Page 7 of Wolf's Whistle
“Not really, but he’s been becoming dangerously aggressive, asking me to date him. Bill must have told him I’m leaving.”
“Charles, call Gilbert. We may have trouble. Tell Etienne to keep Julio in the car until we deal with this annoyance. Don’t worry, Richard. This is easily resolved. Stay put.”
Charles, Denis, Gilbert, Adrien, Sebastian, Julien, and Etienne got out of the limos. Richard opened the window a crack to hear what they said to Kasun. He didn’t think they would get rid of him easily.
“What is trash like you doing cluttering up the doorway?” Julien asked pleasantly.
“Mind your own goddamned business. I’m waiting for someone.” Kasun spat.
The men surrounded him. “I think the man you’re waiting for is in the limousine and wants no part of you.” Julien nonchalantly gazed down at the nails on his right hand.
“I’ll hear that from him, Mister Hot Shot. Richard belongs to me.” Kasun got up in Julien’s face.
“And I don’t think that Richard belongs to anyone but himself. As far as him speaking to you, I’m not giving you a chance to hold him hostage. You’re that type of roach.”
Two Lincoln Navigators pulled up behind the limousines and six men poured out of each. They must have been only a few blocks away.
Julien put down his hand and motioned the new men over. “Can you take out the trash for me? Richard, where is this bar that this piece of pond scum frequents?”
Richard fully opened the window. “Lutz’s over on One Hundred and Thirtieth Street.” His eyes widened. The twelve men surrounded Kasun and herded him toward the first Navigator.
“We’ll drop him off and come back, Alph…er, Julien.”
Etienne stepped up to Julien. “Let my six take him over. Your six can stand guard here while the others empty out the apartment. Théo and Marcel can stay with the boys in case there is trouble.”
Kasun lunged at the limousine. “I want you and I’ll find you. I tried to be nice, but now you’ve forced my hand. I’ll be back.” One of the men grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him back over to the Navigator.
“Richard, where is Lutz’s Bar? I’m not familiar with this part of Chicago, so I don’t know the streets,” Alfred, one of Etienne’s men, asked.
“Six blocks east, you can’t miss it. It’s by the water treatment plant. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. That’s what we’re here for.”
Julien, Etienne, and Julio followed Richard up to his studio apartment with five assistants behind them.
“Do you have any boxes?” Julien gazed around the apartment with a moue of distaste.
Richard immediately went on the defensive. “After I got fired and paid Mom’s bills, this was all I could afford. I used to have a great two-bedroom apartment in Bucktown.”
“This is no reflection on you, mon ange. Who is the man that fired you and what position did he hold at Switched Power?” Richard watched Julien closely. He was taking a chance, but Julio vouched for him, and he did important work for Garou, which meant he must be a solid citizen.
“I reported directly to Ronald Kitteridge, who was the Director of Engineering. He worked under Donald Forsythe, the Vice President of Engineering. It was Forsythe who fired me, but Kitteridge was the man who changed the specs.”
“Write those names down, Denis. I’m going to speak to Marc about this,” Julien said.
“Marc?” Julio asked.
“We might want to buy a power systems company and sweep out bad management.” Julien lifted his shoulders and scowled.
“Do you have boxes?” Julio searched around the studio.
“All of my things are in boxes in the closet. The only stuff that’s unpacked are the few items of clothing I needed for work and my linens. I kept hoping to get a job so I could move out of this dump. They will fit in my suitcase.” Richard frowned at the paint peeling off the walls.
Julien took charge. “Well, we’re moving you out of here right now. Denis, Charles, grab some of those boxes and take them to the trunk of the limousine. Get two of the Enf…our men downstairs to help. We’ll have you out of here in thirty minutes unless there is something else that needs to be packed.”
“Just what’s in the closet and on the bed. I sold everything else to pay for the funeral. Mom forgot to pay her insurance. It was a small policy, but not having it available wiped me out.”
Julio stepped over to Richard and gave him a hug. “It’s over. There is always a reason for everything. I married Etienne whose family comes from Chicago, and I told him about you and your family. Etienne found you for me. Just like I did, you needed a helping hand. Well, now you have one. Let’s take the rest of your things out to the limos.”
