Worth Dying For by Trin Denise Read Free Book Online Page B

blues and yellows and a red so bright, that the reflection on the whitecaps made the water look pink. She had never seen anything like it.
    She ate the sandwich as she sorted through the box. She had some idea of what she would find inside and wasn’t surprised in the least to see the 9mm semi-automatic. She hoped she wouldn’t need it, but it was comforting to see just the same.
    Being an ordinary citizen, at least on paper, meant that she couldn’t take her service weapon on the plane. As for her trip, she knew Edwards would have her name erased from the flight manifest on the off chance that a background check would be done. She knew that by now, Castrucci would have done just that. Whoever did the check would see that she had arrived in Half Moon Bay two months earlier from Chequotah, Oklahoma when she bought the house.
    She sat the gun and the box of ammo off to the side and looked at the cell phone. It was her direct link, her lifeline, to Laura. She turned the phone over and smiled. Taped to the back was a note reminding her to set the answering machine.
    She laid the phone down and picked up the two envelopes sitting at the bottom of the box. The first one contained a stack of personalized business cards, along with the Castrucci estate address. The second envelope had a credit card with her new name on it, and money. She counted out three grand in twenty-dollar bills. She gathered up the contents of the box and went back inside to search out the answering machine. It didn’t take long—she found it next to the toaster and coffee maker and recorded a message.
    She took her gun and the box of ammo and went back to her bedroom. She sat down on the side of the bed and loaded the clip. She opened the top drawer of her nightstand and slid the gun beneath a stack of magazines.
    Back in Washington, she hadn’t been sure of what to pack and finally decided that it wouldn’t be much, since she needed to update her wardrobe. Therefore, it didn’t take long to put away the few things she had brought. She grabbed her favorite pair of flannel pajamas and a t-shirt and headed off to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.
    Once dressed, she ran a comb through her hair, went into the kitchenette, and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. She took a swig and dropped down on the couch as she snatched the remote off the coffee table. She flicked through the stations until she found Law and Order .  
    She spent the next several days exploring the area and getting familiar with the camera equipment. At night, she would take the cell phone, along with her dinner, and go out on the patio to check in with Laura. After the phone call, she trolled the internet for area newspaper archives tied to Castrucci and the Massino crime family.  

    ###

    Tommy drove the limo down the trash-strewn street and past several buildings that were burnt to the ground. He stopped in front of one that should have been condemned years ago.
    “We’ll be back in a couple,” Sonny said as he and Big Tony got out of the car.
    Big Tony looked at the building with disgust. “This place is a dump. I don’t understand how people live like this.”
    Sonny led Big Tony past an assortment of cars perched atop concrete blocks and stopped at the front door leading into the building. “Yeah, it’s definitely not my cup of tea, but it’s a diamond in the rough.”  
    “It better be,” Big Tony said as they climbed the creaking stairs. “It smells like piss in here,” he grumbled. He took out a hanky and covered his nose, taking care to step over a drunk passed out on the second-floor landing. “What floor did you say he’s on?”
    Sonny glanced down at the paper in his hand. “Third.”
    “Figures,” Big Tony said as he continued to climb up the steps leading to the third floor. “Man, I need to get in better shape,” he said, gasping for air.
    Sonny walked past him and stopped in front of the second door. “Here it is,” he said, wrapping on the door