Ramsey Security (Ramsey Security #1-3)(129)

While on hold, I check the second guy’s pockets. He was smart enough not to bring all of his shit with him.

“Sheriff Black is in a meeting,” the receptionist says.

“Okay then. I’ll leave a message. See, about that job the sheriff gave Dick, can you tell him that it didn’t go as planned. Dick will call him later. Okay?”

“Okay,” the woman mutters, clearly wanting to laugh at my accent.

I hang up and hand the phone to Dino. “Now he knows we know,” I say to Hayes.

“That accent was horrible,” the giant * says.

“No worse than you sound every day,” I mutter, not in the mood to deal with shit from either man. “Now, what do we do about the dead weight here?”

“I got people coming to clean it up.”

“Good for you, slugger,” Dino says, challenging Hayes again.

“I just saved your f*cking asses.”

“No, you shortened these f*ckers’ lives by like three minutes. I won’t give you an award for shooting your wad early.”

Hayes opens his mouth, and I sense he’s about to get very loud. Before I get a migraine, I raise my hand and smile.

“Thank you for the help, Mister Hayes. Can I ask you a question?”

“Why ask him?” Dino mutters. “Ask me. I know shit.”

“You don’t know dick, f*ckwit.”

The men growl at each other again, and I’m never happier to be a chick. I couldn’t deal with using my crotch as a brain like these two.

“Doesn’t this kill attempt feel like an amateur move?” I ask loudly.

While never looking away from his nemesis, Dino shrugs. “Sure, but it’s f*cking Hicktown. What do you expect from rednecks?”

Hayes wants to say something. He’s a guy with no patience for turning the other cheek. I understand his ego’s need to react, but f*ck it. I’m getting bored of their dick measuring contest.

Snapping in front of the big guy’s face, I ask, “We’ve been in town less than twenty-four hours, and Black calls in a hit team. What if we were cops?”

Hayes glances at the passing traffic on the nearby road. “His backers might be connected to the state. He’d know if the attorney general sent investigators to sniff around his area.”

“Bullshit. If we were DEA or some other federal agency, no way would he know so quickly. Would you?”

Hayes knows Black can’t be better than him and instantly shakes his head. I glance down at the dead men.

“What if the guys in Memphis sent us? Or we worked for a cartel outfit? We could be anyone, but they took the chance of killing us without knowing what kind of hell they’d bring down on their organization.”

Wearing a grumpy frown, Hayes puffs at his cigar. “A year ago, some drunk f*ck shot an off-duty ATF guy in Louisiana. The FBI and state guys are still tearing up the town. The feds are like herpes. Once you get them, you ain’t getting rid of them.”

“Exactly. This wasn’t the move of a professional with ice in his veins. Black f*cked up in a way amateurs f*ck up. I think we can safely say he isn’t working with a powerful backer. Cooper shouldn’t have much problem sending his people in here to take back operations.”

“You’re so sexy when you talk like that,” Dino says, sidling up next to me. “I think we should stick around this shithole awhile longer.”

“Why?” I frown, pushing him away from me.

“Shithole?” Hayes growls.

Their tempers instantly stink up the place again. Dino wraps an arm possessively around my shoulders, and I give up on keeping his hands off of me.

“Amateurs or not, these are still cops,” Dino says, tightening his hold on me. “Johansson and his crew can’t exactly ride into town and kill them all without getting the attention of the state guys.”

“Hair gel has a point,” Hayes mutters.

“This is my natural style, beef boy.”

“Will you two shut the f*ck up already?” I nearly yell. “You’re making my period kick in early. Trust me, once that happens, all bets are off on which one of you lives.”

“Don’t worry, Apples. You’re sexy enough for me to ignore a little blood.”

Shoving him away from me, I storm off towards the front of the hotel. I know Dino will growl at Hayes. Cussing will ring out. Threats exchanged. I don’t give a shit, though. Even if they pee in a circle to claim territory, I’m uninterested.

Someone took a shot at me. I’d really like to shoot back, but I’m hamstrung by laws and rules and other normally pointless shit.

Dialing Rafael, I enter the hotel to find the staff indifferent to the mess outside. If the police are coming, I don’t hear sirens. Hayes runs a tight ship in White Horse, and a shootout at the local Hampton Inn isn’t news.

I’m in the elevator by the time he answers, but I don’t explain the situation until in my room.

“I agree we’re likely dealing with amateurs,” he says, “but I agree with Dino that Cooper killing cops remains a problem.”

“Cooper killing them is a problem but not us, right?”

“I wouldn’t send you to play recon on a nothing job, Minka. We need to turn Common Bend upside down and shake out all of the loose ends.”