Page 10 of Master's Rise
“What!? I just need my order! The dyke bitch needs to let me get it!” he yells at the door.
“No, you need a bank to bankroll your business and this woman needs people to pay their bills.”
When his mouth opens again, I shoot him with the laser and he falls flat on his back convulsing like he’s hooked to a live wire. Raid is laughing loud now. “Let me see what he owes, he’s cuffed until she’s paid.”
“Why’d you shoot him?” he asks between breaths. Jesus.
Walking to the door, I look over my shoulder. “God was bored by him.”
He laughs harder. Stepping in, I stop everything. My feet don’t move, my breath stalls, my brain freezes and my heart skips a beat. Rex is standing by a woman that looks like a picture of an angel. She has those unrealistic sky-blue eyes and skin so light it looks like she’s glowing. Her deep red, shiny lips are bowed perfect and her hair is like spun white silk. This is the bitch dyke? I want to shoot the dickass again. She’s calm and amused but there is no sign of fear showing.
“Victor Hugo said,God was bored by him,meaning Napoleon. Rex said you were smart. Your clothes and proportions would have had me guessing wrong. Rex is also large and intelligent so I wouldn’t be upset if you called me a fool for missing the obvious.” Her smile and cool demeanor have me shaking my head.
“An angelic-looking hardware store owner would have had me making the same assumptions. I would like to point out that, ‘The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.’
Rex laughs, the angel puts her hand out. “Winston Churchill had some great lines. I’m Seren Nyland, thanks for coming down so quickly. I didn’t want Rex going out there. Greg already threatened to level the bar.”
What the fuck? My uncle looks toward the window. “You were threatened and I’m hearing this now? From someone else?”
He slaps air with his hand. “He isn’t a threat to anyone bigger than him.”
“We will talk about this later. Seren Nyland, what does he owe you?” I love that name. Scandinavian all the way.
She looks up at Rex but doesn’t answer me. What the hell is going on? “He’s not her only problem, Cortland. He’s just the worst today. Since her father died, she’s been dealing with men who won’t buy from her, to assholes like Greg out there.” Fuck. This is why he wanted me to buy the store.
“Let me deal with dickass-Greg and we can sit down so I can get the bigger picture here. Can you order some food, Rex? I’ve been on Ops and missed breakfast.” Looking at my watch I add, “and lunch.”
Seren laughs and my heart jumps. What the fuck? “I’ll make us a couple of pizzas. It may help my end game. Let me get you his invoices first.”
Rex laughs and I’m fucking lost. Shaking my head, I take the invoices and get the hell out of the store.
“Raid, I need to meet with this woman and Rex. I’m already fucking lost and have no idea what the hell is happening in the center of town. This dickass isn’t her only problem but he’s her worst. He threatened to level the bar if Rex stepped in.” I give him the papers without looking through them.
He growls like an animal. “I got this.”
“Get eyes in town. Maybe a few Brothers into the vacancies for now. Web’s got it wired, we need someone on surveillance obviously. Make it happen.”
“On it, Cort.” He drags the dazed dickass over to cleanup’s truck.
We need to get into a fully functional building. I’ve got Brothers waiting to get in, Officers living and working at the Club, offices jam packed on the first floor. And now a pussy heading up there putting the Club chicks at risk.
I call Banks and get him to conference us with Amos.“I’m short on time but need the status on the hospital and offices,” I tell them.
“We can take possession of the hospital in a week. The office is waiting for them to accept the offer. Amos has a contractor to do the work. He’s a Brother from Colorado. They made an app so contractors with downtime can be picked up for other jobs. They’re using it for us. We may even have one moving permanently if he likes the area. He’s another Brother from northern Colorado.” He’s excited about an app?
I didn’t need all that but I summarize so I know I got it right. “Next week we can get into the hospital and we’re waiting on the offer to be accepted for the office.”
Thank God Amos jumps in. “Yeah, Boss. The building was left to a cop in the city. He was killed in the line. She’s got four teenagers and only his pension so she’s interested. I had her take it to a lawyer, we should hear back tomorrow.”
Fuck. I swipe my hand down my face. “Tell me it’s not...”
He cuts me off. “Once I talked to her, we upped the price.”
I blow out air. “Thanks. That wouldn’t sit right.”
“Amos said you’d say that. So we’re almost set with the Club buildings. The house you were looking at for Raid is just waiting for his approval,” Banks says and I’m surprised. They work fast.
This is good. “Hade and Falcon?”
