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“You here to meet Spike?”
“Who wants to know?”
“We’re moving the meeting to Chuck’s.”
“Why?”
“He’s taking care of some business on that side of town. Be there in twenty.”
“I’ll be there in thirty.”
“Spike says twenty.”
“Spike doesn’t dictate my time. He changed the place. He’ll wait till I get there. Besides, I’ve got something that he wants,” I say.
When the man leaves I send a quick text to Jared who is at the newsstand outside.
Green coat. Black hat. Tail him.
On it.
I tell two of my men to get to Chuck’s ahead of me. The other two will follow me there,
I wait a full ten minutes before I move. I leave payment and a tip for the coffee I had when I arrived and walk outside. The chilly December air makes me pull my coat a little closer.
I get into my car and circle the block before heading in the direction of the seediest bar in the city. Spike wants to be on his own turf, clearly. I suspected he would pull a switch like this. Within five minutes of the spot, I know all of my men have already blended in seamlessly with the general population. I park and remain seated for a while before getting out. I doublecheck my holsters and the envelope in my jacket. I step inside and am immediately engulfed in dim lighting. I allow my eyes to adjust before walking further inside. The bartender looks up and looks around nervously as I slide onto a stool. He comes over to me.
“We’re closed,” he tells me.
“I have a meeting with Deon.”
“Oh. In that case. What can I get you?”
I have a beer while I wait. Two of my men slink in and sit in the shadows. The bartender looks up again and I wink. He relaxes. The minutes pass as I sit and stare. Finally, I sense movement at the other end of the bar. I look up to see the same man from the diner. He points his chin in the direction of the kitchen and I nod. I wait for him to slide off his stool before I follow him. I see my men follow out of the corner of my eye.
When I step into the kitchen with my men behind me, I’m facing three men, one of whom is from the diner. I focus on the man in the middle.
“Deon. It’s been a while.”
“Colleymore. Imagine my shock to find you at the bottom of this triangle. Had I known little reds was your boy, I’d have come to you in the first place. You got something for me?”
He turns and walks toward the back of the kitchen. I follow him to an office. It is a stark juxtaposition to the overall air of the bar. It is luxurious and feels like it belongs in a penthouse suite uptown. I feel the tension in the air as the men crowd in behind us. He takes a seat behind the desk and I slide the thick manilla envelope across the desk. I watch as he counts it all. He hands it to one of his cronies and smiles as he looks at me.
“Nice doing business with you. See you in a few months when he comes back to borrowing again and comes up short on payment.”
“That won’t happen. And that covers Sidney as well.”
“Ah yes. The little lady. Such a pity I didn’t get to taste that the other day when I was shaking her down. I’m sure she’s tight and hot too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t’ve had her under wraps like that.” He throws his head back and laughs. “Maybe I’ll pay her a visit sometime.”
I see red as he mentions Sidney. I’m across the desk in a split second. I grab his lapel and throw him halfway across the room. I see his men pull their guns but he waves them back. He comes at me like a bull and I grab him and push him into the desk.
“Not so tough when you’re not beating up a defenseless woman, are you?” I punch him across the face. He grabs my shirt and manages to land a headbutt. His attack fuels my anger and we are soon wrestling back and forth. Our men stand around. This fight is on principle, not weaponry.
I get the upper hand and have Spike pinned to the floor, punching him back and forth. I hit him one more time and he coughs.
“Quit. Quit.”
I grab his lapel again and growl, “Leave Grant and Sidney alone. Got that?”
