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Back Blood in the Water Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. Praise for Blood in the Water
  81. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  82. Newsletter Sign-up

Cormack pulled his fist back and punched Buddy in the face. The young man was out before he hit the ground. Cormack looked at him lying on the cement and considered his options. The thought of Buddy defiling his daughter kept running through his mind, and he wondered whether he would ever get past it. He aimed his gun twice toward Buddy’s unconscious head before putting the gun away and turning around and heading back toward the staircase up to his office.

“You want me to take care of him, boss?” Cicero called after him.

Cormack paused. “No, Cicero. He’s not working with Soh, and he didn’t betray me. At least not in that way.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, I can’t kill him. He’s going to be the father of my grandchild—if we can get Diamond back. I’ve got to reach out to get some help.” Cormack continued on, walking up the staircase without another word.

Cicero looked at Buddy Cavanaugh’s unconscious body splayed out on the cement floor. “Fuck me,” he said. Then he reached down to gather him up and try to revive him.

FORTY-FOUR

She met him on the boardwalk that ringed Pleasure Bay, just to the south of Castle Island, where generations of Boston’s working class came to sun themselves during the summer. The beach carved a perfect semicircle from Fort Independence to UMass, Boston, and the waters were protected by the Harbor Islands. The James Curley Recreational Center and Bathhouse separated the boardwalk from the bustle of South Boston’s residential neighborhood, only a few blocks from Cormack’s home on L Street. It was huge, and ornate, and a testament to one of Boston’s most popular and corrupt mayors from the last century. From June to September the place was awash with sunbathers and swimmers, and those who came down just to take in the sights or walk out to the fort.

On this day, though, there was no one else there. The bathhouse was locked tight, and the wind off the water made it feel like it was ten below.