Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake

I watched her fall under a trance caused by the shock of what happened. My coin flipped through my fingers as I tried to think of all the ways I could deal with Jacob and his men. We lived in a ruthless world cloaked in power and money. The fight to stay on top came with a price, and many sacrifices had to be made, but this one went too far. My phone lit up and showed only a number. It was the room number next to ours. Slipping on my suit jacket, I found Vinni at the door. His nod reassured me he wouldn’t leave her side.

Plastic sheeting was a staple in our world. You never knew when a soul would be bought, or blood would be shed. The furniture had been pushed aside, and in the center of the room was one of Jacob’s men tied to a chair, his face sweaty and pale. I recognized him as one of the bodyguards. I stepped on the plastic that covered the floor and made my way over to the chair facing him. I made a show as I slowly unbuttoned my jacket and eased myself onto the chair.

“Typically, I would have ordered my men to dispose of you like the trash you are.” I plucked a piece of lint from the sleeve of my jacket. Each movement I made was deliberate, making him sweat what was coming. “But you have something I want.”

“Which is?” he snarled at me.

“Information.”

“I know nothing.”

“On the contrary, you do.” I changed my tone, hating that Sienna lay next door without me. “I know you knew the contract was dirty. I know that Jacob is working with someone, and you’re going to tell me who.”

“The hell I am, you asshole fool.”

I winced and glanced at Niccola, who shook his head at the idiot in front of me. Words were powerful in our business. They were a representation of how we were perceived and how we expected to be treated in return. These men were dirty, foul-mouthed businessmen. Their lack of class was painfully obvious.

“Well,” I held out my hand, and Niccola handed me a steak knife, “my men tell me you are a fan of playing football. It would be a shame to see you have to take the season off.” His gaze shot down to the knife.

“I’m no snitch.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but…” In a quick jolt forward, I jammed the knife into the side of his knee and leaned back as he screamed and bucked against the ropes that held him in the chair. “This situation can very easily be avoided,” I used my handkerchief to remove the blood from the blade, “with a simple answer. Who is Jacob working for?”

Sweat rolled down his forehead, and his face turned a dangerous shade of red.

“No doubt your heart is now pumping overtime, therefore sending massive amounts of blood to your wound.” I pointed to one of my men who was holding a roll of gauze. “We always have options in life, so choose yours now.”

“Screw you.”

I shook my head, unimpressed with his decision, and reached toward the man on my right. He immediately stepped forward with a pair of shears in his hand. He grabbed hold of two of the bodyguard’s fingers, ready to cut.

“No, no, no!” He bucked, and I held up a finger to pause my man momentarily.

“I’m listening.”

He screamed. He knew I wasn’t messing around. “I don’t know everything,” he tried to catch his breath through his pain, “but what I do know is that he had a meeting with someone three weeks ago and came back saying there was a change in plans. He needed to change the contract because we were working with another side.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know!” His chest heaved, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he began to lose consciousness. My man slapped his face, bringing him back to us.

“Again,” I repeated, “what does that mean?”

“Ah…” He blinked like he was trying to clear his thoughts.

I grew annoyed and tried a different angle. “Was it Stefano Coppola?”

“Who?” He seemed generally confused, and that instantly made me wonder what in the hell was brewing behind the scenes that I wasn’t aware of.

“Enough of this.” I stood and buttoned my jacket. “Carve an E in his chest, film it, and dump him where he can be found.”

I headed back to my room, my mind in turmoil. I needed sleep.

To say I was on edge would be an understatement, and I knew Sienna had keyed in to my mood on the way down to the car in the morning. I must have touched the handle of my gun at least sixty times on the way from the hotel to JFK where my private plane awaited us. Normally, I’d stay in New York and finish off Jacob, but Papa felt strongly that we should return. It wasn’t until we were in the air that I was able to take a full breath and relax a little.

Sienna had admitted to very little sleep at all last night and was curled up on the couch in the back and had finally passed out. I noticed Wyatt seemed uneasy, and I took pity on him. Though I knew I should be working out the schedule of what needed to be done over the next few days with my cousins, I joined him instead, deciding he and I should have the talk now before the wheels hit the tarmac at home.

“Do you need anything?” I signaled for the flight attendant to bring my usual.

