CHAPTER 27 GRETA
GRETA
He’s trashing his phone?
My hands shake so hard that the words blur on my screen.
What is Iron Jack going to do?
I pace my office, around the small conference table, circling my desk, past the potted ficus tree, along the bookcase, and then I do it all again.
I’m completely unable to focus on work for even the barest second. What is happening right now with him?
I text him once, twice, three times over the next twenty minutes.
Nothing.
He did it. He dumped his phone.
It could already be happening, whatever that might be. A confrontation? A fistfight? Worse?
I have a meeting coming up in an hour. I can’t do it. There’s no way I can face a random client and review financial documents. Not when Iron Jack’s life is on the line.
I open my door. My assistant Marcella looks up. “You okay, Greta?”
“Ask Geoff to do the meeting at one,” I tell her. “Email him the documents so he can go over them.”
“You all right?” She pushes her computer glasses up on her head to peer at me. “You don’t look all right.”
“I’m dealing with an issue. Do I have anything else today? I don’t think so.”
“Just a meeting with me and Geoff about next week’s audit of the Claussen books. I’ll reschedule it for tomorrow.”
“That’s good. Thank you.” I turn for my door.
“Let me know if you need anything. Some tea? Tequila shots?”
This makes me smile. “Thank you, Marcella. I’ll let you know.”
I sit at my desk. Stare at my useless phone.
I have no idea what to do. I can’t contact Iron Jack now. I have no idea where he went.
I pull up my computer and type in Aaron Nelson, even though I’ve already done it four times today.
Grey Beast lives and trains in Virginia.
That’s not far.
My phone buzzes, and I scramble so hard to pick it up that I actually drop it.
It’s my cousin Max. You around? We got info on that name you gave us.
I text him a quick yes and keep searching through the information. I write down the address of the gym.
My phone buzzes with a call. It’s Max.
“Hello?” I fail to keep the waver out of my voice.
“You all right, Greta?”
“A little anxious. Aaron Nelson is in Virginia. He’s literally on Iron Jack’s route home. Do you think he’s headed there?”
“I’m betting on it. Get this. Three years ago, Jack got an invitation to a fight that would have given him his opportunity to get a ranking. It’s a long process, and hard to get started, but he was finally on the train.”
“Did he do that fight?”
“That’s the thing. Two weeks before the match, his parents died. He left the circuit and never returned.”
I ask, “Who got his spot?” But I think I know the answer.
“It’s not as clean as that. Aaron Nelson, or Grey Beast as he calls himself, wasn’t a contender yet, but he was in line.
It was too quick to pull someone in to that high-profile fight.
There are lots of considerations. Sponsors, marketability.
They ended up putting another fighter in that match, but he lost.”
“And did that give an opening for Aaron?”
“Eventually.”
I grip the phone so hard that my fingers go numb. “You don’t think…”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. It’s what Jack thinks.”
“Aaron baited Jack. He sent a member of the Kin with his credit card to make sure Jack knew.”
“But why would Aaron do that?” Max asks. “That’s what I don’t get. Aaron got his shot. He did well. He won.”
“Has something happened since? Something to make him reopen that grievance? Why would he want Jack to seek him out?”
There’s a pause, then Max says, “Maybe he didn’t. We didn’t find any connection between Grey Beast and that motorcycle club Iron Jack attacked.”
“Do you think they’re working together? They have to be if the Kin had Aaron’s credit card.”
“Unless they stole it. Did the card actually work? Did the charge go through?”
That’s a question. “There was a receipt.”
“But if it was stolen, it might take a few days before anyone notices the activity.”
“I haven’t asked Merrick. Should I?”
“I would. Maybe the Kin think that sending Iron Jack alone after Grey Beast will be a way to get him back for destroying their club.”
Oh my God. “Max, I need to call Merrick right now.”
“Let me know how it goes. Oh, and Greta?”
“Yeah?”
“Dad is all over this. Just so you know.”
“What is he doing?”
“It might involve some of our…associates.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know them that well. There’s a syndicate. It’s underground. It’s connected to The Cure McClure, but Dad knows about it. If he thinks you’re in danger, he’ll activate it.”
“I’m not in danger!”
“But you’re going to go after him, aren’t you?”
I don’t answer that.
“I figured. Hey, I’m coming to you. Okay? I don’t want you going after him alone.”
“I won’t.” I swallow the lie. “I have to pick Caden up from school.”
“Cousin, I love you, but I don’t believe a word you’re saying. I’m still coming to you to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
Damn it.
I steady my next lie. I have to be more convincing. “I’m at work right now, and I have meetings all afternoon. How about this evening?”
“Done. I’ll be there. We can order in pizza. I’ll bring Cam and the baby.”
“Okay!” I say brightly. “Seven, then!”
But even as I end the call, I know I’m not going to be there. I send a quick note to Jude.
