The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1) by Matthew Newson (moboreader txt) 📕

I wasn’t Ron’s either. Don’t ever refer to yourself or Ron as my friend again. Do you get that?” My anger started to get the best of me.

Joey’s amused expression turned sour in an instant. “Alright Brandon, I’ve humored you enough. Either order something or get the heck out of here. I have a legitimate business to run here with legitimate customers. Besides, don’t you have to catch some cheating spouses? All you can do now is play cop. You can’t really be one.”

Another customer tapped me on the shoulder. “Are you going to order something or are you going to talk all day?”

“Yeah, just one second, sir.” I turned back to Joey. “I need to talk to you for a second.”

“I said order or get out.”

I leaned in close so only Joey could hear me. “I need to talk about the guy who killed, Ron, I think he’s coming after you next.”

A seriousness gripped Joey as all the merriment left his face. “Hey Veronica, will you come here and run the counter for me a moment, sweetheart?”

Joey handed his order book to a girl who looked to be in her mid-twenties, as he motioned with his head for me to follow him. We walked through the main dining area and went to a room in the back that was used for private parties. Joey slid the door shut and pointed at a table for us to sit.

Joey took a seat and placed one hand under the table and got right to business. “Make it quick.”

I kept my hands on the table where he could see them, because I knew he had his other hand on a gun underneath. “Relax Joey, I didn’t kill Ron, and I didn’t come here to kill you either.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, now talk.”

“Alright, the guy who killed Ron...”

“Yeah, some guy dressed to kill wearing a high-end red suit.”

“How did you know that?” I asked.

“I guess the word got out fast in the city, and a lot of people coming in have been talking about it.

“Who’s been talking about it?”

“You’re the detective, figure it out.”

The Amaras still had informants inside the police department, and it could be anyone I talked to or who had read the report. There were a lot of people at Ron’s house the night he was murdered, and one thing I knew was cops liked to talk to each other about cases.

“Look, the guy said he was going after four other targets connected to Ron.”

Joey was quiet for a moment. I figured his next question was if I thought it was the Riccis, but I wasn’t surprised by what he asked me next.

“Why are you telling me, Brandon? What do you get out of this?”

“I just thought I...” I struggled to find the right words to make him believe me.

“You just thought what? That I’d believe you just like that. Come on, Brandon, I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night. You think I’ve forgotten all the threats you made about taking me down, and now you’re here to warn me about a possible hit on me. Let’s be honest, if you were me, wouldn’t you be a little suspicious?”

Then the words hit me like a brick, and my anger matched his own in my response. “That’s exactly why I’m here, Joey, because I want to see you rot in a jail cell and not in the ground for what you’ve done and for all the lives you’ve ruined. Believe me or not, that’s your business. But I’ve seen what this guy can do, and none of it makes sense.”

“I see what you’re doing,” Joey said with a smile. “It’s good, but it won’t work.”

“What’s that?”

“You want me and my friends to take this guy out before he gets you. If this guy is coming for all of Ron’s associates then that means you’re on the list too, right? I imagine the only reason he didn’t kill you that night is because the cops were on their way, and he had to get out before they arrived.”

Apparently, Joey wasn’t as stupid as I originally thought him to be, and maybe there was a part of me that hoped he and the rest of the Amaras could stop Wrath before he got to me.

“That’s not entirely true, Joey.”

“There it is, I knew it, you’re only here to save your own skin. So, this is what I’m going to do for you. I’m going to give you a pass this one time, because I think you’re sincere in warning me about this guy and wanting to save your own worthless life. If it were me, I’d be doing the same thing you’re doing now, but know this, Brandon. If you ever come back in here again, you’re going to see just how much of a life you have left to be ruined. You got that? Now get out of here.”

“I got it,” I said as I headed for the door.

“Hey Brandon, wait a second.”

I turned and faced him, half expecting to see him pull the gun from under the table.

“Do you want to put in a to-go order before you leave? You know, for old time sake? This time I’ll have one of my guys deliver the package to you,” Joey said with a sadistic smile.

I walked out to my car. Part of me hoped Wrath would have shown up in that moment and snapped his neck, or at the very least, visit him soon. Then intense feelings of guilt worked the rest of me over for wanting him to die.

Chapter NineWrath

Joey’s Kitchen

SAFELY CONCEALED IN the spirit realm, Brandon had no idea I watched him as he left Joey’s Kitchen earlier that day in what I had thought to be a failed attempt of warning Joey of my presence.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

About a few minutes after Brandon left, ten men showed up to the restaurant, and the bulge in their coats told me