“I’ll have whatever you're having. I could use something to take the edge of the last twenty-four hours.” He gave a dry laugh.

“Two, please, Rita,” I said softly, not wanting to wake Sienna where she slept only a few feet from us. I leaned back, stretched out, and tried to seem less intimating. It was important for me to know exactly how much her best friend knew about me. “I bet you have some questions for me.”

“I do.” He nodded. “Am I allowed to ask them?”

“Of course.”

“Okay,” he rubbed his lips while he thought, “I’m known to be blunt.”

“So am I.”

“You lived in Sicily and met Sienna when she was young.” I nodded. “And your family is part of the mafia?”

“Head of our syndicate, yes.” I took the drink from Rita.

“Wow.” He set his drink on the table, using the napkin as a coaster. “And she never knew?”

“No.”

“And now you live in Montepulciano, and you also are one of the Santoro brothers.”

I shifted, uncomfortable with him knowing such an intimate detail about me. “That’s correct.”

“Jesus.” He let out a nervous laugh. “You watch the movies, you know it happens but never hear anything concrete. I sure didn’t see that coming.”

“Has she told you anything else?”

“She tells me everything.” He shrugged.

“I suspected so.” I sipped my sidecar, thinking. “My turn. When did you and Sienna meet?”

“At a bar I was working at. She’d come in from time to time to eat, and I could tell she just needed someone to talk to, so I became that for her. A friend. Turned out she was living in a room she rented from an old lady, but the lady’s granddaughter needed the room, and she had to be out by that weekend. She just had a few personal belongings, and I told her I had room and could use a roommate, at least until she could get her feet back on the ground.”

“That was very nice of you.”

“It’s not what you think.”

He misread my mind, but I was curious to see what he was going to say.

“I left everything to come to Italy. I wanted a change after my mom died. My dad and I were always on opposite sides of everything and argued a lot. I got a shitty job at a bar, but I had no one and had always been a little confused about myself.” He hesitated. “Perhaps I still am, but Sienna sees past all that. She doesn’t care. She sees me for me.”

“She’s never been one to judge,” I added to his compliment. “And for what it’s worth,” I took a deep breath and let him see inside me a little, “I left because I thought it was the right thing to do. I know now I was wrong, but now, more than ever, I’m concerned for her. Being with me and in my life puts a target on her back.”

“You really care for her.”

“No, Wyatt,” I leaned forward, “I really love her. No matter how many times I tried to move on and live without her, I couldn’t. I missed her every day, and now that she’s back in my life, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe.”

“I can sincerely see that.” He glanced over at her. “So, what about the guy who did that to her arm?”

My blood ran cold, and I felt my temper rise. “He’ll be dealt with.”

“Good. Let me know if you need any help.” I smiled and appreciated his offer to help protect her. He seemed very genuine, and I felt she was in good hands with him. “She mentioned something about not being able to go home.”

“That’s right, she didn’t tell you about what happened at the dockyard?” He shook his head, waiting. “Well, she saw something she shouldn’t have, and now her face has been seen by someone dangerous. I hate to say this, but you also walked in on something you shouldn’t have been a party to, and your face has been seen by someone dangerous as well.”

“What? When?” His eyes shifted from side to side as he tried to remember. “Oh, my God, at the restaurant when I walked up to the table, is that the same guy who cut her?”

“Yes, so you will need to stay at my place where you will be protected until I figure this out.”

“What about my things and my job?” His face showed his confusion at the sudden turn of events.

“I will have someone drive you to get your things. As for your job, I’m sure we can provide you with enough stories to keep your boss happy.”

“Shit.” He leaned back in his seat and let it all sink in.

I felt for him and the sudden change in his life. I wasn’t sure how I would cope with all this if I was in his place.

“I never meant for any of this to happen. I’m still trying to understand it all myself. There seems to be something more going on than I know. I’ll get to the bottom of it soon, and we can get your life back on track, but in the meantime…” I shrugged as if to say it is what it is.

“I appreciate your honesty on everything.” He gave me a glance. “How is it I know nothing about the mafia? You never make it into the newspapers or any TV headlines.”

“We never do any business in public. Ever.”

