As he approached, he raised his hand. Monster moved his knife right before Ghoul slapped him like a bitch.
“Fuck,” Cliff cursed. “I told you I need more time, Ghoul. Breaking into my home at night isn’t going to change that.” The man spoke in a definitive but disrespectful tone.
Bulldog took two strides to close the distance, coming into Cliff’s personal space. He gave Monster a nod, and he brought his knife back around, nicking Cliff’s ear on purpose.
The man hissed in pain, but the attention was squarely on Bulldog. “First, asshole, adjust the attitude, or you and I will have a bigger problem than you can handle.”
He nodded at Monster again, and he brought his knife higher, separating the lobe from his cheek.
“Fu—”
“Shush.” Bulldog grabbed his chin. “Second. You’ll give us half of what you owe us now, and the rest within forty-eight hours, or Monster here will take the ear as compensation, and you’ll still have just two days to get our dough. Your choice, Cliff. Half now or the ear now.”
“Okay,” the man spat, none too happy. “I have twenty in my safe I can give you tonight, along with a family heirloom. I can get the rest, but your … associate … needs to give me some space.”
Bulldog inclined his head, and Monster stepped back.
“Do you mind?” he sneered at Bulldog. The man’s disrespect rubbed Monster the wrong way. Apparently, Ghoul didn’t care for it either. He stepped forward and open-handedly slapped Cliff.
“Show some respect to our Vice President, madam.” Ghoul said haughtily, and neither brother could fully contain the laughter at the way Ghoul was handling it.
“What?” He turned toward Monster as Cliff rubbed his cheek. “He’s dressed like a chick in his red jammies and look—he even pissed himself like a scared little pussy. So, I wanted to show her the proper respect. Lead by example and all that shit.”
Ghoul turned back to Cliff when he spat angrily, “I didn’t piss myself, as you well know.” Everyone’s eyes drifted toward the still leaking waterbed.
“Someone else pissed your pants? Whatever you say, princess, let’s go. Where’s the safe?” Ghoul took him by the arm and led him downstairs where Cliff indicated.
Monster thought he caught Carys’s scent. Shaking his head, he scolded himself for letting his mind wander back to her.
Cliff fumbled with the combination.
“Come on, Cliff. We haven’t got all day. You can only stall for so long.”
“I’m not stalling. I’m wet and … I need to get steady.”
Cliff reached for the cart next to the still unopened safe and grabbed a decanter. Removing the stopper, he upended it. Monster cut his eyes to his Veep with an are we really letting this guy punk us look.
Bulldog lifted a hand to stay Monster.
“What’s the holdup, Cliff?”
“Just nerves. I mean, when have I ever done the club wrong? So, I got a little behind. It happens, but instead of treating me with the respect I’ve always extended to you, you come into my home like animals in the middle of the night. Leaving me wet and scared, and you expect me to be able to open my safe without a few hiccups?”
Cliff drank some more, plopping down in his office chair.
“Awe, does the princess need a change of clothes? How about we make her some soup and braid her hair?”
Ghoul paced, then turned to his Veep. “Let me have his ear or a finger. I bet he’ll remember the number really fast.”
“You always had it out for me, haven’t you, Ghoul?” Cliff stood and pointed his finger. “It’s like dogs and cats. You see me and you start hissing and scratching.”
Monster didn’t care for his chosen analogy. A little too close to home. He inhaled deeply. No shifter smell detected. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
“Enough, Cliff,” Bulldog roared. “Open the safe now, or it’s all due tonight and Ghoul gets an ear and a finger.”
“Please, by all means, stay seated,” Ghoul teased.
“Fine.” Cliff slammed the decanter down and stood. He spun the dial back and forth. After a few seconds, he pulled the door open. “Take it. Take it all.” Cliff walked back to his desk. Grabbing the decanter and heading toward the office door as Bulldog took the contents.
