Page 46 of Paladin's Hell

The bacon and eggs go down well. Finished, I stand, take my plate over to Jeannie who relieves me of it, then walk to my office. The day starts well. I manage to get a couple of hours’ work done before I have an interruption.

“Prez?”

“Cad. Come in. Everything okay?”

For an answer, he hands me a USB. I plug it into my laptop, pausing while it does its stuff. Before I press play, I ask. “What am I lookin’ at?”

“Footage from behind Tits Up. From last night.”

On my laptop appears a view of the rear of our strip club. Certainly looks like someone’s casing the joint to me. Whoever it is wears a hoodie pulled up over his head, his face virtually concealed by a bandana. In the dim light, it’s impossible to make out anything useful at all. But the fact he’s there is what’s got our security guy worried.

“Have you told Taser?”

“Yeah, warned him before him and the new brother headed out. Young Pal seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Offered to check it out when he gets there. Immediately asked what security is on the girls.”

“You think someone’s planning something?”

Cad shrugs. “Can’t rule it out. I’m going to go back over all the recordings, see if there’s anything I’ve missed before. Pal’s right. We need to keep an eye on the girls, and check nothing’s been tampered with.”

Could be someone planning a robbery, but whoever it is must have balls if they’re considering going up against the Satan’s Devils. “Let me know if you dig anything else up. We’ll discuss it at church later. Beef up the security in the meantime.”

Dismissed, Cad leaves my office, my eyes linger on the empty doorway, my nose twitching. I’ve learned to trust it. After a moment, I pull my laptop toward me, and go back to the spreadsheet I was looking at before.

But I’m not to have long to myself. Another knock, this time it’s Demon. As he enters, I close the lid of my laptop, my attention one hundred percent on my son, my brother. Fuck, I don’t know what to call him, how to treat him. This man I saw birthed, held his hand as he took his first steps, bought him his first bike and showed him how to ride it, taught him how to grow into a man. Yeah, he’s my son for all intents and purposes.

From the way his brow’s creased there’s something on his mind, whether personal or business I can’t be sure. “What’s up, VP?”

“Lizard says someone’s been messing around the shop.”

My eyes sharpen. Another of our businesses? This time, the tattoo parlour. I press my lips together. “Cad’s just been in here. Someone was at the back of the strip club last night.”

Demon’s face darkens. He reaches into his cut and takes out his phone. “Rusty. Take a careful look around the bowling alley, yeah? Someone’s been eyeing up some of our businesses. See if anyone’s noticed anything strange. Yeah. Great.” He looks at me and shakes his head, then places another call. “Pyro. You were just going to call me? What’s…? Fuck. What’s missing? Who the fuck? Yeah. Keep me posted, and yeah, talk to Cad.” This time when he ends the call, he answers the question in my eyes.

“Pyro said someone broke into the auto-shop last night. Only just found out. Not sure whether anything else was taken yet, but a few new spare parts that were on special order are definitely missin’. Parts that took an age to come in as well. He hasn’t yet found out where or how they got in.”

“Inside job?” Last thing I want to think about. We trust our employees, but there’s always a chance.

“He’s considering it, but fuck, Prez, he doesn’t want to go there. And linked with the other reports? Got to wonder whether there’s anyone fucking with us. Too much of a coincidence to be isolated attacks.”

My thoughts echoed from earlier.

“I’ll get over to the auto-shop, help Pyro see what’s what. Don’t like this, Prez.”

Me either.“Pyro said he thought shit might have been taken before.”

“Yeah. But Pyro said boxes had been torn open. No attempt to hide a theft. Not a chance this could be accidental.” Demon stands. “Oh, and what you suggested? If you’re thinkin’ of steppin’ down because you can’t take the heat any longer, if the brothers want me, I’m willin’ to take over. But if you think I’m seeing it as my right to sit in that chair, you couldn’t be more fuckin’ wrong, you hear me, old man?”

I pick up a piece of paper, wad it, and chuck it at him. “Less of the ol’ fuckin’ man, you hear me, son.”

The door closes on the sound of him chuckling. Do I take it that he’s bearing no grudge for me keeping that immense secret from him? Sounds like we might be finding a way forward. Doing what we do best, putting our heads together on club business seems to have removed the last of the awkwardness that had come between us.

That’s one weight off my mind. One thing going my way. Now just got to find out who’s messing with the club. I don’t believe in coincidences.

I’ve also got to find some way to make shit right with Moira.

Stress? Well, I’ve just got to deal with it.

---