Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
LOGAN
T he hunger in me won’t quit. When she got sassily annoyed at me sending a laughing emoji, I wanted to be with her in person. I wanted to stroke my hand across her cheek, through her hair, and tell her, “Don’t pout at me, Piper. It makes me too wild.”
The server, Toby, wanders over. “More coffee, Mr. Wolfe?”
“I’m good, thanks,” I reply.
He smiles, looking out the window. “I didn’t know Mr. Whittaker vaped so much.”
“He doesn’t, usually,” I say. “He must be nervous about this meeting.”
Toby leaves the table. I’m debating leaving when Elliot finally returns, this time with a man walking beside him. The man has slick black hair, shiny with product, and is wearing a leather jacket and blue jeans. He looks out of place in the hipster-ish environment of The Clam.
Elliot’s voice slightly trembles as he introduces us. “Logan, this is Sal Mangano. Sal – this is Logan.”
I shake the man’s hand, not liking the small smile tugging at his lips. He looks like he’s getting ready to laugh at a secret joke. Does he think I’m the joke?
Elliot must be able to sense my mood. He gives me a pleading look.
“Drinks, gentlemen?” I ask.
“Anything stronger than coffee in this dump?” Sal says, dropping heavily into his seat.
I grind my teeth. Calling The Clam a dump is ridiculous. Sure, it’s not a high-class cocktail bar, but it’s a decent place run by decent people.
“I’m drinking coffee,” I say.
“You’re teetotal?” Sal says.
“I don’t drink at work.”
“I thought that was the main benefit to being the boss.”
“You can drink whatever you want,” Elliot says.
“Oh, why, thank you, Elliot,” Sal says sarcastically.
I don’t like the way Elliot lowers his gaze, looking cowed. I also don’t like how several men at a table on the other side of the restaurant have suddenly taken an interest in us. They’re all dressed similarly to Sal, all with slick hair, like different-sized versions of each other.
My instincts are already blaring with warning signals.
Once we have our drinks – coffee for Elliot, whiskey for Sal – Sal leans forward with that annoying little smirk. “I’ve done some research into your outfit, Logan. It’s impressive as hell; I won’t lie about that. In three years, you’ve combined charity, products, and wealth investment. That’s no mean feat.”
“It’s taken a lot of hard work,” I reply. “Thank you.”
“The most impressive part, pal…” The pal seems intended to offend or intimidate, possibly both. “Is that other businesses are keen on your ‘Do It All’ logo. I’ve seen it in their advertisements, billboards, and TV. They want the whole world to know they’re working with you. You’ve made them money, made them seem like upstanding, selfless people and not the bloodsuckers they are, and made yourself money. Oh, and got free advertising in the meantime. It’s genius. Where’d you come up with the idea?”
Everything he says is tinged with a subtle layer of sarcasm. He’s talking down to me, mocking me. I think about punching him across the mouth hard enough to send him flying from the chair—the prick.
I can’t give him an honest answer of where I came up with the idea.
I kissed my best friend’s sister, and when she broke it off, she used the phrase ‘ do it all’ while explaining that we couldn’t.
“But I guess ideas are like assholes, eh?” Sal says when I don’t answer. “Everyone’s got one. It’s not the idea that matters. It’s how you make it work, eh?”
“It’s true,” I agree. “What line of business are you in, Sal?”
He sloshes the ice in his whiskey glass, thinking he’s so clever, so in control. “This and that. Real estate. I’ve got a laundromat franchise. Anything I can get involved with, I’ll take a shot at, you know? I’m a fella with multiple talents.”
“You told me you were interested in Do It All, Sal?” Elliot says. He’s taken his vape from his pocket, fidgeting with it. I’ve never seen him like this before.
“Interested? Ha! That’s an understatement. I’m starting up a new business, a construction company specializing in home repairs on government-funded apartments and houses. You see, some of these places are shitholes. They’re just waiting for somebody to swoop in and make some repairs and make some cash in the meantime.”
I must be radiating some seriously angry energy. Elliot keeps staring at me to go along with this. All the men at the table across the restaurant are looking over, not even trying to hide it anymore.
“It’s a good idea,” Elliot says.
I almost snap at my friend. He’s got no business trying to placate this asshole.
Sal drains his whiskey glass, then loudly shakes the ice in Toby’s direction. “Hey, kitten boy, refill needed over here.”
“Don’t talk to him like that,” I growl.
Sal slowly turns back to me, his smirk wider than before. “Excuse me?”
“If you want another drink, speak to him with some respect.”
“Wow, this is how you talk to people during business meetings, is it, tough guy?”
Tension hums in the air. I get the impression this man is accustomed to intimidating everybody he interacts with. I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a hint of fear in me, a shadow of it, but it’s not enough to make me back down.
“I speak to people how they deserve to be spoken to,” I rumble.
“How do you judge that, eh?”
“How they treat others.”
