let me inside, and although she was still distant, she wasn’t outright hostile to me. I carried the bags slung over my shoulders up into Louisa’s room. She smiled as I dumped them onto the bed.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A present for you.”
“You shouldn’t have.” She kissed me on the cheek. “How much?”
“A lot.”
“What ever am I going to do with all this cash?”
“We’re going to buy guns.”
She paused. “Really?”
“I already set it up.”
“We do need more equipment,” she mused.
“We’re getting you serious shit. Grenades, sniper rifles, the damn works. Plus a couple extra guys as well.”
“Wyatt,” she said, smiling and pressing herself against me. “Nothing gets me more excited than the prospect of buying a lot of guns.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I haven’t seen you in a while, and I haven’t tasted you in longer.”
“Well then. I guess I’ll have to indulge you.”
“I wish. But we don’t have time.”
She looked surprised. “You set the sale for the middle of the day?”