Among Thieves Read Online Free Page A

to break every bone in his other hand, and his arms and his face until I get tired of breaking bones. And then I’m going to kill him.”
    Beck nodded. “Then what?”
    â€œThen I send word to her boss that he better turn the fucking clock back.”
    Beck pursed his lips like he was considering Manny’s plan.
    â€œDon’t worry, James. This thing won’t be anywhere near us. Not a hundred miles anywhere near us.”
    Beck nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But you think that plan’s going to work for Olivia?”
    Manny didn’t respond.
    Beck leaned across the table. “Let’s step back a second. This situation with your cousin, I get it. She’s family. But there’s another family.” Beck tapped the kitchen table with his index finger. “This one. You, me, Demarco, Ciro. It’s all connected.”
    Beck raised a hand before Manny could protest.
    â€œHear me out. I’m not saying you can’t do something about this. I’m saying you can’t do it without me. Without us.”
    â€œNo, you guys can’t be involved. I have to take care of this on my own.”
    Beck shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way. You’re involved, we’re involved.”
    Manny didn’t want to agree. Wouldn’t agree. But he couldn’t disagree. Beck had trapped him. He couldn’t answer, so he didn’t.
    â€œJust think it through with me for a second, Manny. What does your cousin want? Say we break all this guy’s fingers, and his toes and face and arms and legs. You cut off his head and drop it on the boss’s desk. But you can’t put any of that shit in your cousin’s life. You said it yourself, she’s a civilian.” Beck continued. “This guy disappears after she makes all these complaints? She’s going to be the first one they look at.”
    Manny started to speak, but Beck kept talking.
    â€œAll right, so she stands up. Takes the heat, doubtful, but say she does. How long before they connect her to you? Then it all falls apart. They’ll arrest you. You’ll beat it. But they’ll never grant you bail. You’ll sit in jail for maybe two years waiting for trial. Her reputation is dead. She’ll never work in that industry.”
    Manny finished his shot of rum. Glared. Asked quietly, “So what the fuck should I do?”
    â€œWhat does she want?”
    â€œShe doesn’t say. She’s scared. She lost her job. She wants this asshole out of her life. She wants everything back the way it was, man. But she don’t know what that means. Or she don’t want to think about what that means.”
    â€œI understand.”
    â€œYeah, so do I. But what do you want to do? What should we do?” For the first time in the conversation, Manny’s voice rose. “These fucking assholes don’t get a pass just because they work in a big office and have some fucking money.”
    Beck’s voice hardened. “Nobody gets a pass. Not for what they did. But not now. Not until we figure this out.”
    â€œSo what do we do now?”
    â€œTake care of your cousin.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œI can’t tell you until I talk to her,” said Beck. “Let me hear from her what happened. Let me understand more about all this. Let me hear what she wants. Then we’ll take it from there.”
    Manny shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t like this.”
    â€œI know you don’t. But this has got to be done right. First, we help put her life back together.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’ve got to figure it out.”
    Manny took in what Beck said.
    â€œLet me talk to her.”
    Manny squinted, struggled with it, nodding his head imperceptibly over and over. Finally, he said, “Okay.”
    That was it. He had deferred to Beck. At some level, they both knew that was going to happen. But now it was