CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Cody—
Green pours himself a shot and sets the bottle on the church table.
Cole gives him the side-eye. “You done?”
Green tosses back his shot. “Yep.”
“Mind if I start the meeting now, asshole?” Cole snaps.
“Sure, prez. You want a shot first?”
“Shut the fuck up before I break that bottle over your head.”
“Yes, sir.” Green lets out a loud burp, and Red Dog shoves his head sideways.
“Moron.”
Cole slams the gavel down, calls roll and dispenses with some club business, then looks at our VP. “Fill ‘em in.”
Crash straightens in his chair and clears his throat. “We’ve got a problem.”
That has everyone shifting and paying close attention.
“Something isn’t right up at Lucky’s. Since we took over, nightly totals are down fifteen to twenty percent.”
Wolf leans his elbows on the table. “We had that company in and weigh all the liquor bottles. They ran three days over the weekend, and the company weighed them again. They said they were a little off due to overpours, but nothing was too far off.”
“That’s true. It’s been a month now, and we had the company come in and do it again this past weekend. We’re off,” Crash says.
Cole’s leather chair creaks as he leans forward. “I had Jake and Shane up there in plain clothes. Drinks weren’t being overpoured, and they didn’t catch anyone giving away drinks.”
“Maybe they were onto them,” Billy suggests.
Cole nods. “It’s possible. That’s why we need to get someone on the inside. Someone who can tell us what’s really going on, because apparently, they’re cleaning up their act whenever they think they’re being watched.”
“What do you propose?” Wolf asks.
“I don’t know. It’s got to be someone we can trust.”
Wolf shrugs. “I could ask Fiona to go up there one night.”
“I think it's got to be someone working there.”
“That leaves Fiona out. She’s got enough with the cupcake shop and the baby.”
“Gigi?” TJ offers.
Cole shakes his head. “I think it needs to be someone they can’t identify as an ol’ lady.”
“You think the employees know the ol’ ladies?” Shane asks.
“I think it’s possible one of them might.”
“The manager? You don’t trust him?” Red Dog asks.
“Possibly. He’s real hard to read.”
Rafe flexes his fist. “We could put the fear of God in him.”
“Let’s hold off on that until we’re sure. I don’t want to run off a perfectly good employee.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Kyle asks.
“Let me think on it a day or two.”
“Maybe you could send Jocelyn up there. Give her something else to think about besides getting herself killed by the mob.”
Cole rolls his eyes.
“How about Ginger?” I ask on the fly.
Cole’s laser gaze cuts to me. “Ginger?”
“Yeah. She’d tell us the truth.”
Cole arcs a brow. “This isn’t about that, is it?”
I sigh. “Okay, look, I admit it. I want to get her a new job. We could give her a waitress position at Lucky’s. It’ll give her something better than stripping.”
Green chuckles. “Better, how? She makes a hell of a lot more dancing at Sonny’s. Hell, I’d wager she makes three times as much as the entire wait staff at Lucky’s combined, moron.”
“Money isn’t everything,” I bite out.
“That’s your opinion,” Billy mutters under his breath.
I want to jam my fist into his smirk and seriously think about challenging him on fight night this month.
“She’d also be working long hours at Lucky’s,” Wolf says.
Cole shakes his head. “I warned you I didn’t want any problems, Cody.
Now here you are trying to replace the headliner.
She makes a ton of money for the club, and right now we are stretched thin with all the businesses we’ve acquired.
Until she decides she doesn’t want to work there, you shut up about it.
Nobody is making you get cozy with her. You want that, you better suck it up and be an understanding boyfriend. ”
“Can’t we replace her?”
Wolf huffs a laugh. “You think Ronnie can just snap his fingers and find another Ginger? No way. Sure, he can find another dancer, but another headliner that’s as big a draw as she is? Not a chance.”
Cole flicks his lighter open and closed against the table. “Cody, we need her right now. We need the income she brings into Sonny’s. With the club buying Lucky’s and Marty’s and bankrolling a cut of the tattoo shop, we’re a little stretched for cash. That all takes money. In a few months, maybe.”
I fume but stay silent, slumping my shoulder against the wood paneling, my hands jammed in my pockets.
Billy and TJ glance my way, and I can read the solidarity they feel with me. I know they think I was an idiot to get involved with Heather, but they also know how they’d feel if it were Melissa or Gigi.
Crash leans and whispers something to our president.
Cole studies me, stroking his chin. “Fine. I’ll make her the offer, but don’t hold your breath, kid.”
“Thanks. That’s all I’m asking.”
Cole slams the gavel down, adjourning the meeting, and we all file out.
Kyle slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Let me buy you a drink, Cody.”
I let him lead me to the bar and down the shot they pour me. The entire time I know I won’t find any solace at the bottom of a bottle of booze.
“Be grateful Cole threw you that bone,” my father says, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Now it’s up to her. You need to decide if you can live with her decision if it’s not the one you’re hoping for, understand?”
“Yeah.” I don’t say more, and he walks off, leaving me with the other brothers of my generation.
“Cody, it’s all part of it,” TJ says.
Kyle pours me another. “She won’t dance forever, brother. They never last long at that job, no matter how good the money is.”
It’s supposed to make me feel better, but I know it means that job sucks the life out of them, and the thought of it doing the same to her makes me want to punch a hole in the wall.