Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
Brew
We didn’t get lucky in Shreveport, but when I got back to the city, Big Papa changed all that.
I often head over to the fighting ring he runs underground, placing a bet or two, and I’ve even joined in a couple of times.
When we were working undercover a couple of years ago for the MC, me and Haze stepped up and joined the ranks.
Like most things to do with violence, I enjoy it. Never lost a fight.
“Picked up one asshole today hittin’ on underage girls in Union Station, thought you might like to deal with him since he threw your name in the ring when we brought him in.”
“My name?” I blanch. “Who the fuck is he?”
“Gareth Brown. Ring any bells?”
I think for a second. “No.”
“Says he served with you.”
“What the fuck?” No guys I served with would try to pick up underage girls, nor would they come into my city using my name like that.
“The crew have been watchin’ him for a while.
Somethin’ was off when he came and put his name in the ring for future fights a few weeks back.
He’s a good fighter, but I don’t trust him.
He’s dirty as fuck. Was braggin’ one night about knowin’ the Nomad Brothers,” he says.
“Now that I think about it, he was probably just shootin’ his mouth off.
I guess he shot his mouth off one too many times. ”
“Where is he now?”
“Still here.”
Finally, some good news.
“Keep him there,” I say.
Big Papa laughs without humor. “Piece of shit asshole thinks we’re fuckin’ friends.
Funny how lowlifes just assume because I do what I do, I’m scum like them.
Thought you might like to question him before my guys do.
He claims he was watchin’ two other guys, won’t talk to me, says he wants to talk to you. ”
This is what Big Papa does, and why he’s respected. He could’ve dealt with it, but he contacted me to make sure I wanted in first. And I do. I definitely fucking do if someone is throwing my hat in the ring for me. Fuck that shit.
“Didn’t realize you were so punctual,” I deadpan.
He grunts. “Well, I know how touchy you get when we act and don’t inform the fucking Nomad Brothers. So consider this your invitation.”
“I’m on my way.”
I don’t bother calling Haze. If I need him, then I’ll make the call.
I don’t involve Logan in much these days unless it’s completely necessary.
He’s a respectable business owner these days.
Even though I almost snort at that notion, I don’t need to include him in every single interrogation.
He already thinks I’m spending way too much time playing vigilante crime fighter.
No need to fuel that fire unnecessarily.
In truth, I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks.
I look down at my phone after I hang up.
Nova
Are you home yet? I’m hungry
Me
Isn’t Haze there?
Nova
I’m at his place but he went out, said he’d be back soon and that was ages ago
Me
Where did he go?
Nova
How should I know? He has nothing good to eat just frozen junk
Nova
Can I DoorDash something?
Me
I’ll do it for you. What do you want?
Nova
Yay, thanks Brewster, I’ll text you my order
Me
Wish you’d stop calling me that
Nova
I helped Erica out today. She’s nice
I frown at my phone. That came out of left field.
Me
I hope you were polite to her. If you piss her off, don’t even think about staying in New Orleans. Good workers are hard to come by
Nova
Keep your pants on. I was nice. Exceptionally friendly
Me
I’ve got some business to attend to. I’ll swing by after that
Nova
Don’t expect your food to be still here
Me
Text me what you want and hurry up about it. I’m busy
I roll my eyes, placing the order with her favorite burger joint as she sends through text message. It’s like babysitting your annoying little sister, who has no money and keeps raiding your wallet, but you don’t have the heart to say no.
I don’t want to give her my credit card, and it’s clear she has no money.
I need to talk to Haze and Logan about what we’re gonna do with her, pronto, and she still needs to call her mother.
When I get to Big Papa’s, not much has changed since I was here last. He bought an abandoned underground subway station and turned it into a business.
Granted, illegal fighting is just that, illegal.
But he also makes sure order is kept in the underworld, and we’d rather have him in charge than the fucking mafia, or criminals without a soul.
At least with Big Papa, he has a moral compass.
In this city, we don’t traffic people. We don’t abuse kids. We don’t allow corruption, and we deliver our own justice. It’s just how it is.
Now we have Cale Callaghan, Stella’s old man, stepping up as the new Mayor of New Orleans, there may be some hope of actually getting somewhere after years of fighting for moral justice. Cleaning up this city of all the scumbags is number one on his priority list, and we second that notion.
While I never really liked the guy — largely due to him being a cop who hated the MC — he’s put his money where his mouth is and started at the top.
Anyone who tosses out the chief of police, politicians, members of the City Council, as well as colleagues he thought were friends. That takes some balls.
When I get downstairs, I head to Big Papa’s office. No doubt this scumbag is tied up somewhere. I give the two goons on the door a chin lift as they let me by. You wouldn’t think a subway station would be as eloquent as it is, but I dig what Big Papa has done with the place since I was here last.
“Classy,” I say, looking around the space.
He’s furnished it with Persian rugs, a huge black pool table, brass candelabras with long, thin candles that make this look like some fucking grotto without the water feature.
He also has artwork hung all around in huge, thick gold frames. They look like they cost a fortune.
