Page 3 of Savage
I groaned. “That’s not an option either. We are not getting involved with the motorcycle gang.”
Sayge sighed. “It could be fun.”
And there it was, Sayge’s demon side. I pointed at him. “Don’t even think about it. Plus, there is no guarantee they would take all three of us in.”
Everyone stopped talking at that realization. “We promised to stick together forever,” Sayge whispered.
Dar nodded as he pushed his metal-framed glasses up. It was probably time to acquire a new prescription. He’d had the same pair for four years, and I noticed he’d been squinting a lot more. We just needed a little more extra funds, and then we could do it.
If only money grew on trees.
“I can take up a decent amount at the strip club in one night,” Sayge suggested again.
I groaned. “And get kidnapped in the process. More than a few people have gone missing from that club. You know the rumors.”
“But they’re just rumors,” Sayge stressed.
“You know what family runs that territory. We can’t take chances,” I said. The last thing any of us needed was to be caught by the mafia. There were too many stories of men falling in love. However, one day they hear a little too much or see too much, and the only way to keep the family safe is to kill the outsider. That wasn’t our fate, not if I could help it.
“Ones that we have to pay attention to,” Dar pointed out. He sounded level-headed when he was anything but.
“You guys can come with me. Be my bodyguards,” Sayge suggested.
The room went silent as each of us thought about the danger we could face. The strip club called Summer Nights wasn’t exactly the best place. Some of the most deranged men attend the place. They had more than a few shootings within the past week alone. And the rumors of strippers never making it home or even to their cars were spreading like wildfire through the community. We kept our ear out for any information. We learned long ago keeping track of all the mishaps around the city was for the best. No one wanted to accidentally become caught up in shit with the notorious motorcycle club or mafia that ran the underground.
“Come on, we need the money,” Sayge urged.
He didn’t have to try hard. I was already nodding. We did, in fact, need the money, and this was probably our best bet. There was just too much on our plates to turn our nose up to certain things that came our way.
“Only for tonight,” I said. I pushed up off the floor and groaned as my body screamed in protest. “I already have a few places in mind to see if I can get some work.” Most of them probably wouldn’t work out, but I would try anyway.
I stopped outside the bathroom and turned on the shower. It didn’t matter which way it was turned. There was only ever hot water. I dreamed about cold showers, especially in the middle of summer during the longest heatwave yet. Just thinking about how hot it was made me break out in a sweat. The air conditioner in the apartment technically worked as it was Arizona law, but it stayed at a constant seventy-six and never went any lower.
I swear it was just for show, and it had to be at least eighty in the studio. There was no use complaining. The landlord wouldn’t do anything about it. Renting the place without putting down any information, we knew not to make a fuss over things that were out of our control. “Let’s shower and get some rest before tonight.”
There was no other option; we would have to put everything on Sayge and hope some big spenders showed up tonight.
ChapterTwo
ELIO
The smellof piss and mold filled my nose, and my frown deepened. I’d forgotten what kind of establishment I was in for a short second. I stopped in the doorway and glanced over at Ken. I couldn’t ignore the persistent thought, not when it was screaming over the others.
“Get off me already. You have no idea the people I run with. You two are fucked.”
I stepped fully in, letting the door close behind me. In the middle of the floor, arms pinned behind his back, was my target. Benjamin Acer, aka the rat who’d snuck into Laureati territory and set up shop. And according to certain whispers, a certain heir’s newest pawn.
“Hey, hel—” Benjamin looked up at me and squinted in confusion, his words of help dying off. Good choice. I wouldn’t help him even if it guaranteed me a million dollars. A nervous look came over him as he stopped fighting my guys.
It was almost as if he knew he was in a predator’s presence. “Look, I don’t know what this is about, but how about your friends here let me go, and we can forget this ever happened.”
He still hadn’t grasped his situation, it seemed. My men glanced my way, and I nodded for them to leave. They released Benjamin and headed toward the door without untying him.
“Wait, you forgot to untie me,” Benjamin squirmed on the dirty floor. His greasy hair clung to his forehead as he attempted to break the zip ties around his wrists.
If Benjamin could break them, it would certainly make my night a lot better. Still, the chances of that happening were slim to none. I hated this part of my job. Contrary to some beliefs, not all mafia men went around killing and hurting random people. That was sloppy work, and how idiots were caught. There had to be a reason why I was sent, and usually, it was guaranteed death. However, first, I had to look into the person to ensure all bases were covered before they disappeared.
I moved toward him, stopping a few feet away. Talking wasn’t always my strong suit. I preferred silence and watching the person crack under my gaze. But, we didn’t have time for that, and I hadn’t been sent to kill him.Yet. A quick interrogation was in order.
