Chapter 3
KLAUS
“What the hell is this?” I demanded, staring down at Ryder’s resignation letter from my security company.
“My resignation. Effective immediately,” he said in a monotone.
I frowned. “I don’t understand. Do I need to pay you more? We can increase your salary. I’ll talk to Anson—”
“It’s not about the money. The money is fine. I’d do it for free if it came down to it.”
“Then what’s the damn problem?” I sat at the edge of my desk in my apartment and stared at him.
“I fucked up. I shouldn’t be in a position like this. I realized I’m not good at it—”
“Respectfully, Ryder, shut the fuck up.” I held my hand up to him. “I’m not accepting this letter. I’ll move you somewhere else, but you’re not quitting. You’re one of my best men.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Your girl is missing because of my failure. I’d hardly call me one of the best, and if I am? You need to evaluate your staff.”
I sighed. “What happened with Rosalie wasn’t your fault—”
“Then whose fault was it?” he demanded. “Huh? Because I was in charge, and now she’s fucking gone. Your girl is gone. She might be being tortured and shrieking for you right fucking now. She might even be dead.” His bottom lip trembled. “That’s on me.”
I looked away from him. He was right. Those things could be happening to her, but I didn’t blame him. I’d been in enough scraps in my life to know shit didn’t always go to plan. Rosalie’s being gone was slowly killing me, but I in no way blamed him.
“I’m not accepting this,” I said, nodding to the letter on my desk. “I’ll transfer you if you need to be transferred, but that’s all you’ll get from me.”
“Fine. Transfer me,” he said softly. “I don’t want to work with Rosalie anymore. If there even is still a Rosalie.”
I ground my teeth at his trembling words, but nodded.
I went to my seat and checked my computer.
I had quite a lot of clients needing my services.
I found one in New York City that could use someone like him.
Quickly, I set everything up as he sat in front of me, staring at a wall, a muscle thrumming along his jaw.
I printed out the necessary documents and stuffed them into an envelope.
“Here.” I handed them to him. “New York City. Your flight is booked. You leave in the morning. You’ll be staying at one of my places.
The code for the door is in there. Everything you need is enclosed.
Client’s name is Trevor Rinaldo. He needs someone to watch his back every now and then. Not a hard job.”
He grunted at that and took the packet from me. I watched him stand.
“We’ll miss you,” I said softly.
“I’ll miss you guys too,” he mumbled before turning to walk away from me. I let him go because what the hell else could I do?
Anson would likely kill me, but if he needed to be transferred, so be it. It beat losing him completely.
I never thought I’d say it, but I was tired of beating people up.
“You’re bored,” Evan commented as I threw the brick aside, the dead man still twitching a little.
I wiped the blood off my face. “Yeah. I’m bored. I’m tired of dead ends. If nothing else, Dante should put us on his fucking payroll because we’re cleaning up a lot of scrubs.”
“Or Enzo and Dom should,” Evan said as he pulled his phone out to call Church for a cleanup.
I grunted. “I think we’ve done all we can do here. I hate to admit it, but I really don’t think she’s here.”
Evan said nothing as he stared at the wall. Finally, he nodded and left the warehouse. I followed him out and caught him by the shoulder.
“I didn’t say it to be a dick,” I started.
“I know,” he said. “I know you didn’t. I just hate that I think you’re right. But if she’s not here, then where? The world is a really big fucking place, man.”
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I think we need to maybe talk to Asylum.”
“Why would he not give the information to Dante?” Evan frowned. “Dante will kill him if he withholds information.”
“You know how Asylum is. He lets things play out. Even if he told us she’s safe wherever she is, I’d rest a little easier.”
Evan grunted before leaning against the car. “Ryder leaves in the morning.”
“I know.”
“Why are you letting him go?”
“It was either that or he said he’d quit.”
“You do know why he’s upset, right? I mean, aside from the obvious?”
“He loves her,” I murmured. “He fell for her. I noticed sometime late last year that he was watching her more. He didn’t need to hang out at our place. Sure, we’re all friends, and he and Anson are tight, but we gave him his own room. He has his own place. So yeah, I figured it out.”
“I don’t think Anson has,” Evan said.
