Chapter Seventeen:
~Nikolai~
Wasted.Anightofuneventful conversation with people who gave him nothing to go home with…Nikolai’s entire evening was a wash. He took his last swig of whiskey, tipped out his bartender, and headed toward the backrooms. The Devil of the woods told him if he didn’t find anything to come see him, and while Jessie didn’t mind working with the purple fleshed snake, Nikolai disliked Knox Zraszduel. It wasn’t that Knox gave any indication he would betray the Bonesaws. Nikolai just didn’t like him.
Because if Knox ever decided to bury the Bonesaws, he could kill Jessie…and my whole world would end in the blink of an eye.He wouldn’t even have a chance to save Jessie before it happened. He’d be in cuffs and Jessie would be another body on the six o’clock news.
So, on principle, Nikolai didn’t like Knox Zrazduel.Just because.Yet, despite his feelings on the matter, Knox was a necessary evil.
Nikolai climbed off the barstool he’d been haunting and nodded at the waitress nearby. The one who led him to the bar and told him when he was ready to speak with Knox to let her know. She bowed her head and twisted on her heel. All the waitresses in the casino wore leather harnesses and woodland creature accessories. His waitress was in a soft brown bear ears with a bundle of fluff as a tail and had matching gloves and boots.They were childish and made Nikolai roll his eyes. He knew Knox had a thing for foxes but…this is a bit much.
Then again, a gimmick does help make tips.
The bear waitress led him down a winding hallway back behind all the tinkling machines and glowing signs. The casino was a maze already, making it hard for people to leave. There were no windows and it went up several floors to make it feel like one stepped into a whole other plane of existence. The air was always crisp and clean, and the staff kept people from growing stagnant or bored.
The back hallway, however, was quiet. Even though he could hear conversations from multiple staff rooms, and the woosh of the kitchen door swinging as orders were brought in and out, it was so hushed compared to the casino floor. Walls of deep burgundy, a long running carpet, and a hallway he could bump both walls with his elbows if he stretched.
Turning down a shorter hall, he ended up at a massive door with a golden fox head as the doorknob. The waitress knocked first before ducking inside. He couldn’t hear what was said, but when she popped back out, the door swung open. She motioned inside with a sweep of her hand and a smile. “Mr. Zrazduel will see you now.”
“Thanks,” he grumbled, leaving her enough room to walk past without brushing against him. He lumbered inside and shut the door behind him out of habit.
“Ah! Nikolai!” Knox turned away from his enchanted windowpanes full of security footage to smile at the bugbear with a fiendish curl of his lips. “Welcome back. So, I take it your labor was unfruitful.”
“You could say that.” Nik stepped closer till he was perched on the edge of a heavy, plush, leather chair. It was a plump ruby with cherry wood feet. The office was a long rectangle with a crackling fire, bookshelves full of an assortment of books, a fainting couch, matching cherrywood desk, imposing high-back office seat, and Knox Zrazduel. The Devil from the woods, the kingpin of King’s Fall. A purple-skinned fiend with black hornsprotruding from his forehead, slick backed inky hair, and cracks of gold through his skin like he was made of marble. He wore a well-pressed suit with a fox head tiepin, gold cuff links, and a fitted vest.
Once upon a time, Nikolai asked him what all the suit and tie business was for. Back when Jessie came with Titan for some business transaction.It might have been a delivery or something too heavy for just Titan to deliver.What he did remember was Knox chuckling,I’m a business man, little Nikolai, and my clients are buying me…I must look like a product worth investing in.
Which was the difference between the Bonesaws and Zrazduel, people bought into Jessie because he was a charming mechanic who looked like a strong, tire slinging, no-nonsense shop owner. He was honest despite the crime, he was genuine, and he would do exactly as he said he would. Knox, however, looking at him? He looked like trouble. And that’s what people bought from him…trouble.
“Now, we didn’t have a chance to discuss your problem earlier,” Knox purred softly, turning off the windows to return to a crystalized illusion of central park. Tucking himself down into his seat, he motioned for Nikolai to follow. The mechanic slid down into the chair with a heavy thump. Knox neither raised his head nor acknowledged it at all. He was looking over a crystalpad and some leather-bound ledger with a pencil. After a moment, crossing things off on the paper, he finally continued, “You were here about a problem with the Enforcers?”
“That last shipment you sent us?” Nikolai raised a brow, glad to at least speak frankly about it since Knox’s office wasn’t an open shop full of customers’ cars and possible witnesses. “Someone insinuated it had illicit goods in it.”
Knox furrowed his brows, immediately sitting back in his seat. “Did they now?”
“Yeah, we think Big Bobby wasn’t too happy with how we collected his late payment, so he whined to his friends who snitched to the Enforcers. Unless you got rats we don’t know about?” Nikolai folded his arms over his chest.
“Not that I am aware, but I will make some inquiries. Very few people knew of that shipment, and most of them are locked into contracts with me. Though, I did hear of Bobby’s displeasure. He was here not that long ago, sporting some bruises. I’ll have them run the tapes to see who he talked to, I’d also like to know who has been running their mouth.” Knox chewed on the insides of his cheek, gaze wandering away to stare through the room. Nikolai knew the man was lost in thought. It only lasted a minute or two before Knox returned his gaze back to the mechanic. “What about those products? Are they almost cleaned?”
“Jessie’s almost done with them. We’ll have them done tomorrow and delivered Tuesday, as requested.” Nik nodded.
“Good, then I’ll tell you what. I’ll see about Bobby and who he’s been whining to, and if it turns out to be a problem I’ll have Frankie the Fridge give them a visit.”
“Is that really a good idea?” Nikolai blurted out. Frankie the Fridge was notorious. A killer with no soul. A Gator-folk who didn’t distinguish between steak or traitor—meat was meat. They called him Frankie the Fridge because he chopped them up into bits and put them in his cabin till he was given the clear to eat them.Putting away the meat in the fridge, so to speak.“Bobby’s a whiner, and he’s sensitive, we all know that. He just needed to learn his lesson that you can’t get work done for free.”
Knox tutted, waggling a finger in front of him. “Did you and Jessie collect the money he owed you?”
“Yeah,” Nikolai huffed.
“And you let him live, obviously?” Knox smirked with his head cocked an inch to the side.
“Obviously,” Nikolai narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Did Jessie do anything out of the ordinary? Anything you wouldn’t expect a Bonesaw to do in order to receive payment for his services?” Knox leaned forward over the desk, hands foldingover his ledger. There was a dark, sinister look on his face.That right there is why I don’t like you, fucker.He didn’t like the gleam in his eyes when Knox was about to beexceptionally cruel. Nikolai wasn’t one to judge, he wasn’t exactly a council boy, abiding by every law and a sweetie pie. But Nikolai wasn’t Knox Zrazduel.
“No.” Nikolai exhaled the breath he was holding.
“Then what was there…To. Whine. About?” Knox raised an inquisitive brow on his face. “I saw you and Jessie were more than fair, and his whining? His meddling inmybusiness? And yours? It is notgoodfor business. I’ve invested a lot of resources and money into your boss’s shop and I won’t have them wasted by the Enforcers sniffing around. Not with the Blightwood and Fowler brats in charge. They have proven exceptionally resistant to my charms.”
