sudden rage, as he smoothly turned the wheel, making a sharp left.
“Is…is something wrong?” Emma asked a little nervously. Even when angry, she had never seen Antonio lose control and yet she could see him struggling to keep his temper in check. The veins of his corded neck pulsed and his large hands opened and closed as if he was dying to punch something.
Antonio closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to Emma. With his eyes burning silver, he said calmly, “We’re going to stop somewhere for a few minutes. I need to speak with someone. So I want you to stay in the car quietly until I get back in. Understand?”
Emma nodded, bewildered. “Yes, but—”
Antonio raised a hand. “Just stay in the car.”
In less than ten minutes, they had found their way towards a small strip of road. Either side was surrounded by dilapidated buildings and broken streetlamps. Emma was quite certain they had passed Skid Row on their way here.
What was going on? Who would Antonio need to meet anyone out here? She wiped her nervous palms on her knees. As their Range Rover pulled to a stop, Emma suddenly wanted to cling to Antonio’s arm. She wanted to beg him not to go outside. She could feel an air of danger and she didn’t want him to walk out into it.
“I see him, boss,” Ricks’ low voice cutting in.
Antonio nodded. “I see him too. Remember to keep visual and don’t let Emma out of the car.”
Ricks nodded.
With a face that looked like it was cut from solid rage, Antonio exited the car. Emma gripped the leather seat below her. Where was he going? Couldn’t he see that this whole street screamed danger ?
Ricks lowered the tinted passenger window by an inch. Being so tall, he could see perfectly out through the small slit, keeping an eye on his boss. Emma squinted through the window and caught the shifty sight of a man standing against the edge of a grungy looking building that had broken windows and a boarded up door.
She could hear a greasy sounding voice drift in through the open window, “Hey, boss.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing right now, Katz?”
Even from her far distance in the car, Emma could hear every ringing note of anger and frustration in Antonio’s voice.
“I thought you’d be happy with the increase in my profits,” Katz said in what sounded almost like a pout.
Emma sat on the edge of her seat, straining to hear their conversation.
“I made it abso-fucking-lutely clear that you were to scale back. You’re entire unit was to scale back,” Antonio seethed. “Where the fuck did you get the extra units?”
“Hey, man, I was just doing—”
Emma heard Katz gasp followed by a hard thud. She squinted out the window and saw Antonio with his fist around Katz’s grubby shirtfront, throwing him against the wall and lifting him clear off his feet.
“Where?” Antonio demanded.
Katz grabbed at Antonio’s wrists. “Hey man! I’m just giving people what they want! I was doing you a solid, man! My profits—”
Antonio slammed him against the wall again. “Where!”
“The Ronaldos!” Katz groaned. “Fuck! The Ronaldos got a small op going. Just some weed and heroin for now but—”
“So my word isn’t good enough for
“Is…is something wrong?” Emma asked a little nervously. Even when angry, she had never seen Antonio lose control and yet she could see him struggling to keep his temper in check. The veins of his corded neck pulsed and his large hands opened and closed as if he was dying to punch something.
Antonio closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to Emma. With his eyes burning silver, he said calmly, “We’re going to stop somewhere for a few minutes. I need to speak with someone. So I want you to stay in the car quietly until I get back in. Understand?”
Emma nodded, bewildered. “Yes, but—”
Antonio raised a hand. “Just stay in the car.”
In less than ten minutes, they had found their way towards a small strip of road. Either side was surrounded by dilapidated buildings and broken streetlamps. Emma was quite certain they had passed Skid Row on their way here.
What was going on? Who would Antonio need to meet anyone out here? She wiped her nervous palms on her knees. As their Range Rover pulled to a stop, Emma suddenly wanted to cling to Antonio’s arm. She wanted to beg him not to go outside. She could feel an air of danger and she didn’t want him to walk out into it.
“I see him, boss,” Ricks’ low voice cutting in.
Antonio nodded. “I see him too. Remember to keep visual and don’t let Emma out of the car.”
Ricks nodded.
With a face that looked like it was cut from solid rage, Antonio exited the car. Emma gripped the leather seat below her. Where was he going? Couldn’t he see that this whole street screamed danger ?
Ricks lowered the tinted passenger window by an inch. Being so tall, he could see perfectly out through the small slit, keeping an eye on his boss. Emma squinted through the window and caught the shifty sight of a man standing against the edge of a grungy looking building that had broken windows and a boarded up door.
She could hear a greasy sounding voice drift in through the open window, “Hey, boss.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing right now, Katz?”
Even from her far distance in the car, Emma could hear every ringing note of anger and frustration in Antonio’s voice.
“I thought you’d be happy with the increase in my profits,” Katz said in what sounded almost like a pout.
Emma sat on the edge of her seat, straining to hear their conversation.
“I made it abso-fucking-lutely clear that you were to scale back. You’re entire unit was to scale back,” Antonio seethed. “Where the fuck did you get the extra units?”
“Hey, man, I was just doing—”
Emma heard Katz gasp followed by a hard thud. She squinted out the window and saw Antonio with his fist around Katz’s grubby shirtfront, throwing him against the wall and lifting him clear off his feet.
“Where?” Antonio demanded.
Katz grabbed at Antonio’s wrists. “Hey man! I’m just giving people what they want! I was doing you a solid, man! My profits—”
Antonio slammed him against the wall again. “Where!”
“The Ronaldos!” Katz groaned. “Fuck! The Ronaldos got a small op going. Just some weed and heroin for now but—”
“So my word isn’t good enough for
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