Page 18 of Benga's Rise
Chapter Three
Two days
Raid
I just sit and let out a sigh. I made it without getting dragged into anyone else’s day. Between Cort, Hade, Falcon, Amos and Banks, I can’t seem to spend more than a couple of hours on my own job lately. I’m an hour in when Jinx comes in and sits down.
“VP.” He smiles waiting for a response.
I keep typing until I’m finished then acknowledge him over the laptop screen. “Yeah, Jinx.”
“Banks sent a woman for the HR manager’s job and said you’ve been swamped. I did the interview and hired her, she’s a good fit and working to get back into town. I didn’t want to ask personal about her, but he’s got something going with a house for her.”
“I’m glad he’s getting them back in.” I nod, not sure why he’s here now. We try for afternoon or night-time phone meets to connect and go over any potential problems.
“My reason for sitting here isn’t really what he’s doing or the woman in HR. He said you’re swamped. What can I take to lighten that?”
I smile and close the laptop. “Thanks, Brother. If I could keep at my job, I wouldn’t be swamped.”
He laughs at me. “You’ve never been able to just do your job. Pres likes you by his side more than anyone else. Now with all the businesses, you’re spread thin. I’m not. The liquor stores are easy and day-to-day running falls onmysecond. With more members, I got an assistant too.”
I smile at the wonder in his voice. “I forget that. Okay. The Print shops are easy. Banks will be adding three more. I want the same cleanup with these as soon as they’re ours. In three months, we have three more liquor stores being added, these are in Colorado. They’re in shopping centers hooked to an anchor market so they’re already clean and never a problem. We’ll need Brothers to run them. I thought about getting with Major’s HR and finding Brothers. It won’t be ours, but Badass is Badass.”
He’s already typing on his tablet. Web got them done fast. “I’ll do that today. Do you want me on HR for here?”
I shake my head no. “Take the liquor, print and we may have a Credit Union coming in that I want you on. It will be in the village. I don’t know about banking shit. My thing is business management. Crow had me in small businesses and a lot of ad, contracts and marketing classes. I should have pushed for the same classes as Cort.”
He shakes his head no. “He had him in everything. In the city, Crow was limited and saw his needs and a future for Cort that was meant for a city. The only reason he had business finance and admin was because of Reed and his father’s railroad stocks and shit. Crow kept him with people shit, sociology and psychology were his focus. You needed to know businesses and Cort needed to know how people in groups act and react. Not that he needed it, but Crow had him in philosophy of all things. Even young, Cort didn’t need that shit, but Crow wanted him to think big.” He laughs. “He didn’t know how big that was going to be. Now you’re running a conglomerate of businesses and Cort is like the CEO. That’s how Crow expected it to be, but no way did he think it would be this big.” He’s another insightful Brother. I always forget that and he never fails to remind me.
“What did Crow sign you up for?”
“Same as you, but he had me do criminal justice classes with kids going into PD. When Brinks came back, I followed his classes in people too. I knew I’d be a trainer so it seemed like a good thing to know.” Smart.
I shake my head. “Crow was smart as hell picking our classes based on Club needs. He must have known we were all lifers.”
Jinx looks lost in thought. I wait knowing another one of those insights are coming. “He knew he wouldn’t be here, but he believed we would. Crow didn’t pick everyone’s classes. He gave them advice but let them do it their way. He sent Brinks to military but had us both training with you and Cort long before that. He didn’t do that with Billy, Ram and José. He even told Brinks what classes he should take when he got back. I think he was setting us up for Cort to take over young.”
I nod. It had crossed my mind too. “So, you take the print, liquor and Credit Union.” I try getting us back on track before I’m called out.
He smiles, “Yeah. I’ll do the hardware and market too. That gives you overseeing everything instead of doing it.”
I don’t know. “You going to have the time? You still have your shifts and training.”
“No, VP. They got another trainer from Rangers. His name is Ranger too. I’m only on your work and my shifts.”
Jesus. I shake my head. “This is getting big.”
He smiles like a kid in a bike shop. “Yeah, Boss.”
Fucking kids. “Get to work so I can.”
He laughs. “You need to ride with Pres. I got this shit. He’s going to the new houses or something. Banks and Amos are with him, but he wants you on his side.”
Fuck. I open the laptop and look at what I have left, then smile. It’s Jinx’s now. “When and where?”
I get the kid smile again. “They’re waiting for me to leave.” He runs out laughing. Jesus.
~*~
