A group of men, all dressed in clown costumes, began to emerge from the abandoned structures.
“Hey, boss? We just arrived at the address you gave us, and check this out.” Blade put his phone on speaker and clicked on the video option. He scanned the view ahead of them.
They all sat in silence as laughter erupted on the other end of the call.
“Why do you think that Ace didn’t want to come? Meet theCrimson Carnies, boys. They’re a group of ex-carny folk who decided there was more money in crime than in making children laugh. Colorful, aren’t they, boys?” Marcus asked, chuckling over the speaker.
“You know I hate clowns, right, boss?” Nikolai growled through clenched teeth.
“Trust me. These guys are more afraid of you than you are of them,” Marcus responded, amusement dripping through the cell.
Blade and Niko exchanged glances. Neither of them found this very funny.
“See if they have any cotton candy. I prefer the blue and pink swirl if they have any. Have fun, boys! Oh, and make sure that their payment isn’t counterfeit. You know how these clowns like to goof around.” Marcus ended the call with another bout of laughter.
Niko, Caden, and Blade all exchanged glances. They didn’t find this situation very funny after all. No wonder Ace kept smiling at them when they were loading up the guns for delivery.
“I don’t care what he says, I’m not taking any chances,” Niko mumbled, reaching into the arm console and pulling out his trusted brass knuckles.
He slid them on over his fingers.
“Any one of those freaks gets too close to me, they will be breathing through an oxygen tube.”
“Sounds like a plan. Cade, you go and introduce yourself,” Blade offered, eyes still locked on the horde of clowns waiting by the entrance.
“You’re such a dick,” Caden responded, opening the back door to the van.
They needed to get out of the truck before the Crimson Carnies started thinking they were a threat and began making balloon animals for their protection.
Taking a breath, they all exited the van.
24
NIKOLAI
Two weeks before the big wedding, Ace and Blade decided to have their bachelor party.
Normally, the event would have been filled with strippers, booze, and loads of debauchery. But considering the two getting married—one a possessive blade thrower and the other a vindictive, jealous Latino—it was safer for everyone if they stayed away from naked strippers and focused more on the booze and rowdy good times.
After a long and arduous discussion, which turned into a two-day argument concluding in what could only be described as a savage sex-beating, the happily engaged couple finally decided they wanted to go camping for their bachelor party.
There was nothing like spending the weekend in the woods with your boys, boozing it up by the fire, with a shit ton of mosquitoes.
It had been a few days since their trip to the farm, and Reid insisted that there wasn’t much they could do on their end. Simon and his team were investigating the farm and its financials to see what kind of information they could find. So,in the meantime, they should go out with the boys and celebrate Ace and Blade’s final stage of freedom.
Niko reluctantly agreed.
As it turned out, Reid was becoming fast friends with Ace and the other guys. The boys were quickly falling for Reid’s charm and wit, often sharing laughs and inside jokes to which Niko was not privy.
Niko wouldn’t say he was jealous. Perhaps a littleenviousthat his best friend—his closest ally—was sharing his attention with people… people who weren’t him.
And why shouldn’t he be… envious? Reid was his best friend, his confidante, and the only person who truly knew him.
He was the one who brought Reid soup when he was sick or had a sore stomach. He was the one who made sure that no one messed with Reid when they worked for Mikhail back in the day. And now, he was the one who…hmm, perhaps he was a little jealous.
Once the tents were all set up and the campsite had been arranged, the guys decided to do a bit of fishing. Well, Marcus, Caden, and Blade did the fishing, while Lucas and Ace floated around on a large double-man inner tube that they somehow convinced Blade to inflate for them. The two leisurely floated around the lake, sipping cocktails, talking about boys and which drag queen should have won the latest competition on television.
Niko and Reid had no desire to play with worms or smell like fish, so they decided to take a canoe out and enjoy some beers on the water. Playing with worms and touching fish was not their idea of having a good time. Neither was sleeping on the floor, but hey, sometimes you do things just because everyone else is doing them.