We both settled into our seats and let the hum of the engine fill the silence. I mulled over our conversation, making a mental note to have someone watch over Wyatt when he was out on his own. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smirk, then when I looked over at him, he chuckled.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “I guess it’s weird being here, with a drink in hand, you know, chillin’ with a villain’.”

I laughed into my glass and went back to my emails.

After a bit, Vinni gave a soft whistle to get my attention and waved me over. I leaned over and gently kissed Sienna on the forehead, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

“For years,” Wyatt stood next to me, “that girl cried for you every day, and if she wasn’t in tears, she’d often slip into a memory and tell me about it. Anything to find a moment of happiness.” His eyes grew glossy. “Never once did she ever say anything bad about you or your family. I feel that really says a lot about what you used to have. I don’t know what your world is like now, but if it’s anything like I’m imagining, please don’t hurt her again, because I’m not sure I can put her back together.”

“I’m not going to let anything hurt her,” I promised, and I knew he believed me because he held out his hand and we shook on it. A man should keep his word, and that was exactly what I was going to do, no matter what the cost. With that, I joined my cousins.

Over the next two days, Vinni moved Wyatt’s and Sienna’s belongings to my parents’ house, and they settled in. Mama was beside herself with excitement to have them there, while I paced my office trying to figure out where the hell Mariano had raced off to just before we arrived home.

Sienna seemed to be avoiding me while she digested everything that happened, which was hard to wrap my head around because I was used to having her again.

“Elio?” Francesco stood in the doorway of my office. “Everyone is about to leave for the church luncheon. They’re leaving in fifteen. Did you still want to attend?”

I rested my elbows on the back of the chair and covered my face. I knew how important it was that the family was seen at these community events. We needed to show to our support, but I had so much on my mind.

“I know it’s bad timing, but we haven’t been out as a group in a very long time. It’ll do us some good.” When I didn’t answer, he continued. “Sienna is going.” He grinned and wiggled his brows at me when I looked up.

I rolled my eyes back at him and reached back for my phone. “Give me a few minutes to change, and I’ll meet you out front.”

I changed into my black Paul Stuart suit and slipped a gray and black silk handkerchief in my breast pocket. I wasn’t feeling it, but I knew I needed to dress up when I was in front of the public. It was no secret to the town who we were and what we did, but we were respected because we never hurt those who didn’t deserve it. Plus, we poured a lot of our oil revenue into the small businesses around the town, and in turn they grew deep roots to grow and expand.

Squinting at the sunlight as I opened the front door, I slipped on my Cartier sunglasses then stopped when I saw Francesco, Wyatt, and Sienna in the driveway, all studying me.

“Great,” Wyatt tossed his hands up, “now I feel underdressed.”

“Ready?” I smirked at her best friend, who turned out to be pretty funny at times.

“Is that a Paul Stuart?” Wyatt whispered enviously to Sienna, and she gave him a nod.

I opened the door for her, and she slipped inside, tucking her gorgeous black leather skirt down as she wiggled into the seat.

“Vinni, no stops. There and back.”

“You got it.” He settled into the driver’s seat, and I nodded to Francesco, and he joined Vinni up front. I might not have been in the mood for an outing, but I knew appearances were everything, and I was going to act like all was well with our world. I knew I needed to find out what Stefano was up to, and I would soon figure it out. Even more than that, I needed Mariano to come the hell home. He had a lot of shit to answer for.

I joined the others in the back of the car and signaled to Vinni to get moving. Once we were out of the driveaway, we waited for bodyguards to catch up, and we drove three cars deep into town.

“How’s the arm?” I peered down at Sienna’s skin-colored bandage.

“Better.” She ran her fingers gently down the length of it.

“Have you shared that you’re not sleeping at night?” Wyatt asked.

“Wyatt, stop,” she snapped.

I turned to move my arm to wrap around the back of the seat. “You’re not sleeping?”

“I am.”

“She’s not.” Wyatt shook his head. “You never lie to the mafia, Sienna.”

I smirked at his comment, and she elbowed him. I would address the sleeping matter later. Right now, I just wanted them to enjoy themselves a little. It might be fun to show them what our small town could offer. I sat back. Maybe this would be just what we all needed.

“We got company, boss,” Vinni called, and I saw the police were waving us over.

“Pull over,” I ordered. I noted that our other cars had followed and pulled over as well. I knew my men would sit tight and wait for my instructions.

