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It was Laney that I was thinking about as I drove back to the tavern. Not her as a woman, but her as someone who could help me. She had told me she could assist with getting my record clear, and I was willing to do anything to get that off. The felony arrest was from when I was twenty-two, and I had gotten caught kicking the shit out of a guy from a rival gang. The cops had just luckily rolled upon us, and I didn’t have hope of getting out of it. I did three years in prison for that.
If Laney could help me get that cleared off my record, I would be forever in her debt. The only other charge I had was a misdemeanor for a small amount of dope. It was only enough to be classified as personal use, and I had paid a fine and was on probation for a while. I had to attend some stupid drug class too, but it was better than returning to jail.
I was lucky they had caught me then and not an hour before. We had just handed off two kilos of heroin, and the small packet I had on me was for the girl I was screwing at the time. I got her high, and she let me fuck her. It worked for us both.
I didn’t do drugs. I had never been interested in the shit. Yes, I had tried them, and I was not too fond of how they made me feel. I preferred to drink, and even that, I did lightly. Especially if we were out in a crowd. I would prefer to keep my head about me than have someone surprise me when I was too fucking drunk to notice them.
When Laney mentioned the liquor license, it had dawned on me. I’d never be able to buy this place on my own because I did have a felony record. I had to have a partner, if only to keep the license. However, Laney was willing to help me do one better and get the charges expunged. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Could she do that? I wasn’t sure, but she seemed to think it could happen.
I wasn’t back at the tavern for ten minutes when in walked Evan and Ethan. “We need to talk, Bollard,” Evan stated as I held my beer bottle two inches from my mouth.
“Then talk,” I stated and took a drink.
“In private,” Cop Winston snapped.
“Fine.” I sighed. “Come up to the office.” I led them behind the bar and through the back. Upstairs, I flipped the light on and sat on the edge of a desk. I wanted to react quickly if I needed to but also to appear relaxed—even though I was anything but.
“Laney told me about the offer she made to you,” Evan stated as Ethan closed the door to the stairs.
I stared at him for a moment. “You were there for dinner. I know you are aware of it.”
“No, I’m talking about the other one. The one about clearing your record,” Evan answered.
“Okay.”
“Well, that comes with a stipulation that she didn’t have the opportunity to explain,” Ethan piped in.
“What?” I asked, knowing instantly that I would not like the answer.
They looked at one another, and Evan answered, “You need to stop sleeping with our sister.”
Ethan stepped closer. “We don’t want to see her get hurt, Bollard. You might be cleaning up your act, but we all know you aren’t husband material.”
“You’re right. I’m not,” I admitted.
“Then tell Candy it’s over.”
“Why should I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, Laney will not help you get your record expunged,” Ethan stated. “I’m pretty sure you need that to have your name on the liquor license. Eventually, Laney is going to want to sell her part in the tavern, and you won’t be able to be the only owner.”
“But I wouldn’t be. Candy will be a partner too.”
Evan sighed. “If you break it off with Candy, she will come to her senses. She can’t afford to lose that kind of money if things go sour here, Bollard. Laney can handle the loss, and Laney will step in for the entire two hundred thousand.” He paused. “Once you start recouping the money invested and have your name cleared, you can buy her out and own the place one hundred percent on your own.”
No criminal record and no partners? It would be mine, but Candy wouldn’t be in my life. I looked between the two men.
Evan sighed. “Look, I know you might like my sister, but we both know you aren’t interested in the long haul. She wants to settle down and have babies. You can’t give her that.”
Well, I could, but the question was, did I really want to? The answer to that was no.
I inhaled deeply and then released it slowly. “Fine. I will tell Candy it is over. Do I have to tell her I don’t want her as a partner too?”
Evan shook his head. “No, Laney will speak to her and tell her it’s safer if she invests. We will keep Candy out of this.”
“Okay, then I will tell her it is over.”
They both nodded, and then Ethan surprised me as he said. “I thought we were going to have to argue with you.”
