LEVI
The brakes squealed slightly as I came to a stop, and I frowned, making a mental note to have someone look at them. Mechanical expertise was... well, not my expertise, but I’d dealt with enough vehicles to feel confident it was probably the brakes. The car was supposed to be in good shape and was relatively new; there was no reason for that kind of noise. Some people might be tempted to give me shit and call me fussy over an annoying noise, but I liked to think of it as having standards.
Some people? You can just come right out and say Dom.
I sighed. “I suppose at this moment in my life, he would be the only one inclined to do so.”
What a depressing thought.
“That he’s the only one willing to give me shit?” I wondered as I stared at the warehouse and the men standing outside, waiting for me. The windows of the car were heavily tinted, so they couldn’t see me talking to myself from a distance.
Yes.
“And how is that depressing?”
I don’t know, Levi, what could be depressing about being surrounded by people who take everything so seriously that they can’t come up with a good joke, or people who are tooterrified of upsetting you that they wouldn’t dare. You spent your whole life around people who knew how to laugh and wouldn’t let you take yourself too seriously, until you decided to leave. Now?
“I’m not sure what to say in the face of you thinking that someone giving me trouble is a positive thing.”
Oh...is that why you’re ignoring his texts?
I grimaced and chose to leave that one alone. Didn’t stop me from picking up my phone, unlocking the screen to look at the couple of texts he’d sent me. Some dimly hopeful part of me had hoped he’d throw the napkin away like an intelligent person, or just lose it. I hadn’t had much hope for either; my luck hadn’t been good enough lately for the second, and he was far too determined for the first. I also knew there wasn’t much point in ignoring his texts for much longer; he would hunt me down.
Is this what we’re gonna do?
I sighed, bringing up the message and tapping back to him.
Sorry, been busy. I don’t have an off-season or much downtime, unlike someone I know.
I tucked my phone away and slid out of my car.
I had no sooner stepped out and taken a moment to adjust my jacket before I felt my phone buzz. “Jesus, are you hovering around the phone, Dom?”
My shoes crunched on the asphalt of the poorly maintained parking lot as I made my way toward the warehouse. I snuck a glance at the phone and snorted.
Wow, aren’t we feeling extra bitchy today?
Then I watched as the next one popped up.
I hope you aren’t stupid enough to think that’s gonna piss me off enough to stop talking. I’ll blow your shit up.
“Gentlemen,” I said to the two at the door as I shot back a reminder to Dom that he should keep in mind that ‘blowing your shit up’ can mean different things, especially for someone likeme, before silencing the phone and tucking it away. “Does this mean we’re ready?”
“Yes, sir,” one of them said, swinging the rusty door open so I could step inside. The inside was stuffy in comparison. I didn’t think the place had seen fresh air in a couple of decades, and the smell of rot and shit was strong, rat shit to be specific. I had smelled it enough times that I could recognize it instantly, though I wasn’t particularly fond of the smell. A few lights had been turned on, but that only made the shadows look more threatening and ominous, even with one of the guards at my side, while the other stayed behind. Not that I wasn’t capable of dealing with a threat, but I wasn’t exactly a combat expert, and a show of strength and confidence was important for this type of meeting.
From further down the aisle of dusty shelves, quick feet approached, and I watched as Will appeared, flashing me a nervous smile before coming to my side. “Both of them are here, arrived just before you did.”
“Punctual of them,” I said, making a mental note. I had expected my...guests to make a point by making me wait. That meant I was already operating under a false assumption, so I needed to be careful. Those kinds of mistakes could quickly become lethal. I still expected some form of power play, that was the nature of the beast when the beast was formed by criminal politics. “And their people?”
“They brought about the same amount,” Will said in a low voice that wouldn’t carry beyond our brief conversation. “Ours were ready before theirs got here.”
“Did they arrive with them or after?”
“One of them came with their men, did a sweep, and got into their own positions. No trouble, but the guy who came with them...makes me nervous.”
“If they didn’t make you nervous, I would be concerned for your mental health,” I said dryly.
“He’s...I don’t know, dangerous.”
