Punc sauntered to me, turned, and put his arm around my shoulders, tucking me close to his side. “We aren’t taking any chances with this, babe. We don’t know if Frank’s gonna agree to a morning meet or if he’s gonna pull a fast one and insist on getting his money right after he talks to you.”
Blood winked at me. “Worst case, the four of us drink all of Punc’s beer before we leave, and we’ll still see you tomorrow.”
I glanced at each of the men, then realized why I felt uneasy. “Frank always comes alone, but with all of you here, it’ll be five to one. That seems over the top.”
Blood’s eyes narrowed on me, then shifted to Punc. “Why do I get the feeling you didn’t share the whole plan with her?”
I looked up at Punc.
A muscle bulged along his jawline. “Some things have to play out by ear, Blood.”
Blood’s brows shot up. “She needs to be fully aware, Punc.”
“Are you planning to kill him?” I asked, not focusing on any of the MC members because I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer.
Punc stepped in front of me and cupped his hands around my cheeks. “Savannah, nobody said anything like that.”
“Nobody ruled it out, either,” I said.
One of the men chuckled, but I ignored him.
Punc nodded. “You’re right, but let’s say we convince Frank that your dad owes the money for this loan. What’s he gonna do then?”
Punc’s hands fell away when I shook my head. “My guess would be that he’ll rough Dad up because there’s no way Dad’s good for the money.”
Punc inched closer to me. “Honey, he threatened your sister to get you to pay up. Do you honestly think that threat’s going away evenifthe debt becomes your father’s? Frank motivates people to pay him anyway he can. Your dad’s a piece of work, but he doesn’t want your sister to get hurt. She’ll still be in danger.”
Well, shit.I hadn’t considered that.
To be fair, though, I had no idea how loan sharks did business until two months ago.
“Don’t forget that he’s dealing drugs, too,” Razor said. From the tone of his voice and the thinly veiled anger lining his face, I sensed drugs were a sore subject with him. “The way we see it, if Frank isn’t in the picture any longer, not only are you out from under that bullshit debt, but a number of people won’t be able to score their next hit. It might even save their lives.”
I sighed and looked back to Punc. “I don’t want any of you to get in trouble.”
Razor smiled and stepped toward us. “Neither do we, but we’re all here because we’ve seen the impact someone like Frank has whether it’s dealing drugs or saddling people with unthinkable interest on their debt. He needs to be dealt with, and for a little while, the world will be a better place.”
“For a little while?” I asked.
Razor shrugged a shoulder. “Unfortunately, it won’t take long for some jackass to fill the void left by Frank’s absence.”
Punc moved so he had me tucked to his side again.
Blood leaned a hip against the arm of the couch. “The question now is, are you gonna be okay with us handling this - however we see fit? Once you set our plan in motion, you’re not gonna be able to change your mind.”
Everything Punc said was true. Nothing would change with Frank still in the picture. Catalina would be under threat - and probably me, too, no matter how fraught my relationship with Dad was.
“I have one more question,” I said, looking at Blood.
“Shoot,” Blood said.
“Why aren’t the police an option?”
A variety of expressions crossed Blood’s face. He looked impressed that I’d ask that, but it was immediately chased by resignation, and maybe even disappointment. Finally, he said, “We could bring the cops in, but the last time Frank was arrested, he used the same law firm the Riot has on retainer.”
I felt my brows draw lower. “How do you know that?”
Blood smiled. “Arraignments are public record. Bottom line, our law firm is excellent at their job. They’d likely have Frank out in a day or two, and he has the means to post bail, even if a judge were to set it higher than normal.”
