Killer Summer by Lynda Curnyn (e book reading free .txt) 📗

tannery about the skins, or does the tannery advise on how much skin is required for a style?“

He shook his head. “Boy, you really are a neophyte. Manufacturing puts through all the skin orders.”

The back of my neck began to prickle. “You mean you do it?”

He nodded. “That’s right. Me.”

“So I guess you would know if the tannery was inflating the order, right?”

He shook his head.“Really, Sage, you shouldn’t worry yourself about this. I told you I would call the tannery on Monday. It’s probably a simple mistake.”

“A pretty big mistake, don’t you think? I mean, if the Lorenzo factory is overcharging us, shouldn’t we let Tom know about it?” I asked, wondering if Vince already knew about those inflated orders and wondering why he hadn’t done anything about it. Unless he was in tighter with Gianna than I realized, I thought, a sudden vision of Vince and Gianna in an intimate tangle filling my mind.

Vince looked at me.“Look, Sage, it’s not a big deal. I’ll give the tannery a call on Monday. Like I said, I have a good relationship with them.”

I met his gaze. “I’m well aware of your relationship with the Lorenzo tannery,” I said, feeling my temperature rise as the truth sank in.

“Sage, if you know what’s best for you, you’ll stay out of this.”

But I was already in so deep, I couldn’t help the anger thrumming through me at the thought of Vince sharing not only pillow talk with Gianna, but profits. “You cocky son of a bitch. What kind of fool do you take me for? Did you really think you could skim money out of Tom’s business and no one would notice?”

The moment I said the words, I realized someone had noticed. Maggie.

Oh, God.

Vince must have seen the realization on my face. Not that he seemed ruffled by it. On the contrary. He smiled, a coldness moving into his eyes.

“Well, Sage, I’ve got to give you credit. It took Maggie a lot longer to figure it out. But then again, I already had Maggie’s loyalty,“ he said, his gaze steady on mine. ”And her heart.“

A pain so sharp moved through me I thought I might crumble under the weight of it. Dammit, was that what all this wining and dining was about? Was he trying to make me a player on his team? But then I remembered the team I was on, and fresh anger filled me. “How could you do that to Tom? He was your best friend…”

“Tom.” He laughed bitterly. “If it wasn’t for me, Tom would be nowhere. Who do you think set him up in this business?”

“Tom didn’t need you. He was born into this business.”

“Yeah, well, he’s got you snowed just like he’s snowed everyone else. Tom Landon would have been nothing without Daddy Landon to give him a leg up. But Tom wanted to prove himself when he came to New York. He was Mr. Big Shot boasting about starting up his own company. But he was nobody in New York— nobody. Not until I hooked him up with all my contacts. He owes me.”

“Owes you? What, being a VP in his company wasn’t enough for you, Vince?”

“Not when I was a principal once. I sank a lot of money into Luxe, Sage. Borrowed money. But as soon as Tom got back into Daddy Landon’s heart, he cut me out of the picture. After I gave him everything, he cut me off.”

“Cut you off? He gave you the Chinese operation to run.”

“He didn’t give that to me. He only shipped me off there when he realized that someone had to pay for the deal we had made with the Locusio family.”

My eyes widened. Torn dealing with the mob? “I don’t believe you.”

“Well, believe it, Sage. I may have been the one who took the loan, but somebody had to come up with the other half of the money to get Luxe off the ground. Tom was too proud to go to his father. So I used my contacts, made a little deal, and sank the cash into Luxe. But the business took longer than expected to show a profit, and Joey Locusio is not a patient man. Suddenly, I got the mob on my ass and no one to turn to but Tom. Of course, Tom acted all high-and-mighty. Like he didn’t know where I got all that money from. But he’s not as innocent as he looks. He knew. You think he gave me China out of friendship? No, Sage, that was guilt. After he tucked his tail between his legs and hit up Daddy Landon for the cash, he bought me out. Then he acts like the big hero, shipping me off to China, like he was doing me a fucking favor. Some favor. I lost everything when I went there. My family--

“You lost your wife because you’re a criminal, Vince.” I shivered, remembering Maggie. “And now you’re a murderer.”

It was the wrong thing to say. And perhaps if I had been thinking about it, I might not have said it at all. But I wasn’t thinking. I was so blinded by anger and hurt—for Tom, for Maggie, for Chad, that poor innocent kid—that I didn’t even realize the danger I had put myself in until Vince was suddenly up close and personal, his hands wrapped around my neck.

I struggled against him, my knee going up to his groin. But Vince was quicker, blocking my attempt, his hands tightening on me.

Even as I fought, I felt myself sinking under the weight of him, my eyes moving to his dark gaze as I gasped for air. Still, I moved restlessly beneath him, my hands reaching for his face, his eyes…

For the briefest moment, I believed I might even win this battle, so energized was I by the hatred I glimpsed in his gaze.

Until my head hit the ground.

And darkness closed in on me.

Chapter Fifty

Zoe

I don’t need to