He immediately nodded. “I’ll handle it.”
“And don’t ask permission.” I told him. He frowned as if he didn’t understand so I got my point across. “If they’re waiting on paperwork, get the paperwork. If they’re waiting on a signature, find whoever’s holding the pen. I don’t pay people to tell me why something can’t get done. I pay them to figure out how it gets done.”
The room got quiet again, but this time it was different. The pens started moving across notepads and the architect was already marking up a fresh set of plans. David had his phone in his hand typing notes as fast as he could.Now we were getting somewhere,I thought.Another thirty minutes passed before the last item on the agenda was crossed off. Everyone then gathered their folders, with a few of them stopping to shake my hand on the way out.
“Appreciate your time, Lev. We’ll get those revisions over this afternoon. I’ll have the updated numbers by close of business.”
I acknowledged each one with a nod, waiting until the conference room finally emptied before grabbing my phone. I had three missed calls and one text.
Marv:Pull up when you done.
I looked at the message for a second before slipping the phone back into my pocket. Marv wasn’t the type to text unless he actually wanted to see me. That usually meant one of two things. He’d either found something, or something had found him.
I grabbed my keys off the conference table, buttoned my jacket, and headed for the elevator. The ride downstairs was quiet, giving me just enough time to clear my head before stepping back into the heat. The valet already had my truck waiting at the curb.
As I climbed behind the wheel, my phone vibrated again with Marv calling and I answered through the truck’s speakers. “Yeah.”
“Where you at?”
“Leaving the office. What’s up?”
“You pulling up?”
I didn’t know what the rush was. “I’m on my way.”
“Aight.”
He hung up first which was typical. The warehouse doors were loud as they rolled open, letting the afternoon heat inside. Forklifts moved in the distance, backing pallets into place while a couple of Empire employees loaded materials onto a flatbed trailer. The smell of fresh lumber, diesel fuel, and concrete dust lingered in the air, blending into the familiar scent of another job getting done.
I spotted Marv before he spotted me. He was standing near the loading dock with one foot propped against a pallet of tile,the was phone pressed to his ear while talking with his free hand. Even from where I stood, something about him felt off. His movements were quicker than usual, almost impatient, like his body couldn’t decide whether it wanted to stand still or keep moving.
He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket. “There he go,” he called out, flashing a grin. “Thought your rich ass was gone have me waiting all day.”
I smirked as I walked over and bumped fists with him. “You still here, ain’t you?”
“Ain’t got nowhere else to be.”
“Stop lying, you always got somewhere to be that’s why you always in trouble.”
He laughed, but it was short-lived. Before another word came out of his mouth, he rubbed the underside of his nose with the back of his thumb, then immediately started talking again.
“I heard Paper out.”
I didn’t react how he expected. I kept it cool. “He been out a few days.”
He cocked his head to the side. “So you knew?”
“I know everything worth knowing.”
Marv started pacing in front of me, with his Timberlands scraping against the concrete as he talked faster than normal. “They saying he back on the north side already. Nigga walking around like ain’t shit happened. Like he forgot what he did.”
“He ain’t forget.”
“Nah…” Marv shook his head, his jaw shifting from side to side as he stared off toward the open bay doors. “He just think niggas forgot.” He looked back at me. “I’ma kill him.”
The words came out flat with no emotion. I studied him instead of answering. His eyes were too fucking wide. His jaw hadn’t stopped moving since I arrived like he was grinding his teeth without realizing it. Every few seconds he’d lick his lips orwipe beneath his nose, and he couldn’t stay planted in one spot for more than a few seconds before turning around and pacing again.
“When the last time you slept?” I asked him.
