Chapter 30 #2
“You drive,” I order, tossing him my keys.
We both get into my SUV. “Where the hell am I going?”
“Aces Fly,” I grin coldly. “It’s time to pay my old friends a visit.”
Ned darts through traffic, barely slowing down for the red lights. Still, the drive feels like it takes forever. Who the fuck could be messing with the Knight family? And why go after Eve? None of this makes any sense.
“So this is it? This is the master plan?” Ned snorts, but there’s an edge to it. He knows me well enough to recognize when I’m holding back.
“No,” I growl. “This is step one.”
“Whatever. Since you know the bar, are there any cameras I should look out for?”
My lip curls. “There are always cameras. But no, none to worry about. The owner is a…” Trailing off, I consider how best to describe the man who’s taken me for thousands over the years.
I used to go there two or three times a week for the backroom poker games. But it’s been a lifetime since I set foot on that sticky floor. Still, the owner is one of those people who believe in custom er loyalty.
“He’s an acquaintance,” I decide.
At the intersection, a homeless man pushes a cart across the road. Each step drags, grinding against my patience until he’s finally clear.
I turn my attention back to the road, to the approaching silhouette of Aces Fly. Thanks to the heavy rain clouds, the neon sign flickers in the afternoon gloom, casting a sickly blue light across the cracked pavement.
“Pull around back,” I instruct, my voice dropping lower as we near our destination.
Ned nods, guiding the car toward the rear of the building. “You know, if you’d told me a month ago you’d be this worked up over someone hurting a woman you claim to hate, I’d have laughed in your face.”
“She’s my wife,” I growl.
The words taste weird when I’m not saying them in a scornful way. But for better or worse, I’m married to Dr. Death. The ring on her finger and vial of our blood around her neck, proves it.
We roll to a stop in the shadows behind Aces Fly. I’m out of the vehicle before Ned’s even fully turned the engine off. With each step, I feel my body shift into something harder, colder. The rage that’s simmering crystallizes into something focused and deadly. Every sense sharpens.
I don’t need to look back to know Ned’s following closely as I approach the door. Aces Fly hasn’t changed since I stopped coming here. The air still reeks of stale beer and cigarettes ground into the floorboards, decades of vices compressed into a single, sour note.
Bodies part for me without conscious thought, sensing the purpose in my stride, the violence I’m barely containing. I scan the room once—habits die hard—marking exits, threats, obstacles. But there’s only one person in here who matters.
“Willy,” I call, knowing the man has to be here. “Willy, get your fucking ass up here and make yourself useful.”
The man I’ve shared more gin with than I care to admit grins as he walks toward me. “Jack,” he drawls. “It’s been too long. Are you here to win back some of your money?”
“I’m here fo r information,” I clarify.
He scratches his chin. “Information, huh? On what?”
I let him lead me over to a table near the back, one that’s almost completely hidden in the shadows. “Someone burned down one of our hotels,” I say, pulling a chair out and sitting down. “But the curious thing is that no one knows about any new players in town.”
Ned grunts as he takes a seat. “Start talking.”
Ignoring my friend, Willy shoots me a mostly toothless grin. “If no one’s heard about any upstarts or new folks moving in on Knight territory, maybe it’s an old enemy then.”
“This isn’t a game, old man,” Ned shouts, slamming his fist into the table and knocking off Willy’s glasses. “They took my fucking sister.”
Cursing, I bend down and retrieve said glasses while kicking Ned under the table. Shouts and threats don’t faze Willy. The way to get him to open up is through fucking talking. Making him feel valued.
I feel like fucking punching Ned for not realizing that. Someone took Eve. If I thought I’d get answers faster by using my gun as incentive, I wouldn’t be sitting at this fucking disgusting table, across from a man whose breath smells like death.
“Did they now?” Willy smirks. Fucking smirks. “How can you be sure?”
That gets my attention. “Talk, old man.”
“Not with him here.” He points at Ned. “He doesn’t respect my establishment. Tell him to wait in the car, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
“He stays,” I growl, not in the mood for this shit. “Stop wasting my time.”
Willy huffs and puffs as he gets up and disappears out the back. When he comes back, he’s joined by a guy wobbling on his crutches, bumping his broken leg against almost every table he walks by.
