Cigarettes are lit. Angel drums his fingers on the tabletop. Luca texts away on his phone. King looks guilty. No doubt thinking he’s at fault if this is about Annabel.
“Before the pigs get here, I wanted to tell you all that I’m getting married soon.”
All eyes swing in Maxwell’s direction, brows raised, no one saying a word for a long minute. Not until Warren asks, “Since when? And more importantly, who the fuck would marry you?”
“She’s called Ruby, and brothers, she is a fuckin’ Goddess.”
“How come we haven’t seen her around?” I ask.
Warren laughs and slaps his brother on the back. “Because he’s dreaming.” Looking at Maxwell, he asks, “Is Ruby the woman who turned you down at Darius’s place the other night?”
“She didn’t turn me down, she wasn’t ready to know me.”
Brothers burst out laughing. “What’s so funny? She’ll come around and when she does, I’m marrying her. Tying her down as soon as I can.”
“What if she doesn’t?” I ask him.
Rolling his eyes, he says, “She will. I’m a fuckin’ catch.”
Over his shoulder I see cops creeping up to the door on the security screens.
“Show time,” I murmur just as the door slams wide open.
Luca was right, we’ve been saved from having to replace the door. He’s first on his feet. “What the fuck is going on?” he demands.
Brothers, including me, holler and do our part to make them believe we had no idea they were coming.
“Every ass down on the floor, now! Hands behind your heads!” A cop hollers. We’re outnumbered four to one and have just as many guns trained on us.
“Are you gonna tell us why you’re here or shall I assume you’ve got the wrong address.”
With us all on the floor with our hands behind our backs, officers cuff us. The Mayor walks in and paces before us.
“Tell me where my daughter is and I won’t rip this place down.”
Luca’s laughter sets off the Mayor. “Tell me what happened to her!” he bellows.
“How the fuck would I know? She was here and then she left, didn’t tell any of us. Don’t make this our problem,” Luca replies.
“Oh this is certainly your problem. My daughter was last seen here, there is no sighting of her since your call to Jamie Hayward. She wouldn’t go this long without calling me for money or help. If you are true to your word, then you’re going to help me find her. The death threats I was receiving before, you will start with them, and you will track her down.”
“I don’t have to do shit. I was asked to keep watch over her and I did. She left. She’s no longer my problem.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You have seventy-two hours to bring her back to me or you all go down for twelve counts of murder. Your little shoot out didn’t go unnoticed, and I will make sure you and your club pay for it if my Annabel doesn’t come home.”
Watching Luca speak with the Mayor, you wouldn’t know he is lying through his teeth. “Where the fuck am I supposed to start? Apart from her reading her books, we don’t know shit about her.”
“Start from here, it was the last place she was seen after all.”
An officer walks over. “There’s nothing here.”
The Mayor’s disbelief is comical. Fuck him.
The place empties as fast as they rushed in. The Mayor glares at Luca one last time and he too, leaves.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” King asks.
“First, you’re gonna stop asking stupid questions,” Luca snaps. “We ain’t doing shit. We don’t bend to the Mayor’s will just because he speaks. He’ll soon learn that.”
