I was far from done. The jab was to stun him; it was my left hook that sent him crumbling to the ground. But just before his six-foot even body buckled completely, I caught him by the collar of the green T-shirt he wore, keeping him on his feet. I pushed inside of the house.
“Wallace? Who’s at the door?”
I couldn’t see the woman who called out, as my gaze was still trained on Wallace. But I realized it was his grandmother.
“We’re just some business partners of Wallace’s, ma’am. Go back upstairs,” Brutus, responded, blocking his grandmother’s view from the stairs into the living room.
“Business? Oh that’s a good thing, right? My Wally has been so concerned about business for weeks now,” she responded, a light cheer in her voice.
I paused and waited to hear her receding footsteps before turning back to Wallace.
“Sit!” I growled, pushing him down onto a beat up loveseat.
“What the hell is this about?” he groaned. “I’m calling the damn police!”
“Please fucking do, you shit for brains moron. Call them and have them arrest me for assault. I’ll be out in an hour and come back to beat your stupid ass again for the inconvenience. Then, I’ll have the police here connected with the Williamsport police department so they can arrest your ass for setting up the two robberies. And then, let’s get the FBI on the damn phone for the blackmail you attempted with my West Coast deal.”
His eyes widened. Wallace was obviously a lot dumber than he looked. The surprised expression on his face revealed he hadn’t expected me to find out all of the ways in which he’d been trying to sabotage my company.
“I’m not even going to ask why you did it. The answer is obvious. Your business went to hell in a handbasket under your direction. You had to sell your building to us at a loss. Your company folded and you blame me … because you’re a fucking idiot,” I snarled at him as I stated the last part. This dumbass really blamed me for his failures.
“And that arrogant brother of yours!” he spat back
I sat up, raising my eyebrows. “I have three arrogant brothers. Which one?” I cracked my neck, ready to punch the shit out of Wallace again.
“Aaron, that shithead— Ah!” His head snapped backwards, when another jab to his nose caused a cracking sound. “Fuck!”
“Shut up,” I growled, not wanting his grandmother to come back down the stairs. I’d hate for her to watch her grandson get his ass beat. “It’s impolite to call people names,” I stated low, close to his ear.
He was still holding his nose in agony.
“What’s my brother got to do with this?”
“I know he was behind you buying the company. He wanted to make me look bad for my kid teasing his. It was just kid stuff and he embarrassed me in that principal’s office, then stole my business!”
I took a step back, glaring down hard at Wallace.This fucking idiot.“You really believe that, huh?”
He looked up at me in bemusement. “I know it.”
I shook my head, clicking my tongue before rolling my eyes. I crouched down low. “Let’s get a few things straight. Aaron doesn’t run Townsend Real Estate.I do.Anything that has to do with Townsend Real Estate needs my okay as the final word. Not his. Secondly, Aaron’s not the type who would go through his business to seek revenge for a personal vendetta.” I moved closer to his face, pulling him to me by the collar of his shirt. “He, like the rest of us Townsends, are more than willing to get directly in your face over personal shit. And third, I want this to be very clear, so there’s no confusion. Most of what you’ve done to Townsend is business, but you robbed the wrong fucking building while my woman was there.Thatmakes this shit personal.”
“Unff!” He curled over, grabbing his belly and falling off the loveseat due to the right elbow I’d sent to his abdomen.
“You doing this here?” Brutus questioned, his eyes going from me and then to look up the steps.
I shook my head. “I know a place not too far from here.” I peered down at Wallace, my anger rising at the pathetic look in his eyes as he glanced up at me. Seeing red, I grabbed him by the back of his neck, lifting him to his feet and moving toward the door, using the rag Brutus passed me to stuff his mouth, quieting his screams.
Hours later, as I wiped my hands free of blood, Brutus strolled over to me.
“He’ll have a few less teeth but he’ll survive.”
I grunted, looking over at Wallace being dragged from the ring by two members of my security team. We were at one of my underground fighting spots in the heart of Chicago. I had my security bound and gag Wallace to drag him here so I could beat his ass without his grandmother being present. Brutus had instructions to deliver Wallace back to Williamsport, right into the hands of the police department. They’d conveniently been given all of the evidence that linked Wallace to his crimes. The FBI had also been contacted, anonymously, of course. Not only was Wallace financially ruined but he’d be able to spend the next fifteen to twenty years in jail, thinking over all of his dumb mistakes. By the way he fought, I’d be surprised if he survived the first year locked up.
“Carter’s on the line for you.”
I looked up at Brutus who was thrusting his cell in my face.
“Why aren’t you calling my phone?”