“This is Junior,” Willy says proudly. “He heard some rumors when he was at the Gowanus factory yesterday to fight the reigning champ.”
“Is that so?” I ask, eyeing Junior as he flops into a chair.
He nods. “Yeah. Normally, I’m not one to fucking snitch. But that cheating bastard and his bitch deserve it after what they did.”
“Well, come on, boy. Spit it out.” Willy scoffs impatiently.
“What bitch?” Ned asks. I notice the way his hand disappears into his waistband, probably fisting his gun.
Junior clears his throat. “Yeah, so, I was there to fight Caleb Shore. But he—”
“Caleb?” I interrupt.
“Yes,” Junior confirms. “Anyway, he used to have this hot piece of ass with him. But I don’t know, man. I guess he traded down.”
“Go on,” I demand.
“Right. Right. She’s umm… not as curvy, and she’s always sneering—”
“You’re embarrassing me, boy,” Willy growls before slapping the back of Junior’s head. “No one cares about the woman.”
Junior winces. “But you should… she’s the one in fucking charge. She’s the one who told Caleb to bring a knife to a fistfight. He took out Jimmy.”
“Who’s the woman?” I ask. I look at Ned out of my peripheral, my gut tightening, and I get this weird sense of foreboding. Like the one you get when you know something is about to… not just change, but fucking shatter your perception.
“Her name is Shelby something. Didn’t catch a last name.”
“You fucking liar!” Ned roars, darting to his feet and pulling his gun. “My sister would never betray me.”
“I’m not lying,” Junior insists, holding his hands up in the air. “Look, I can show you.”
He pulls his phone out, and taps the screen a few times before turning it so Ned and I can see the picture of Shelby and Caleb in a tight embrace. I lean closer and tap the info symbol which confirms the picture is from yesterday.
“This proves nothing,” Ned growls. “He could have received the picture yesterday. Or taken a picture of a picture.”
“He could have,” I agree. “This only proves that Shelby and Caleb know each other and nothing more.” I meet Junior’s gaze, making sure he can see the anger and violence in mine.
Gulping, he pulls up his Memo App and plays a voice clip.
“… I only wish I could see the stupid look on t he Knights’ faces,” Shelby says.
“Patience, baby,” a man croons.
She scoffs. “I want them to know I’m the one who crossed them. They think they’re so high and fucking mighty. But the Knights aren’t worth shit.”
“Keep going. You’re so hot when you talk like that,” the guy groans.
“Oh, yeah?” There’s a beat of silence followed by fabric tearing. “I want you inside me,” she moans.
My eyes dart to Ned who looks visibly disturbed, and I can’t say I fucking blame him one bit. Especially not when the sound of skin slapping against skin grows louder.
“I want them to know what it’s like to lose everything.” She moans again. “Oh, yes. Harder, Caleb.”
“Do we really have to fucking listen to this?” Ned barks.
“It’s time someone teaches them a lesson.” Shelby’s tone is growing higher and higher with each syllable. “Fuck, yes. Pinch my clit harder.”
“And you’re that someone, aren’t you, baby?” Caleb asks.
I can barely hear the rest over the roar in my ears. But I force myself to stay focused while the rest of the memo plays out. There’s mention of the fire, that it’s nothing more than a decoy. A ploy to get me away from Eve.
Shelby knew that Nick would send me, and that I’d be reluctant to take Eve with me. Fuck me, that’s why she was at Eve’s apartment. She was making sure I’d go alone.
“Fuck,” I spit.
“I don’t fucking believe it,” Ned roars as he lunges for Junior.
When I look at Willy, he just shrugs, already aware of what I want to know. “My allegiance is to you, Jack. Do what you must.”
“Are you more than an errand boy?” I ask Junior, my tone cold. “Do you know where they are or what they’re planning?”
He splutters his innocence, not knowing he’s signing his own death warrant. If he knows nothing, he’s a loose end. Nodding to Ned, I wordlessly give him permission to do whatever the fuck he wants.
“Jack—”
“No,” I interrupt, not letting Ned say what I k now he’s about to. “I know you’re loyal. I’ve never questioned you, and I’m sure as fuck not starting now. Just hurry up.”
Then I walk outside, my phone already in hand as I call Nick. This just officially became a Knight problem.