Kings of Midnight Read Online Free Page A

okay,” Benny said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” To Taliferro, he said, “I just need to get my coat.”
    â€œI’ll go with you,” the younger one said.
    â€œNo need for that,” Taliferro said. “I don’t think we’re gonna have any issues here.”
    Benny went back into the kitchen, got his red hunter’s jacket from the peg, looked at the dish towel, then the back door. He could make a run for it, but wouldn’t get far with his bum knee. And there might be more of them outside, waiting. It would only piss them off if he tried to get away.
    When he came back out, the younger one was holding the door open.
    â€œMaybe I should call the sheriff’s office,” Rick said.
    â€œNo,” Benny said, pulling on his coat. “These are friends from back home. I haven’t seen them in a long time.”
    â€œBack home?” Rick said. “St. Louis?”
    â€œSomewhere like that,” Taliferro said. “Come on, let’s go have a drink.”
    Benny zipped his coat, and they went out into the cold. There was a shiny Lincoln Town Car with New York plates parked at the curb, just behind his own Hyundai. Except for the Sunoco station two blocks away, all the storefronts on Main Avenue were dark.
    â€œYou two drive all the way out here?” Benny said.
    â€œSeemed easiest,” Taliferro said. He took a hard pack of Marlboros from his overcoat pocket, offered them. Benny said, “No, thanks.”
    Taliferro lit one with a silver Zippo, turned his head and blew out smoke. Benny looked at the younger man. “Who’s this?”
    â€œMy nephew,” Taliferro said. “Frank Longo. My sister’s boy. You knew his father, Petey.”
    â€œRight,” Benny said, lying. The name meant nothing to him. “How you doing, kid? How’s the old man?”
    â€œDead,” Longo said. “Last year. Cancer.”
    â€œSorry to hear that.”
    Taliferro said, “Sal Bruno says hello.”
    â€œThat psycho?” Benny said. “He still alive?”
    â€œBetter not let him hear you say that.”
    Rick was at the window. Benny waved to reassure him.
    â€œI should have figured you’d be working in a restaurant,” Taliferro said. “You always were a good cook.”
    â€œIt’s something I enjoy.” Benny looked past him, toward the gas station, knew he’d never make it. “How’d you find me?”
    â€œIt was easy,” Taliferro said. “Everybody knows you’ve been out here, since you left the program. Isn’t hard to track a person down these days, Internet and all. You are out of it, right? Or was that just a rumor?”
    Benny shrugged, put his hands in his pockets. “I told them to go fuck themselves.”
    â€œThat’s what I heard. But you lived off that federal tit a good long time, didn’t you?”
    â€œThey screwed me over, made promises they didn’t keep.”
    â€œWhat did you expect from the G, huh?” He blew out smoke. “But hey, come on, it’s cold out here. Let’s take a ride.”
    Benny looked at the Town Car. “No way. You want to go somewhere, I’ll take my car, follow you.”
    â€œJesus Christ,” Taliferro said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Ride with us. We’ll talk in the car, it’ll save time. We’ll drive you back here when we’re done.”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œYou’re gonna wanna hear what I have to say, I guarantee you.”
    â€œCome on,” Longo said. “Get in the car.” Benny looked at him, didn’t move.
    â€œBenny, let me explain something to you,” Taliferro said. “Anyone had a beef against you is long gone. Why do you think nobody’s bothered you all this time? And you stood up to the feds, told them to go pound sand. You got some respect back for that.”
    â€œI never