“Brew,” he chuckles, happy to see me. The man is called Big Papa for a reason. He’s fucking huge. He’s also about sixty-five years old, white-haired and a grandfather of six. “Long time no see. How’s business?”
“Great,” I say, honestly. “Appreciate all the business you’re sendin’ our way.” The man has sent us so much new clientele, it’s the whole reason we had to hire Erica, and we’re probably due to hire another receptionist to keep up with invoicing and accounts.
Maybe Erica needs a raise…
“Anytime.” He slaps me on the back. “You know I’ve always had a soft spot for you and Haze.”
“Is that because we made you a lot of money when we were stakin’ you out?”
“Precisely,” he grins. His large gold medallion around his neck gleams with tiny little diamonds. “You boys ever want back in, you know where to find me.”
“Will do. Now where the fuck is he?”
“The dungeon,” Big Papa replies. “Where else?”
The dungeon is exactly how it sounds. “He talkin’?”
“Not much. I didn’t wanna fuck him up too much, but if you plan on dismembering him, I’d prefer it if you did it on your own turf.”
I rub my chin. “It’s a little early to decide that yet, but I’ll deal with him.”
He points in my face. “Fine, but you owe me.”
I quirk a brow. “How do you figure that? Not my fault he says he knows me. He was probably just tryin’ to save his own hide.”
“That may be so, but he still deserves to have his spleen removed for tryin’ to grab a twelve-year-old, no matter what his excuse is. Just let me have him when you’re done.”
Of course, I can’t promise that, but I give him a chin lift. “I’ll try my best.”
He snorts, then we head out of the office and across the far side of the room.
I ignore the screaming from the fight, and the people yelling all around me. I ignore the interested eyes from women as I pass by. When I’m on a mission, nothing else matters.
When I get into the darkened room, the asshole has the audacity to look relieved.
I don’t know him from Adam, and it makes me all the more angry he’d involve me in this sick, twisted game of his. Whatever that may be.
“Speak,” I bark.
He grips the edge of the metal bars; Big Papa had a cell fitted for occasions like this. I’ve gotta hand it to the man; he’s thought of everything.
He looks kinda dumbstruck. He’s shorter than me, wide-set but nothing I can’t handle.
Question is, why was he hanging around asking about fighting, and then pulling some sick shit at Union Station? It makes no sense. What if Big Papa hadn’t followed him? What then? Why are there so many sick fucks around?
“I- I didn’t do what they said.”
“No? You didn’t try to snatch a kid out in broad daylight?”
“Wasn’t like that,” he stammers. “I’ve got a daughter—”
“What the fuck are you doin’ here, and why do you think you know me?”
He better start talking or this is gonna get old fast.
“I— we served in the same division.”
“That’s fuckin’ funny because I’ve never heard of you. You sure you’re not just throwin’ names around to get favor with Big Papa?”
He shakes his head. “N-no.”
“What division was that?”
“Green Berets. I was Delta Force.”
Anybody could walk in here and spin that shit.
“So? What the fuck do you want?”
“I just wanted to fight. I’m broke after my business failed. Someone said I should talk to Brew, I admit, I shot my mouth off.”
“Why did you try to snatch a kid?”
“Just like I told Big Papa. It wasn’t me who’s the creep, it was the other guys hangin’ around there.”
“What other guys?”
“I’ll get to that.”
I move closer to the bars. “Don’t ever fuckin’ drop my name unless you’re ready to bleed.”
He swallows hard. “Let me explain, then you’ll see this is all backwards.”
“And why would I do that? Got dragged all the way out here after a very long day,” I say. Only now am I feeling just how tired I am. I want to go home, have a shower, and relax. I don’t want to be in this shithole.
“I know about The Grid, that’s why I wanted to see you. I know about what you do.”
I stop in my tracks. “What did you just say?”
“I tried to explain it to Big Papa’s men, but they didn’t wanna hear it.” His voice lowers. “I know about all of it.”
“You better start spillin’, asshole, because you’re about ten seconds away from losin’ a limb.”
“I came here because I heard you were the guy to talk to, you and your brother.”
I shift on my feet, ready to reach in through the bars and smack his face against the metal. “So you thought you’d come around here instead of seeking me out personally?”
He shrugs. “Have you met you? I knew this would happen, so I was tryin’ to keep a low profile. Work out who I could trust before I made a move. They have no clue what happened at the station because the two goons following me didn’t see what I saw.”
“You’re not makin’ any sense,” I say. “And I’m tired of listenin’. Times up.”
“I know where two of The Grid’s scouts live, they were at the train station that day. I intercepted an abduction, you can watch the security footage back, I’m sure you know how to get your hands on it.”
“First you have a daughter, now you saved the day?”
“I do have a daughter,” he says. “That wasn’t a lie.”
“The Grid. They’re here in the city?”
He gives me a condescending look. “Were they ever really gone?” He’s got a point, but that doesn’t mean I trust him. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll decide what happens next.”
“Sure you don’t wanna pull up a pew?” He nods behind me.
“Been sittin’ all day. Now tell me what you know about The Grid, and if you’re wastin’ my time, asshole, I’ll make sure you disappear for good.”