Me: I have an emergency meeting. Can you pick up Caden?
Jude: You’re busy all of a sudden. What the hell, Greta?
Damn it. I shouldn’t have asked.
Me: Never mind. I’ll figure something out.
Jude: No. I’ve got him. Do what you have to do. You always have.
What does that mean? It doesn’t matter. I have bigger problems.
Me: Thank you. I’ll pick him up when I can.
Then I put through a call to Merrick.
The noise of the Leaky Skull makes him hard to hear. “Greta?”
“Hey, this is important.” I force my voice to stay strong and confident.
“Is Jack still with you?”
“No. That’s what I’m worried about.”
“Okay, because I’ve got half the Wild Hair here worried as hell about his half-cocked trip to see you. They think something is up.”
I scroll through the results on my computer screen again. “There is. But I need to ask you something. And maybe don’t tip them off yet.”
“What is it?” The background gets quieter. I assume he’s gone to his office.
“That receipt the Kin left. The one you gave Iron Jack. Did the charge go through?”
“I’m sure it did. It would have thrown up an alert when we swiped it if it wasn’t good.”
“But since there are tips added, it’s only an authorization, right? It wouldn’t try to go through until it batches out.”
“That’s right.” I hear the clicking of a keyboard. “Let me look through that batch.” A pause. Then, “Huh.”
My stomach quivers. “Huh, what?”
“The charge went through. But yesterday, there was a chargeback on that receipt. Fraud. It was a stolen card. It happens occasionally, so it didn’t stick out to us. It was only eight dollars, not something we bother to fight.”
“So the card was stolen. The Kin stole the card and used it.”
“It definitely wasn’t authorized.”
Oh, God. Max was right. The Kin are setting up Iron Jack to attack Grey Beast, who doesn’t even know he’s coming.
And Jack trashed his phone. I can’t tell him.
“Merrick, is Stoney there?”
“Yeah. And Hoss and Chain and about a third of the club.”
“I’m not sure what anyone can do. But Iron Jack is about to go attack Grey Beast in Virginia based on that receipt, and I think he’s been set up by the Kin.”
“Shit. That’s a two-day bike ride. How close is he to Virginia?”
“It’s only four hours from here, and he left early this morning. He’s probably already there.”
“You can’t call him?”
“He told me he was trashing his phone. I think he didn’t want anyone connecting what he was about to do with any of us.”
“Shit.”
I grab my purse and walk out the door. I wave at Marcella. She’s already cleared my afternoon. I don’t need to tell her anything more.
When I’m far enough away that she can’t hear me, I say, “Merrick, I’m going to start driving. I know it will be too late, but I need to get there.”
“You going to call Sherman?”
“Probably. If he was able to get law enforcement sent out in Miami when Bailey asked, maybe he knows someone in Virginia.”
“All right. Keep me posted. I’ll go update the club. God damn. Iron Jack is in a real mess.”
“It’s his parents, Merrick. Of course he went.”
“He’s a smart man. Maybe when he gets there they’ll figure it out before anything goes south. Have you tried to call Grey Beast?”
“No. I’ll look up his gym. Do you think he will listen to a random hysterical phone call?”
“You can pull it off, Greta. You sound completely in control right now.”
Do I? “Okay, let me try.” I end the call and hurry to my car.
Despite the cold, I start the car and blow air conditioning on my face. Then I Google the gym and punch the number.
It rings only once before a prerecorded message comes on.
“You’ve reached the private gym of Grey Beast. To find out more about his schedule and press, visit his website.
” I lean my head on the steering wheel. Does anybody even monitor this phone?
I wait for the beep to leave a voicemail, but it simply hangs up.
What? I call it again and listen through the message. It just hangs up. There is no way to leave a voicemail.
I have to start driving. I shove my phone on the magnetic holder and punch the maps app. Once I’ve figured out my first set of directions to get to Virginia, I put through the call to Uncle Sherman. He’s got to help, one way or another.
“Greta? Is this about Jack?”
“Yes. We’ve figured things out. Can you get someone to an address in Virginia right away?
And I mean right away. Iron Jack is headed to a confrontation with a man who doesn’t know he’s coming in hot.
I can’t reach him. It has to be in person.
Jack has bad information that this man killed his parents, and I don’t know what he might do. ”
“Text me the address. I’ll get help. Are you safe?”
“I’m in Jersey. I’m fine. I’m worried about Jack.”
“What is this man to you, Greta?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out. But he’s something. Something I didn’t expect.”
“I thought so. All right. Let me get on this. I’ll be in touch. Go home.” The line goes dead.
I am not going home. No way. I pull onto the highway to head south. I’m the closest to Virginia, and I have four hours to go. Three, if I push it.
And I will. It’s the only thing that makes sense to do.
I slam on the gas and start dodging cars like I’m playing Mario Kart with Caden.
And I dare any cop to stop me.