Page 30 of A Boy is a Gun: Part I
“That’s all, baby?” My stomach flutters with a mix of excitement. I feel the heat coming from Cameron, and I’m anxious for this day to end so we can go home.
“That’s all,” he pulls out money and overpays the order. It’s a thing he does. The money goes to the order, but the rest is divided amongst the employees. Cameron does take care of everyone.
“Coming right up, baby.” I smile and get back to work. There’s a bit more pep in my step, and now the world is happier. I turn to deliver Cameron his cappuccino with a biscuit when we both get an expected visitor:
Ethan.
I serve Cameron his order, and it’s a weird dance he and Ethan are doing. They don’t greet each other, but they stare down. It’s not a fun staring contest that kids used to do when they’re bored, but two adults have something to prove to each other.
They both want control of the city again. Ethan does it for legal reasons, and Cameron for financial reasons. When they both ignored each other, they were successful. When the elephant is in the room, it’s hard to keep ignoring it.
“I…I need to go check on Jamie next door.” I quickly remove myself from the situation. I glance back and see them both still staring at each other. I hope there isn’t much bloodshed when I return.
Six
Cameron
“Is this seat taken?”
I look up and see my old nemesis, police detective Ethan Underwood standing in front of me. We might have been friends if it wasn’t for the fact that we’re wildly different. Might is such a strong word. I don’t think I would’ve been friends with this asshole. I know what he’s into, and it’s absolutely nothing I want a part of.
We have our love for sports in common, and we can get with some activist causes, but that’s it. He’s all Pumpkin Spice Lattes and wears clothing like he’s advertising for GAP, and no, that’s not me.
Now, this asshole is about to become a member of my family. I’m sure marrying a well-respected cop will look great for my father’s campaign and his whole ‘Blue Lives Matter’ bullshit he spiels on every campaign stop. My mother would love to brag about the police every chance she gets with her pecking hens of sisterhood.
I couldn’t care less. Ethan has been a thorn in my ass since my teen years, and things have never quite gotten better between us. Whenever one of my boys got locked up, I quickly got him out and paid his bail. I hired the best defense attorneys to ensure either no jail time or very little would be served.
Every time Ethan felt he was getting closer to me, I changed course. He sped up his operations; I slowed mine down. He slowed down his operations; I operated at break-neck speed. He concentrated on Atlanta; I moved on to Decatur. A lovely cat-and-mouse game we’ve played for years, and I’ve always won.
Ethan has been busy now that I’ve been out of the game for a while. Crime has skyrocketed in Atlanta. People are bored, they’re jobless, and they’re desperate. A land of opportunity quickly morphed into a land of corruption and greed.
Except now, Ethan can no longer say I’m playing in the role of any of it, and neither is Que. Whoever is running the streets now doesn’t care, and honestly, not my problem.
“It is taken, but you’re going to sit down anyway, aren’t you?” I reply, and Ethan does just that.
He sets his coffee cup on the table, along with a biscuit. Taylor makes the best biscuits. Seriously, I would probably be fatter than DJ Khaled if I didn’t actively train all the time. “How can I help you on this fine day?”
“You can help by letting me know who is behind all the recent crime spikes.” Ethan leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you know something.”
“I’m sure I know nothing.” I take a bite of the biscuit. “When I was running the streets, everything was calm. You never heard of petty crime rising like this. Now you have random drive-bys, kids being shot and killed, carjackings….” I tsk and shake my head. “Such a shame on what’s happening to Atlanta. Maybe if you investigated what’s going on with this fine city and left me alone, there won’t be any problems.”
“Don’t play me, bitch.” Ethan replies, and I smile at him. “We will not sit here and act like you were some damn saint while multiple people were being drugged up and, sometimes, blown up.” My eyebrows quirked at the suggestion. “We will not act like you don’t have several bodies on your count.”
“We’re also not going to act like you can prove any of that bullshit you just said.” I blinked with a smile. “Because if you could, I would be facing a lengthy sentence now, right? I would be in prison doing at least 25 to life?” I sip my cappuccino. “But I’m not.”
“Someone will talk,” he warns with a smile I would love to slap off his fucking face. “It’s only a matter of time, Page.”
“And what time will that be, Underwood?” I return his smile with one of my own as I glance at my Panerai watch. “Do I need to set my alarm?”
I’m getting under Ethan’s skin, and he’s trying not to show it. I don’t know how much Jamie has told him about my family, but I hope he knows that there is a lot of smoke and mirrors behind the matching outfit, family photos, and campaign stops.
Jamie doesn’t acknowledge it because it means she has to deal with uncomfortable things. Ethan has to believe everything, or he’ll be in for a rude awakening in his career.
He’s stuck between a dumb and a fuck.
“I’m going to marry your sister,” he says, and it sounds like a warning to me, “she’s made it very clear where she stands on drugs and your family.” He takes a sip of coffee. “It would behoove you not to do anything to jeopardize your freedom.”
I finish my biscuit in silence before I stand up. I take a sip of the great cappuccino and sigh. “I sincerely hope you’re marrying my sister because you love her. I would hate you’re marrying her because you’re fishing for something you’re not going to find.” Ethan stands up to meet my gaze. “One last thing, if you’re claiming I’m responsible for bodies, I would be cautious with any threats.”
