“Liar, pants on fire.” Memphis chuckles.
“What are we? Six?” I joke with him.
“Don’t think I didn’t see the way you looked when Jackson mentioned the missing kid and Lottie. I saw her too that night at the festival. Someone turned the old detective switch on.” Memphis knows a thing or two.
“I’m observant.” I respond back.
“Yeah, I’m sure that was it. She piqued your interest, didn’t she?”
She did and I wanted to take the cuffs in my pocket at the time and win the challenge. But something about her that was alluring and all I wanted to do is get to know her.
“Don’t know what you are talking about.” I look back at him.
“Oh you have it bad. The great Keola is underestimating all of this. I bet that you’re going to try to wear her down, ruffle some feathers, and then show her the sweet, protective side that you hide under the grumpy, cocky exterior.” Memphis starts to analyze me. I don’t know whether to be concerned that he knows me too well or that he could be wrong.
“Look, I’m just filling in my volunteer hours and if that means I have to see her everyday in the early evenings, I’m not mad about it.”
“Wait until I tell Topaz.” He gloats.
“Keep your mouth shut. I don’t need her to yank my chain anymore than she does already.” She is like the little sister of the group, not formally patched in or anything but she has been there to break up fights, understood club business, and felt like family. On top of being a pain in my ass.
My phone starts to buzz with one of the “business partners” calling me.
“Yeah?” I pick up to answer it.
“Johnson. I’m calling to confirm my pick up for this weekend.” This one is a headache, always paranoid that the job would not be completed. We haven’t lost a shipment or a contract. We had our rules. No drugs, and no human beings. But some contraband we might turn our heads for. It was a requirement that we all get licensing for trucking, which was something new when I came to the states.
“Yeah Bobby. We are picking it up Friday evening to be dropped off in the early morning. But you know the deal. Half now before we pick it up and the other half once we arrive.” That was my rule. Being treasurer, I at least oversee payment and enforce it from the partners. Part of being treasurer is an interesting job, making bank runs and overseeing the accounts of all the other businesses.
“I’ll have it to you Thursday night. I’m waiting for the accounts to be cleared beforehand.”Likely story.
“You know the rule, if I don’t see any payment, no delivery. And don’t pull the last minute crap you tried to pull on us last time. Do you understand? Would hate to have any accounts frozen or the police called,” It was an empty threat but likely something would happen to his business, hate to have the fire department come out.
“I said I’d have payment, I’ll pay.” He stumbles over his words.
“Don’t fuck with the wolves, you won’t like the bite.” I growl into the phone and end the call.
Seriously, you won’t like the bite?
Memphis just stares at me with a flashy smile. “What?” I asked.
“You gotta work on your threats. Teresa and Topaz make better threats than you,” He laughs.
It’s true, verbally I’m not the most frightening. Physically, people tend to cower in fear or turn the other way. Unless it’s Charlottle, she couldn’t stop staring.
“Whatever man, it got the job done, didn’t it?” I question him.
He throws his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying, I’m calling it like I see it.”
I shake my head. Sometimes he is too good and gets in your head, like the hidden therapist he is. “Are you going to go back and volunteer?” He asked me. It is a dumb question because he knew the answer.
“Kind of don’t have a choice. Rawlings and Jackson deemed it a new rule.” I say trying to find the truth in the fact. But with Memphis there was no hiding the truth from him. He just smirks and says, “Sure, that’s why you’re going back. It has nothing to do with the purple haired beauty that isn’t what she seems.”
“I have to get her out of my head. I want her but there is no way that club business and her family lifestyle is going to allow me to get close with her.” Not a complete lie, but there’s some selfish reasoning. Her nephew looked like a good kid, innocent. He doesn’t need to be burdened with the blood that was on our hands with the business and with our rivals. Hell, Teresa took a bullet for one of the men, I mean she was involved with him beforehand. Well actually, she has taken a bullet or two and had a target on her back. But Charlotte and her nephew didn’t need to be involved anymore than they already are.
“Honesty is the best approach.” Memphis suggests. The big man hasn’t been in a relationship longer than I have.
“Right, going up to the woman and saying, ‘I want you and oh, I might not be the best choice in men’. Yeah Memphis, that’s the best pick up line,” I say to him, chugging the rest of my mug of coffee.
