“She doesn’t seem like your usual client.”
Liam shrugs as he leans back and puts his arms out wide on the back of the couch. “Alexander is branching out.”
“And you coming to collect, that a change in things as well?”
“You know we don’t deal in favors,” William says as if he’s bored by all of this.
“If word got out that we didn’t come and collect, you know how it would go,” Liam adds with a shrug.
“How late is she?” Tommy’s eyes bounce from one man to the next.
“Twelve hours.”
From Tommy’s high eyebrow raise, I guess he didn’t expect that. I did. Hell, I expected death after missing it by a minute. Or I did.
When I sought out the Kings, they terrified me. But the fear of them was less compared to the fear of being out on the streets. I had only heard rumors about what happened out there. I knew I had no life skills and wouldn’t even know how to survive it. The loan shark seemed the safer of the two. But when I signed off on the deal, they made it very clear that late payments were not a thing. Late payments meant double the payment and a limb. Or something like that. I had been on time—early, actually—for every payment before yesterday.
But then yesterday happened, and my brain forgot how to do much. I only had one thought, and that was to get out of my apartment and go somewhere. Since I have zero places to go, work was it. Once there, well, things with Tommy had my brain focused on other things, and I forgot everything else till I saw the Kings in his living room.
“Seems steep,” Tommy mutters.
William and Liam shrug, but it’s Liam who answers. “Standard. Talk to Bobby.Youactually have it set for less time.”
Another high eyebrow, but only one this time. Not sure whether he’s surprised by whoever this Bobby is or that the Kings know it and he doesn’t. Or he does and is just surprised they do too. I’m guessing at everything, but I’m not about to raise my hand to ask a question. Seems safer to stay quiet and hope that despite them talking about me, they’ll forget I’m here.
“What’s the buyout?”
Liam and William both look at Tommy. So do I, but I haven’t a clue what he’s talking about.
“We’d have to make a call,” Liam replies.
“Not stopping you,” Tommy says before finishing his drink.
Another look passes between them before Liam stands and walks to the elevator, pulling his phone out as he goes. William stretches out on the sectional with wide legs, resting one hand on the back as the other grabs his drink.
“Like the new look.” He nods at Tommy, and I know he’s talking about his neck. The scar there that I only stared at when he wasn’t looking at me. “Ex-girlfriend or ex-partnership?”
“Neither. A brother-in-law issue.”
“Sounds like a fun family reunion. What did he do? Date your sister before he asked for permission?” William says around taking a drink.
“Actually, yeah.” Tommy shrugs as he leans forward and sets his empty glass down. “But it was more to save my nephew from his dad.”
Any type of friendliness William might have had a second ago disappears. He drops the laid-back act and goes stiff, his hand falling from the back of the couch to land beside him as he sits forward and puts his drink back down on the table. “What did he do?”
“Kidnapped the boy to Russia. We went and got him back.” Tommy’s smile is full of evil, sadistic glee at the memory of it.
“Guy still breathing?”
“What do you think?”
My eyes go wide as William nods before he sits back, at ease once again. Unlike me. My breathing seems to have doubled.
Tommy just admitted to… well, nothing, but the implication was there. That someone got hurt, and he was happy about it. Sure, kidnapping is wrong, especially of a kid, but hurting a person and smiling over it? I… I don’t know how I feel about that. And he spoke about it in front of me. What does that make me? A liability? A loose end? Or nothing, because nothing else was said?
“Right, so the payment,” Liam says as he walks back in, phone still to his ear. “Ten percent increase. Buyout fee.”
Tommy stands and offers his hand to William, who also stands. “Nice doing business with you. Please come to G-Spot anytime you’re feeling up for a scenery change from your own club. I’d be happy to have you.”