“Probably a good thing.” I rubbed my eyes. “You got a smoke on you?”
“Yeah, man.” He pulled out a cigarette and handed it to me.
We weren’t really smokers. Mostly socially, and when we were stressed.
I hadn’t had a cigarette in nearly five years, but here we were.
Evan rarely smoked, but he’d been going to town a lot lately.
We could have gotten some sugar from E, but Evan shook his head when I suggested it, a sour look on his face.
I lit it and took a deep hit.
Fuck, that hit the spot.
“Want some?” I offered the cigarette to Evan.
He sighed and took it, taking a deep drag.
“Fuck, I need to slow down on this shit,” he muttered, blowing out the smoke.
“We can deal with that when this shit is over. Beats drinking, not that I’m against that, but my head is clear when I smoke. Not so much when I drink.”
He grunted.
Lights flashed as they pulled in, and I nodded to Church’s cleaning crew as they parked and got out.
“We’re good,” I said, gesturing for Evan to get into the car. He did so without another word, and we drove through the city.
“You want to get some food?” I asked.
“I guess. Probably get some for Anson and Ryder, too.”
I wheeled us into a burger place, and we got out. I’d always gotten food there, so I felt pretty safe with it.
We wandered in, placed our orders for a couple of burgers and fries to go, and leaned against the wall, waiting for them to come up. The door dinged, and we both looked over to see Asylum step inside with Ashes.
“Well, lookie who it is,” Asylum said, his eyes lighting up.
“Just the guy I wanted to see,” Evan said before I could speak.
Asylum gave a low bow. “At your service, bat boy. What can I do for you?”
“You’re wasted as hell,” I said, eyeing Asylum’s glassy eyes.
“I am definitely fucked.” He let out a loud laugh.
“He was trying to eat out of a trash can and was making raccoon noises,” Ashes said. “Figured this was more sanitary.”
I sighed. “How is the…” I tapped my head.
Ashes shook his head. “He’s going through something.”
“You know what’s a bitch?” Asylum asked, getting close to me.
“What?”
“Connection, man. Connection fucking sucks. I have attack pigeons, dude.”
I frowned. “I don’t know what that means.”
“He’s talking about Silas,” Ashes said as Asylum danced away and air humped a chair, all while singing some little song about not being crazy.
“So he’s not accurate right now?” Evan asked.
Ashes shook his head and looked at Evan. “Unfortunately, no. But, if you’re interested in a pigeon, he does have one in his coat pocket, so it would be real cool if you guys would take it because I really don’t want a fucking pet pigeon.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t fucking want one.”
“Same,” Evan muttered.
“Asylum, man, hey!” Ashes shouted as Asylum wandered over to a younger couple trying to eat.
“Hey, you like birds, baby?” he slurred out.
“Um, ew,” the girl said.
“Man, back the fuck up,” the guy snapped.
“Hey, bird basher,” Asylum said. “You’re kind of a dick.”
The guy stood, kicked his chair back, and shoved Asylum in the chest.
“Fuck,” Ashes snarled, shooting forward.
We stood back, watching as the man lunged for Asylum again. Despite being wasted as hell, he dove away, laughing. The fight was more comical than violent, because Asylum jumped onto a table, crouched, and waited for the guy to come at him again as Ashes tried to coax him to leave.
Our order came out, and we took it. The guy handing it to us looked mesmerized by the psycho in a black fishnet top, long black trench coat, and black leather pants, crouching on a table while making bird noises and flapping his arms.
“Are we going to watch this?” Evan murmured.
“Oh yeah,” I answered softly, watching the guy shove Ashes aside and go for Asylum again.
“Come on, chicken boy!” Asylum howled.
The man surged forward, and Asylum dug into his coat pockets before all hell broke loose.
He pulled out three pigeons and let them go. Feathers flew. The man screamed as the birds went for his face. Asylum cackled before jumping off the table and rushing away.
“I’m the motherfucking bird whisperer, bitch!” The door dinged as he ran out into the night, Ashes running after him.
We looked back at the man fighting the pigeons.
“He really did have attack pigeons,” I said, nodding.
“Fuck, get me home, man,” Evan muttered.