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Mickey raises a bushy white brow at me. “A little early to be hitting the hard stuff, son, don’t you think?”
“That’s what I said,” Punk adds to the criticism, taking the stool next to me.
“Will you lay off me? My woman is going to be working with her ex, and it’s my goddamn fault.”
Mickey whistles low between his teeth, turning to the top shelf to pull down a bottle of Blanton’s. He pours me a tumbler over ice and passes me the amber liquor.
“That’s shit luck, son. Here, drink up. It’s on the house. But do this old man a favor. Order some food and don’t start a bar fight. Okay?”
“Sure thing, Mickey,” I say, raising my drink to him before taking a slow sip and enjoying the burn of the bourbon. If only it could burn away my frustration.
My brothers and I are digging into our gyros when the bar falls silent. There’s only one dude who earns that level of respect in these parts. I don’t bother greeting Prez when he takes the seat next to me at the bar and Gauge the seat next to him.
Mickey gives Atlas his usual Eagle Rare and a beer for our VP before heading into the kitchen to grab their food. The bar slowly returns to normal levels of easy conversation.
Atlas sips his bourbon, his eyes focused on the major league baseball postseason game playing on the flat screen TV as he addresses me. “You understand why I kept her on the assignment, right?”
The food in my mouth goes dry when he mentions Simone. I swallow down the jagged pieces before clearing my throat.
“The same reason I asked her to join the team. She’s an asset to the case. Doesn’t mean I have to be fucking happy about it.”
“No one said you had to be happy about it. You just need to keep your shit together while working the assignment, especially with the fuckwad ex involved.”
A few patrons behind us share heated words. We look over our shoulders to assess the situation. Two truckers at one table throw shade with two loggers at another regarding the baseball game. When it looks like the altercation isn’t escalating beyond verbal words, we turn our attention back to the bar.
“You say that like it’s easy. Trent will be near my woman. Can’t we request a different liaison?”
“On what grounds, Chase? Give us a different liaison because my head of tech has a problem with our auditor working with her ex?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Atlas gives me a pointed look. “You know damn well we’d look unprofessional as hell if I did that. The firm would be within its rights to break the contract. This is our livelihood, bro. We work the tough jobs that bring in the most money. This one will just be tougher for you. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if you didn’t go over my head—I would’ve put a full stop to it.”
“I agree. It’s my fault for inviting her to join. Still, circumstances have changed for this mission. When shit changes on the job, you make the appropriate adjustments for optimal success.”
Atlas nods. “Problem is, there’s no better substitute for Simone. She knows the financial firm, the building, the staff, how the system works, and she’s a damn good accountant.”
Desperate for a way out of this mess, I argue one last point. “He hurt my woman, Prez. She doesn’t deserve him creeping on her while working the case.”
Atlas lays a hand on my shoulder. “You know your woman is tough as nails, brother. If Simone couldn’t handle her ex, she would’ve backed out. But she didn’t. That says a lot about her character. She isn’t going to let what he did affect her, nor should you. She’ll have Punk watching over her, and you’ll be there to oversee it all.”
Feeling a migraine coming on, I push my fingers under my glasses, pinching the bridge of my nose. As much as it pains me to admit it, Atlas is right. Simone can handle this case. She belongs on the team, and I need to get over my insecurities. The question is, how?
“Talk to her,” Gauge urges me, reading my mind. “Tell her your concerns and talk them out.”
“Preferably when you’re more rational,” Atlas adds.
“Again, not easy when she avoids me and thinks all I want is to get in her pants.”
Gauge is quick to respond. “When the opportunity arises, be frank with her. Don’t think with your dick, speak with your heart, and be honest.”
All the tips my brothers are giving me are simple, but putting them into action will be my biggest obstacle, as well as getting her alone. I just need an opportunity, just one moment of her time, to have a heart-to-heart before we leave for Sacramento.
The men bickering behind us start shouting. Our crew turns on our stools to face them. Mickey doesn’t need this kind of shit happening in his pub. It’s only a matter of minutes before the verbal fighting will turn physical, and then we’ll step in like we always do.
Brass leans over to Reaper. “Twenty on the young, skinny trucker throwing the first punch.”
Reaper eagerly shakes on it. “Deal. You may as well pay up. The younger one will say something to piss off the older logger. Loggers always throw the first punch.”
