CHAPTER NINETEEN
-:- TwoCents -:-
It was a hell of a day yesterday finding out all the information from Paisley. She was lucky to get away when she did and it looks like the Senator may have been aware Pais was going to run, and aided her get away. We’ll never know for sure unless we have a talk with Senator Maurice Brooks.
Pais has gone to the Swap Shop with Sentry and she was excited to be out of the clubhouse. She was looking forward to working alongside Alyssa for the first time. Sentry has said that Alyssa is great, works well, and she’s good with the customers, especially ones that seem to be timid.
Quickly going through the paperwork on my desk, I calculate the figures that Hammer needs to confirm him setting up a new crew. It is easily possible and with this information, I send him a text to let him know he can go ahead with the hiring.
Next on my list is setting up Liam’s new salary rate, and I pick up my phone to speak with him. The phone rings a few times before it’s picked up.
“Morning, TwoCents. What can I do for you?”
“Morning, Liam. I wanted to inform you that you have a salary raise and it’ll come into effect on the first of next month, so don’t be surprised when you see your bank statement.”
“Oh, that’s cool. Great, I’ll look forward to that. I’m saving for a house deposit, so a raise will help boost that some.”
“You don’t enjoy living over the coffee house?”
“I do, but if I get myself a woman, she may not want to live over the place, and if we have kids, it wouldn’t be ideal. I just want to put something on one side, as an ‘in-case’. You know what I mean?”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I chuckle. “I’m on the list to have a cabin built on the compound, but I’ve been having money adding up in a savings account ready. Thankfully, I have more than enough to pay for it and not have a fucking mortgage over my head.”
Sighing, Liam replies, “Yeah, that’s great. I can’t say the same, but I will keep saving. You never know. I may meet no one worth settling down with, and I’m not going to settle. My friend did that, and he’s regretting it every day now.”
“No, don’t settle. You’ll meet the one when it’s time.”
Cutting the call, I look up when I hear someone shouting in the common room.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS HE? I’M GONNA KILL HIM.”
Nothing to do with me, I’m thinking, until Nell bursts through my office door with a look of thunder on her face. I jump to my feet and am ready for whatever is going to happen next.
Looking at Graham, Nell’s brother, who is leaning on the door frame grinning like a fool, I glance back at Nell.
“I told you if that asshole started his tricks again, you’d owe me, and you owe me big time. Vitale is calling every five minutes, demanding a meal out, demanding I take him seriously. You’ve started another ton of shit for me with Vitale and I want someone for Jaws and it can be anyone.” Nell is steaming, her face is red and her usual cool, calm and collected is not showing.
“I’m sorry, Nell. I wouldn’t have put you on Vitale’s radar again unless it was urgent. You know we all care deeply about you. If I can do anything to block his advances, tell me and I’ll do it.”
Graham busts out laughing, much to Nell’s annoyance. But he’s not worried about her glaring at him at all. He walks into the office, throws himself into a chair and grins at Nell. “Sit down, Sis. For goodness sake, give the man a break. You know you love playing life-chess with Vitale, and you’ll never let him catch you unless you want him to, anyway.”
Nell takes a seat and I can see her calming herself. I wait for her to speak again, because she’s not come here today to just tell me about Vitale chasing her. We both knew that would happen when she contacted him for information.
“What has been happening with Paisley?” Nell asks.
“Well, she has her memory back. She’s working at the Swap Shop. She spoke with Specs yesterday and his friend is taking over the photography and designing business because Pais has had enough.”
“So, she’s settling into married bliss?” Graham chuckles.
“Yeah, I suppose she is.” I can’t hold the grin back and look at Graham, who has changed a lot since he came to live with Nell.
“It’s a good thing, TwoCents. You were ready to settle down, if truth be told, and I think some of the other brothers are, too. But we all want the woman that is meant for us and not some skank that is just wanting a ticket to not work and lie around all day.”
Now, I know Graham had a terrible relationship before he came here, and his father with the new bimbo wife hasn’t helped. But he’s cynical now, which isn’t going to help him find a good woman.