“Oh, shit, what did we do?” Wyatt sounded panicked as he pulled out his wallet and removed his ID. I rolled down my window as the officer approached Vinni’s window.

As soon as he saw my face, he stood straighter and moved his hand off his weapon.

“Forgive me, Mr. Capri. We’ve had a few problems lately, and we are told to check any and all vehicles.”

“Not a problem. You’re just doing your job. You have a good day.”

“You as well, sir.”

I rolled the window up and signaled for Vinni to get moving.

“Just like that?” Sienna shook her head as though she was blown away the police knew about my family.

“We donate a lot to the police department,” I explained.

“It’s like riding with John Gotti,” Wyatt said. “You never actually hear about this kind of stuff happening, but you know it does.” His nervous laugh turned into a cough.

“You watch too many American movies.” Sienna laughed.

“You doubt my movie watching, but wasn’t it you who used that good comeback with the guy holding the gun at Mariano’s?”

She really did share everything with him.

“Yeah, and almost got my head blown off because of it.”

“What about the time Renzo came to see you when you were living on the streets?”

That caught my attention. I glanced down at her and wondered why the hell that one was never mentioned before.

“She took a pipe to his knee,” Wyatt bragged.

“What?” I looked hard at Sienna.

“It was self-defense, use whatever means necessary.” She shrugged.

“What happened to Renzo after that?”

“Don’t know.” She shrugged again. “A man walked into the alley just after I hit him and spooked him enough to run. Last I saw, the guy was chasing him, and I bolted in the opposite direction. Never saw him again.”

I wondered if that was one of Francesco’s men. I leaned on the armrest, and something she said the other day at the graveyard hit me. She had used the word “weapon,” not “gun.” There was a lot to learn about this new Sienna.

“What?” Her eyes pried into mine.

“I’m just impressed. He deserved it.”

“He did.” She settled into her seat but still glared at Wyatt, but her friend seemed totally unfazed. I was pleased to see that she had someone in her life who challenged her and loved her enough to out her truths.

The church fundraiser was just as it was every year, band playing in the center of town, baked goods for sale, and homemade crafts donated by the same ladies who also made blankets for the local hospital.

“Elio Capri.” The minister came over and greeted me and my entourage. “Thank you for coming. I was just speaking to your parents. It’s wonderful to see you all looking so well.”

“We wouldn’t miss it.” I scanned the faces, making sure we wouldn’t stumble upon any unwelcome company. “I would like you to meet my friends, Sienna and Wyatt.” I left out their last names on purpose.

While the minister chatted with Sienna and Wyatt, I stepped away and walked among the tables, making sure to speak to as many people as I could. Some of the women flirted with me, and I shot them a charming smile then moved quickly on to avoid conversation. Others were nervous and tried not to make eye contact.

“Lemonade?” A little girl tugged on my pant leg and held up a half-full cup of juice.

When she stepped forward, it sloshed on my shoe, and her mother popped out of nowhere spewing apologies.

“Sorry,” the child said as her cheeks grew red and her eyes grew glossy at her mother’s fussing.

I bent down and took the cup she still held and smiled. “I would love to buy one. How much?”

“Oh, no, please.” Her mother frantically tried to get her friend’s attention. “Let me get you a napkin for your shoe.”

“I’m fine.” I waved her off. “Nothing is free, now, is it?” I said to the child and pulled out twenty euros and handed it to her. I made a show to take a sip of the incredibly sour brew. “That,” I tried to hide my face with my hand, “has a good bite to it.”

“I made it myself.”

“I bet you did, and that’s impressive. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled and raced back over to her table.

Francesco smirked when I stood and turned around. “She got me last year, so it was only fair that you took one for the family.”

“Thanks,” I laughed, and we continued wishing everyone a good day.

“At least your good deed didn’t go unnoticed.” He gave a slight nod over to Sienna, who was watching us. I immediately twitched in her direction, drawn by her smile. Her expression changed suddenly, so I followed her line of sight.

“Well, look who finally decided to join the family,” Francesco muttered.

“There’s my girl!” Mariano scooped up Sienna and whirled her around. When he placed her back down, he grabbed her face, but she pulled away, and I saw red.

