When the Devil Comes to Call (A Lars and Shaine Novel Book 2) by Eric Beetner

her put that week of violence and death into a box like a rented movie and not take it out again. But now Lars had brought her directly into the sequel.
    He knew he should have left her at home. She’d proven herself capable of dealing with an intruder, but when she needed to be able to step up with Mrs. Ramoni, she froze. She wasn’t ready, which meant he hadn’t prepared her. But he wasn’t trying to. Lars started to get angry at himself for leaving her in a limbo state of knowing how to use a gun, right up until it’s pointed at someone. She lived in a paper target world. Maybe he needed to show her everything.
    But then she’d be as cold as him. No, nothing about this felt right. There was no resolution, no satisfaction. Had he really changed so much?
    “You’re bleeding,” she said.
    Lars turned to her. Shaine reached out and touched the fabric of his sleeve right below the shoulder. Three spots of blood stained the shirt over three tiny holes. Buckshot. He didn’t even feel the cuts.
    “It’s fine.”
    Shaine turned back to her fogged-over window. “Is that what it’s like? The job.”
    Oh, Jesus, the kid and her questions. “No,” Lars said. “That’s not how it’s supposed to go.”
    “But you got him, right?”
    There was a reason he sent her out of the room before. He didn’t want her to have to confront certain aspects of the job. Like the killing part. “Yeah. I got him. But still, not the way I should have.”
    “Is it because I was there?”
    Lars wanted to change the subject. Things were getting a bit too personal in the confines of a small car. Sorry had always been one of his least favorite words. Probably from the years of listening to guys plead for their lives telling Lars to tell Nikki they were sorry.
    Lars handed his phone to Shaine. “Can you figure out how to call Nikki on this thing?”
    Shaine sighed. Lars had grown accustomed to the sound, the slight exasperation at his constant battle with technology. She knew he knew how to work more gadgets than he admitted to, and he knew it too. Still, handing her the phone would get them onto a different subject.
    She handed it back to him, ringing. Shaine sat in silence and listened to Lars.
     
    ***
     
    Normally Nikki would answer a phone call at this hour with a string of obscenities for the caller, but this time he knew it was Lars.
    “It’s done,” Lars told him.
    “I knew I made the right call to bring you in.”
    “It got a little messy.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “There were collaterals.”
    Shit. But Nikki wasn’t about to start picking over the details of the last hit he’d ever order. With Leo out of the way, his plans could go forward. Deals could be finalized. The looming prison doors would close while he still stood on the outside.
    “Don’t sweat it. What’s done is done. I’d thank you, but I think the money I’m transferring into your account will say it better than I could.” Nikki chuckled. Lars did not. “You at the hotel yet?”
    “Almost.”
    “Nice place. Enjoy. You need a girl, I’ll have one sent up.”
    “No, thanks.”
    Nikki felt like a heel. The whole night Lars must have been brooding over the girl, Lenore. Nikki forgot about the bait he used to get Lars here, only focused on his own reasons for wanting Leo gone.
    “Did he admit it?” Nikki asked. “About Lenore.”
    “Yeah. After a bit.”
    “Do they ever come clean right out of the gate?”
    “Guess not. I wouldn’t.”
    “I guess you’re right. But you got him. You got the man who did it. Gave him what he deserved.”
    Lars remained silent.
    “Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
    Nikki hung up then flipped through a small notepad on his desk. He found a phone number. No name beside it, no initials, only digits. He called.
    Qualls answered, sleep masking his annoyance. “Yeah?”
    “So how do we do this?”
    “Nikki?” Qualls came awake in an instant. “How did you get this number?”
    “You can get my number, I