He laughs. “I guess I should’ve expected this from such a charitable outfit, huh? Okay, then.” Sal makes a show of looking at Toby’s name tag. “Toby, my good man, can you fucking get me a fucking refill? Better, Mr. Wolfe?”
I curl my hand into a fist.
“I’ll get down to it,” Sal says. “I’m interested in working with Do It All. Connecting my business with Do It All would be great for my PR. It’d make the government bidding easier. If they saw I was linked to you, they’d be more likely to hire us. But it ain’t just that.”
“Please, enlighten me,” I say tersely.
“I understand you got requirements for using the Do It All logo.”
“A donation to underprivileged families in the form of stocks, yes,” I say.
“See? That part’s tricky. These big corporations you deal with, maybe they can handle something like that. They can piss their money up the wall in donations, but I’m not sure I can stomach that. How about you let me use the logo without the donations?”
“Absolutely out of the question,” I say.
“Thanks, kitten boy,” Sal says when Toby brings his drink, giving me an ‘I-dare-you’ look.
Elliot glares at me now, and somehow, I stay calm. But it’s getting more difficult by the minute.
“As you’re probably aware, Mr. Mangano, we have an extremely skilled litigation team who deals with any copyright infractions on our logo. If we didn’t, Do It All wouldn’t mean anything.” I lean forward, staring down at the little prick. “And we have never, nor would we ever, let anybody use it without making a donation. Moreover, we reserve the right to decline donations.”
“You’d turn down money?”
“If I thought the company wasn’t a good fit for us, yes.”
“You haven’t heard the rest of my proposal. I’d also like to make cash payments, off the books, so to speak, which you’ll then, ah, let’s say, weave into your regular earnings. And I’d like shares in your products, but I’m not too interested in paying for these shares, if you catch my drift.”
His smile couldn’t be any wider. He’s grinning at me like a psychopath. That’s probably what he is.
“I understand what’s happening here, Mr. Mangano. Don’t worry.”
“You do, do you?”
“You think I’m some timid CEO who’ll be intimidated by a two-bit criminal because you brought backup.”
Elliot gasps, shaking his head at me, but I can’t stop. Who does this guy think he is?
“You think you can waltz into my world and make demands with the implication of crime? Shut your mouth.” I snap at him when he tries to interrupt. He closes his mouth, looking shocked to be following my instructions. “I’ve never heard of you, but judging from this setup, it’s easy to guess. I know what you are.”
“If you knew what we were, Mr. Wolfe, you wouldn’t say this.”
“Mafia,” I snarl.
Sal laughs. “If I were to say you’ve hit the nail on the head, most men would rethink their course of action. Most men would understand it’d be in their best interest.”
“I’ve struggled too much for too long to let somebody waltz in here and take my business just because they want it. I don’t know what leverage you think you’ve got, but let me make this clear. You’re never going to work with Do It All.”
He leans forward, lowering his voice. “If I tell my boys to come over here and join us, what then? You’re a big man, Mr. Wolfe, but I highly doubt you’ve got what it takes to act tough against six of us. Especially since you’re unarmed.”
“I guess this is where I should be impressed, Mr. Mangano. I’m unarmed. The implication is that you’re not. But I don’t give a damn. Call them over here. Let’s turn this into a proper goddamn fight if that’s what you want. It won’t change anything for Do It All.”
Sal turns to Elliot. “This isn’t how you told me this would go, old buddy.”
“I’m sorry, Sal,” Elliot says. “I didn’t think…”
“No, you didn’t,” Sal snaps.
I stand. “I’m leaving. Feel free to order your goons to come after me. Otherwise, our business is done. For good.”
“We’re not done, Mr. Wolfe,” Sal hisses at my back.
I walk across the street, my heart pounding, adrenaline rushing through me as I mentally prepare for a fight. Elliot catches up to me as I wait for the elevator.
“That was a mistake,” he whispers.
I turn to him, prodding him in the chest. “No, Elliot, goddamn it. The meeting was a mistake. What were you thinking? Having me meet with a mob guy? And why did he call you ‘old buddy’? You can’t seriously think I was going to do anything he said. He could’ve filled that place with his goons, and I wouldn’t have given them anything.”
“That’s a mistake,” Elliot murmurs. “These are dangerous guys.”
“So what the fuck are you doing working with them?”
“I’m sorry, okay? Jesus, man, I really am. But you’re going to have to do what he says.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Please,” Elliot says.
“Explain how you know him. Why are you working with him? Just explain, Elliot.”
“I can’t,” he whispers. “I just need you to do what he says.”
“Never.”
“Those weren’t empty threats. They might jump you, Logan.”
“Let them try,” I snarl. My words weren’t empty, either. If they come for me, I’ll fight. Maybe they’ll win. Maybe they won’t. But I will not lie down and take this.”
Elliot sighs, turns, and marches across the lobby.