“Mariano,” she hit his arm, “have a little respect for where we are.”

Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him.

“Do you want to hurt him or shall I?” Papa appeared at my side.

“We could make it a family affair,” Francesco huffed as he devoured something chocolate.

I reached behind me under my coat and discreetly handed Papa my gun. “I don’t trust myself right now.”

“Wise choice.”

Making my way over to them, I felt my mouth go dry and my fists clench. Sienna caught wind of me first, and I could see the concern on her face.

“Mariano, a word.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her back against him. He leaned down and whispered loudly, “Be good. The boss is here.”

“Mariano.” I wasn’t in the mood.

“All right,” he sighed and kissed her on the cheek. I wanted to rub it away and replace it with one of my own.

I started walking, and he followed as he started to bring up something from last weekend, and it took all I had not to snap.

“Listen.” I turned once we were deep into the church parking lot. “I want to know what is going on with you. You’ve been missing meetings, not showing up at the dockyard, and Niccola said you didn’t even show up for a hit, one you definitely should have looked after yourself.”

“Sorry.” His defenses went up. “I’ve just been trying to figure out what’s been going on with me, too.”

“Meaning?”

“Look.” He tucked his hands into his suit pockets and grinned at me. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t see it coming, but I think I’m falling in love.”

I swallowed down my desire to hurt him.

“Falling in love with whom?”

“Sienna.” He covered his mouth, and his face lit up even more. It was the same expression I carried when I was twenty.

Shit.

“I never thought I would fall in love with someone. I mean nothing’s happened, but damn, Elio, she makes me feel alive.” His eyes danced wildly. “I tried understanding it, and that’s why I went away after she got angry with me about something I did for her.” I opened my mouth to rip him a new one but stopped myself. I wasn’t sure why, but my gut told me to stay quiet…for now, at least. “I just drove and drove and slept in my car. I ended up calling Pauly.”

“You called Pauly Milani?” The Milanis were a southern syndicate whose territory was in danger of being absorbed by the Coppola family. I knew Mariano was friends with Pauly, their son, but he had been warned many times not too share too much. Last I heard, Domenico Milani and his family were keeping a very low profile. Once again, Mariano was revealing his recklessness. “Tell me you didn’t share anything.”

“No,” he waved me off as if he didn’t really hear me, “I just needed time to work on me, and the only conclusion I came up with was…” He held my attention as I begged a higher power for him not to finish the sentence. “I’m in love, and I want her to be mine.”

I blinked back at him, unable to speak, while my inner voice screamed at me to tell him she wasn’t his and never would be. Just as I was about to protest, Stefano’s face popped up in my head, reminding me that he was on to her.

“As great as that is, Mariano,” I gritted through my teeth, “work comes first, and we apparently have a lot to discuss in that area.”

“Like?” He seemed genuinely confused, which only further pissed me off.

“Like why did you take Sienna to the dockyard when you first brought her here? And how could you not have mentioned that she witnessed a murder?”

“I had it under control.” He shrugged.

“How about the fact you introduced her to The Finder or Tieri Santoro?” I folded my arms in fear I’d throw a punch.

“She was going to leave. I needed something for her to stay. I needed more time to figure out what the hell I was feeling.” He completely missed my murderous tone. “Elio, love makes you do crazy things, and I know it was a little risky, but I was there with her the entire time. I wish you could have seen her excitement when I pitched the idea to her. It brought down some of her barriers, I can tell you. She isn’t good at letting people in.” He chuckled.

“Is that why she left for Mama’s afterward?” I asked sardonically.

“It was a bump in the road, but we’ll get past it.” He gave me one of his cocky smiles, and I wondered if he was on something, because he was certainly delusional. “She didn’t run when I saw her today, did she?”

Breathe.

“I’m sorry you’re pissed at me. I see that vein in your forehead ticking to your heartbeat, but,” he held up his arms and grinned wider, “I’m back, feeling a hundred percent, and I’m willing to do whatever it is you need from me.”

I stopped myself from falling back to my normal habit of letting his shit go then giving him my typical debrief of what had been happening. Instead, I rolled my wrist and checked the time.

“I need papers from the dockyard.”

“Actually,” he pressed his lips together, and I knew this would be my last straw, “any chance I could have the night off? I want to take Sienna to dinner. I have a surprise for her.”

