A Dark and Broken Heart Read Online Free PDF Page A

for her eighteenth. That would knock the shit out of all of them.
    “You as happy as me, man?” Fulton asks.
    “I’m happy,” Madigan says, and then he’s got his money bundled into his duffel. He’s over at the sedan, reaching in through the driver’s side door and retrieving his handgun from the glove box. He tucks it in the back of his pants and straightens his leather jacket. He looks down at his right shoe again. There sure is a hell of a lot of blood. It must have just come spraying up from below as those poor motherfuckers got blasted. Hell of a thing.
    “So you’re dumping the van,” Madigan tells Landry. “Take it a long way away. I’m serious, now. Drive it for sixty, seventy miles upstate. Find some parking garage, somewhere huge that has no security cameras. Just park it in there, wipe it all down, and walk away. Don’t stop on the way, don’t speed, don’t get pinched by the highway patrol, okay?”
    “I know, man. I know. Trust me. I’ve done this before, and I sure as hell mean to do it again.” Landry looks at Madigan like a scolded kid.
    “Good ’nough,” Madigan says.
    Fulton and Williams are standing by the front of the sedan.
    “Guns now, all of them,” Madigan says. “Over there by the wall. I’ll take care of their disposal.”
    The three other men comply, dropping their guns in a pile against the far wall.
    “Ready?” Madigan asks.
    “For some wild-ass party, yeah!” Fulton says.
    Madigan shakes his head. “You go easy, Zeppo,” he says. “Stupidest thing you could do right now is flash that money around the place.”
    Fulton laughs. “Think we can do without the dumb nicknames now. Don’t you?” he says, and there’s something in his eyes.
    Madigan says nothing.
    “I mean, hell, man, we’re all friends here now. Brothers in arms, partners in crime an’ all that shit.” He glances at Landry. “Me an’ Bobby ain’t strangers. We did some work together a little whileback, and this guy over here,” he adds, indicating Williams, “sure wasn’t keeping his name a secret. Were you, Chuck?”
    Williams looks pissed. He shakes his head at Fulton and looks away. He knows Madigan is staring at him, but he can’t face him down. Doesn’t even try.
    “You are full of shit, Zeppo,” Madigan says. “I said what I said, and what I said I meant. Don’t fuck with me—”
    Fulton sneers. “You think I don’t know who you are?”
    Madigan’s eyes widen. This is not what he planned for, not what he expects, not what he needs. He is aware of the .44 in the back of his waistband.
    “Seriously? You think I don’t know about you . . . about who you are, your reputation?”
    “Shut the hell up, will you?” Williams says urgently.
    “Yeah, shut the hell up,” Landry echoes. “We’re done. The whole thing is done. Let’s get out of here right now.”
    Fulton stands his ground. He’s cock of the walk now. He stands straight, like someone jammed a stair rod up his ass.
    “You know who I am?” Madigan asks.
    “Sure as shit stinks, I know who you are,” Fulton replies. “You’re Vincent Mad—”
    Madigan would later marvel at his own speed. He has the .44 in his hand before he is even aware of it himself. The bullet hits Fulton in the stomach.
    Williams and Landry don’t move. The sudden noise, the sight of Fulton looking at his own stomach, the way he just goes on standing there smiling his condescending smile. And then the blood starts coming and he knows he’s in trouble, that it isn’t his imagination. He drops the duffel full of money and clasps his hands to his gut, and he goes on standing there for a good ten seconds before he finally lets out a noise like Neeeuuuggghhh and drops to his knees. Fulton looks up at Madigan. Still the disbelief is there in his eyes. Madigan doesn’t say a word. Fulton’s eyes roll back, and then he falls sideways. His right foot is twitching.
    Williams starts hyperventilating. “Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus. What the