The end of a fucking era.
Walking inside is like walking into a sewer channel, but instead of shit everywhere, it’s piles of charred rubble, sopping wet sheetrock and insulation. Looking around the dance floor, I cringe. Water is still dripping, the ceiling caved in…
The fire department said it was safe to come in, though they wanted me to wear a hardhat, and that doesn’t exactly go with my outfit.
“Fuck me…” I sigh.
This is a hit for sure. Say what you will about Club Edge, but I liked it. More specifically, I liked the money it brought in. Lots andlotsof money.
Insurance companies don’t usually pay out for arson, but my insurance connections are top-notch. I’m sure my guy will work something out. Still, it’ll be chump change compared to what Edge brought in annually in membership fees.
Ugh. That pyro puta fucking ruined everything.
Four people died in the fire. He actuallykilledfour people on my property! Not to mention his parents, whom he killed the night before by burning down his own home with them in it.
The kid is clearly a firebug. He probably would’ve burned down more shit if we hadn’tcontainedthis one.
But unfortunately for him, I too like to burn people.Metaphorically, that is.
And now, he’s on his way to Alabaster Penitentiary, where he will spend the rest of his days wishing he’d had the good sense to swallow a bullet or something before they could rescue him frommyburning building.
“Holy fuck…” A smooth voice snaps me out of my stewing, and I turn.
There’s a young light-skinned guy with short faded hair and a nose ring stepping into what used to be a room. He looks vaguely familiar.
“Who are you?” I ask curtly, unable to pretend I’m not severely displeased with everyone in the world right now.
His eyes are wide, distracted gaze scanning what’s left of my fucking club. “Uh… Yari. My name is Yari Estevez. I work here…Worked, I guess.”
He sighs and rubs his eyes. My brows lift.
“I didn’t realize how bad it was…” he goes on, stepping around large pools of collected water. “I was inside when the fire started…”
“You were?” I balk, and he nods.
“Luckily I was near an exit so I got right out.Fuck, my friend… Jonah.” He sniffs. “I heard he didn’t… make it.”
The kid’s vibrant eyes are welling with sadness while I’m busy reeling.
The bartender… who put his dick in Angel’s mouth… died?
I have no normal responses to offer this person, who is clearly upset. Admittedly, I’m not great at consoling people. So instead, I go for an attempt at distraction from all these heaping piles of burnt bullshit.
“Wanna go get drunk?”
The kid stares at me for a few puzzled seconds, likely because I’m a stranger and all. But it doesn’t take him long to shrug and nod. “Okay.”
Wandering away, I can hear him following me. “My name is Manuel Blanco, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you,” Yari murmurs. “Were you a member, or…?”
“I’m the owner.”
His face goes still in shock and awe. It has me smirking as we leave, all memories of The Edge wafting away like smoke. The good, and the very bad.
That place is definitely going to be haunted. I feel bad for whatever office building or high-rise condo they put in its place.
I bring Yari to a bar up the block that makes good Manhattans, and we drink for a while.Heavily.
