AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fight club?” Jay’s brow arched. “Text me everything.”
“I will.” Daniel made eye contact with each of them, and they gave a single nod in return. Fortified with the knowledge they had his back, Daniel made his way across town.
He entered the casino Troy used for his headquarters via a sidestreet entrance and weaved his way toward the elevators. March had made his home inside the Taj Mahal casino, which fell apart soon after his demise. Daniel had cheered to see it imploded six months later, but sadly, there was always another casino to take its place.
The casino Troy had made his home base in fell in the middle of the road when compared to many of the others along Pacific Ave. Yet still they came: gamblers bitched about the low-win percentages, diners raved about the decor. Daniel thought his eyes might fall out of his head with as many times as he’d rolled his eyes hearing customers’ dual compliments and complaints.
As he rode the elevator to the thirteenth floor, Daniel stared at an old-time photo of the boardwalk and wondered if this casino would also crumble once Troy was taken care of like the Hell-born demon Marchosias’ had been. Atlantic City, then and now, was always in a constant state of turmoil. Corruption lurked in every corner, greed seeped into the bedrock. From the Prohibition mobs of yesteryear to the gangs of today… If only the ocean’s tide could wash away its cycle of sin…
The doors opened, and Daniel stepped off, smoothing his tie and buttoning his jacket. He checked in with Ginny, Troy’s receptionist, the newest in a stretch of bleach-blonde wanna-be actresses. The third maybe? Fourth? He couldn’t remember—might even be the fifth just this year. This one was in her mid-twenties, with an actual brain between her ears. He’d seen Troy get handsy with her, but she shot him down every time. Ginny would whisper to him that she was saving herself for Mr. Right, and Troy was, sadly, Mr. Wrong. Troy would laugh and leave her alone for a few days before trying again. The joke was getting old, but Daniel admired her tenacity.
He took a seat while she buzzed the boss. “Sir, Daniel’s here to see you.”
“I need a few more minutes. What’s my schedule for tomorrow?”
Ginny’s long fingernails, a bright red he noticed, clicked on her keyboard. Daniel grabbed his phone and quickly opened his notes app.
“Lunch with Mr. S., Veronica at three. Dinner with Mr. B.”
“Diablo’s Friday night?”
Daniel’s thumbs flew as he quickly transcribed everything Ginny and Troy said.
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s the status on our Men-in-Black?”
Daniel froze.Who?
“Still lurking, sir,” Ginny responded, winking at Daniel.
The line went quiet for a few minutes, during which Daniel attempted to slow his breathing and heart rate down to something that resembled normal before Troy told Ginny to send him in. Daniel rapped on the door, then entered.
“Have a seat, Dan.”
Daniel gritted his teeth. He hated when people called him “Dan,” but he had enough self-preservation not to argue with a man who could order him dead at any second. He withdrew the envelope and placed it on the desk before sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs on his side of the impressive desk.
“I’m impressed.” Mr. Troy leaned back in his chair, letting the cash lie untouched. “I didn’t think you’d get it.”
“Why not?”
“She’s got protection.”
“Two teenage boys aren’t much protection.”
“Were they the only ones you saw?” Mr. Troy looked doubtful.
“Mary, Joe, and the kids. That’s it.”
“You lucked out, Dan. Her guardian angels usually aren’t far away.”
Daniel shrugged. “Guess I got lucky. She barely made a fuss.”
Mr. Troy leaned forward and slid open the top drawer of his desk. “I believe in making your own luck. Nevertheless, you did your job, you get your cut.” He extracted a thin, plain white envelope and handed it to Daniel.
Daniel slid the envelope into his pocket. He didn’t need to count it. There would be five crisp $100 bills inside. Laundered money. He loathed taking it, but he had bills to pay and the rent was due. There was another reason he didn’t want the money. Besides the cash, he knew he’d find a strip of paper listing his next “job.” He sincerely hoped what Theo, Ari, and the others said was true, that God would help him because he was pretty sure extortion wouldn’t help his resume in getting past those Pearly Gates.
“Anything else, Mr. Troy?”