“We are not all like your ex, Graham. I’ve told you this a hundred times. You’ll miss a good woman if you put us all in the same box as that bitch. Now if you want me to feed her to the gators, just say the word, and we’ll get it done.” Nell gives her brother a glare, and he gives her one in return. Me, I’m keeping quiet.
I wait until they are both running out of glares before speaking. “Okay, what information do you have for me, Nell?”
“Charles Irvin was active again within the DeSantos Cartel. Vitale told me he had been monitoring him because of his previous gun running and trafficking. Vincenzo Vitale may be a Mafia Don, but he’s cleaned up his operation, taking out a lot of men in the process.
“He does not allow trafficking, although he’s done some gun running and I know that as he’s confided in me. Now that better not go any further than this office TwoCents, or you’ll face my gators when they are at their hungriest.
“Vitale had been watching what Irvin has been doing, and he knew about Paisley, the Senator and the involvement in trafficking. All you need to know, TwoCents, is that Irvin has a man on Paisley. He knows she has information that can lead to him being taken out by the cartel or imprisoned for the rest of his life. The best that could happen is someone giving him a bullet, but that’s only my opinion.
“Make sure she is never alone, or he’s going to grab her. She’ll be taken where you’ll never find her and believe me, she’ll never be found because he’ll have her sold and out of the country before you can do a thing. Your best move is to find the man and take him out fast. If you need to, you can bring her to me. She’ll be safe with me until you find this asshole. I have Tank looking on street cams to find out where he’s hiding. I’ll let you know as soon as he shows himself.”
“What about DeSantos? Is he a problem for me?” I ask, and I have to admit I’m worried about him.
“No, he had no connection to Paisley or the Senator that I’ve found. He wasn’t aware of all that Irvin was doing, and I have a feeling that DeSantos has only had him back so he can find out what he’s up to before something nasty happens to Irvin.”
Graham grins, “DeSantos isn’t a fool, he will get rid of anyone that is a threat to him and the Cartel. I think it’s only a matter of time before Irvin isn’t anyone’s problem.”
Nell gives a smile now, and it’s not a good one. It has that hint of crazy to it. “Oh, he’ll be gone soon. It’s just who gets to him first.”
“Thanks, Nell. I owe you.”
“Oh, yes you do, and I’ll collect too.”
Nell walks out of my office with Graham behind her, but he looks over his shoulder as he walks out the door, gives me a huge smile, and winks. Shit, I’m in for it in the future.
Sitting back in my seat, my mind is rolling around on how to find this asshole that is stalking Paisley. I’m so deep in thought I don’t register that Buzz has walked into my office and taken a seat in front of my desk, until he raps his knuckles on the desk to gain my attention.
“Shit, Buzz.”
Chuckling, Buzz leans back in his seat. “Okay, so give me the information on Nell’s visit. She was fucked with you when she came, but she was grinning an evil one when she left.”
“Goddamn, I’m gonna owe her, and you know that means it could be anything.” I sigh, but lean back in my chair and spill what Nell had found out.
“Okay, I’m gonna speak with Axel, and I’ll get the brothers to find this fucker. We’ll grab him and get him to Nell”s, where she can do her thing. Job done, Paisley safe, and then we go for Irvin.” Buzz is showing his eagerness for a fight, and we all know Buzz loves to coordinate a strategy to take out a target.
I follow Buzz out of my office and into Axel’s office, where I listen to Buzz filling him in on what has been found out by Nell, and what we need to do. While I’ve been listening to Buzz, I’ve sent a message to Sentry to be on alert, as Paisley has a stalker. His message back made me smile, ‘Let him try’, followed an evil emoji rubbing its hands.
Yeah, he’s maybe not prior-military, but he has the craziness that would be needed to join up and survive. He’s always been quiet, staying on the compound doing his job, but if anyone needs anything, he’s there, ready, willing and able.
Taking my phone out of my back pocket, I’m surprised to see a message from someone I would never have expected.
Vitale: Thanks, TwoCents, I’ve been trying to get my Nell out on a dinner date, and now thanks to you I have. But if I were you, I’d stay clear of her for a while. She keeps talking about gator bait.