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“I’m assuming you know what he did?” I ask.
Malakai shakes his head. “I don’t, actually, and I don’t want to know what happened between you all. But I can tell you this, I’m not the only one who’s been sent to dig around.”
“Rodriguez?” Beast grunts.
“I don’t know his name, but if you’ve already got your suspicions, then you’re probably correct about the person’s identity.”
“Fucking perfect,” Beast grunts, waiting for my reaction.
“I’m not afraid of the King or anyone he sends my way,” I say, stubbing out my cigarette. “And honestly, I’m done being his bitch. Tales is mine. The profits of this club are mine. If he wants it, he’ll have to fight me for it.”
“Believe me. He’ll fight you for it,” Malakai warns.
“Then it’s just as well we’ve built an army, right?” I shrug, never more grateful for Beast and what he’s done for me than I am at this moment. Without him and his foresight, I might not be in such a strong position now.
“Exactly. You stand a better chance against him than most,” Malakai says. “Which is why he’s doing what he’s doing. The King rarely gets his hands dirty if he can send in someone else to do the job for him.”
“Like you?” I ask.
“My purpose was to gather information. Nothing more,” he explains, getting to his feet.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Beast asks, pulling out his gun. “You think we’re just going to let you go? I think fucking not.”
“Like I said, I have no loyalty to the King. I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Which iswhatexactly? That you and the King go way back but you refuse to say how you know each other or that you’ve zero idea where the King is now. How about that insightful piece of information that the King wants Tales for himself, like we didn’t already fucking know that, or perhaps it’s the revelation that he sent someone else in to stir shit up,” Beast says with more than a little sarcasm. “You’ve told us precisely jack-shit,Jack Sparrow.”
Malakai shrugs. “Do what you want with the information. All I know is that after I take my share of the winnings tonight, I’ll be close to clearing the final payment for my boat’s repairs. Once it’s fixed up I can leave and never fucking return. The ocean is a big place to get lost in, and I intend on disappearing forever.”
Beast laughs, shaking his head. “Have I not made myself clear? You’re not leaving!”
“Lower the gun, Beast,” I say.
“Grim, come on. Think about this.”
“I have. Lower the gun.”
Despite how badly he wants to shoot Malakai, Beast follows my instructions and lowers the gun.
“You’re not seriously considering letting him go, are you?”
“That all depends,” I reply, already knowing exactly what I’m going to do.
“On what?” Beast asks.
“On whether Malakai wants to watch his boat go up in flames or if he truly wants his freedom.”
Malakai’s head snaps around as he glares at me, but I say nothing as I pick up my phone and select the relevant number saved into the contacts, hitting the dial. Pressing the loudspeaker button I wait for an answer.
“Garsons Boatyard, how can I help?”
“Bill, this is Grim,” I say, studying Malakai’s face as I talk.
Like the King, he underestimated me. Everyone has a weakness, and whilst Malakai wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t care if he lived or died, I’m willing to bet he’d give a shit if I threatened the only thing in this world he loves, even if it is an inanimate object. That boat is his ticket to freedom and a life of solitude, which he craves more than anything. That’s on the line right now.
“That boat you’ve been working on, the schooner owned by Malakai.”
“Yes, I know the one.”