At that very moment, I was glad my gun wasn’t in my procession.

“Cazzo,” I spat at him and turned away. He still didn’t recognize his duty to the family. “I’ll do it my goddamn self!”

Storming past some of the locals, I attempted to curb my anger, but it was no use.

“You look like you could murder someone.” Vinni tried to read my mind.

“Keys.” I held out my hand to Vinni, and he suddenly looked very nervous.

“I’ll drive, you just tell me where.”

“Dockyard.” I swung my murderous gaze toward my father, and he handed me my gun.

He stepped close and lowered his voice. “I’m not sure what’s going on here, son, but don’t let Mariano make you do something you will regret later.”

“Watch her for me.”

“I will.”

I signaled for my cousins to follow me, and we headed over to the car.

“Elio,” Sienna stepped in our path, “what’s wrong?”

“Go find my father. He’ll take you home.”

“Elio,” she snapped, and I had to remember she wasn’t the one I was angry with.

I moved closer and whispered, “I’m sorry, but I have to go grab some papers from the dockyard. When it’s time to go home, go with my parents.”

“I will. But…” She grabbed my arm, and I looked over her head and saw Mariano watching us. I carefully removed her hand, not wanting Mariano to see she could get away with such behavior. “Whatever you’re doing, just be careful, okay?”

I gave a tight nod and left.

Ten minutes into the drive, Vinni answered a call, and I caught his gaze in the rearview mirror.

“What?”

“We have to make a pit stop.”

I cursed under my breath and wondered what the hell happened now. We turned down the old road that that led to my uncle’s villa. The place sat near the edge of a cliff and was surrounded by an electric fence with multiple guards. We had our reasons to be paranoid, and my uncle spent good money on protecting the business. Seven years ago, the property was turned over for a place of business but still disguised as a summer home.

We parked in front of the giant maze my aunt had designed years ago. It was an amazing thing, and I had taken it over for my own personal use. Fifteen-foot-high hedges were placed on sliders that could be rotated to change up the pathways to vary the route. Red roses grew throughout the lush brush, masking any smell that might arise. It was incredible, but best of all, it was designed to be inescapable. I loved it, and it was the one place I enjoyed playing.

“Donatello found two of Stefano’s soldiers sniffing around the dockyard this morning,” Vinni said as he stepped out of the car. He then opened my door. “He figured you might like to conduct your business here this time.”

“Excellent decision.” I buttoned my jacket and headed toward the opening of the maze, but not before I felt my Nonna on the balcony looking down at us. Nonna was my father’s mama and hadn’t left the property in over ten years for reasons that were best left untold. She gave me a nod then drew a cross over her chest as if to bless the work I was about to do.

Making my way along the path to where it widened, I found them and nodded at Donatello that he had done well.

“Boss,” he greeted me and smiled down at the two men who were blindfolded in front of him. Niccola came up and handed me the iPad that controlled the maze. With three little taps, I turned it to level C, advanced. Both men jumped when the sliders started to move the walls around us. Their heads moved about as they tried to understand what was happening. We were in the center of the puzzle, the one place that never changed. It was where the master motor sat like a spider with arms. It was a fascinating design and one I knew my clever aunt never thought we would ever use in this way.

I waved for the blindfolds to be removed. The young men blinked and froze when they spotted me. Fear washed over their faces as the shakes set in.

“Who wants to be my informant?” I jumped right in, not having the time for bullshit.

“We’re loyal, sir.” One of the guys puffed his chest. “We stand behind the Coppola name.”

“You’re soldiers who apparently mean very little to the Coppola family, because here you are on my territory, and,” I made a motion of listening, “you’ve been missing for some time now, and it appears no one is coming for you.”

“They will come for us.” His voice was hopeful as he looked to his friend for support, but the friend looked to be in shock, so there was little help there.

I rolled my wrist to glance at my watch. We needed to get this rolling. Although I did enjoy these games, I had a tight schedule to keep.

“I’ll tell you what,” I motioned for Donatello to cut them loose, but they stayed on their knees, unsure what I was about to do, “whoever makes it out of the maze first can go home,” I shrugged calmly, “and the other will be my informant. May the best man win.”

“What?” Both men blinked up at me.

“Run.”