Page 48 of Property of Grifter
“They told me that if I wanted their help, I had to prove my worth,” he says, his body trembling now as fear is taking over.
“And how were you going to do that?”I ask, continuing to play this game to see if I learn anything useful.
“They said if I managed to get control of my dad’s club, they’d make sure I had enough money and resources to make the club bigger and better.”
“Well damn, Leroy, how did that work out for you?”I ask, making my men laugh.
“They’re out to get you.I told you what I knew.You said if I told you about the War Kings, you’d let me go.”
“Hell no, I didn’t.You justinterpretedwhat I said to mean that asshole.You were wrong.Maybe is not a commitment.You might have learned that if you had let your father make you into the kind of man men respected.Still, to show you I’m not a bad guy, I’m going to do you one last favor.”
“You are?”he asks, and the poor sap looks almost hopeful.
“Yeah.I’m going to turn your body into ash, so you don’t have to worry about those pesky funeral bills weighing down on anyone that cares about you.”
“Like there is anyone,” Cowboy mutters.
Leroy starts screaming and trying to jerk free.I ignore him and give C a signal.C jerks his head and disappears.I take out a dirty, oil-stained cloth from my pants pocket and pull Leroy’s mouth open and stuff the bag into it.I look back at Savage.“Before you join C, make sure he’s tied securely.I was going to knock him out but want him to see death coming to claim him.I want him as helpless as he tried to leave Nana.”Savage nods and the rest of us head out.
Once we get across the private driveway—where we’d parked our bikes so they would be a safe distance from the house—I breathe in the fresh air.“Did we contact the police and fire department?”
“Yeah.There won’t be anyone coming out for at least thirty minutes after the initial report.That will be more than enough time to let us get rid of everything that we need to, including cremating bodies.”
I already know that C and Savage are inside pouring accelerant on Leroy and the dead bodyguards so that once the fire hits, their bodies will be nothing but ash and dust.Hades has been quiet.I look at him to gauge what his state of mind is.He tilts his head as if to say he’s fine.I return the favor.Eventually, the other men come out.When he reaches me, I can tell that C has three bags of microwave popcorn.
“What the hell is that?”I ask.
C shrugs.“I had to set the bomb to explode in the microwave, so I popped us some popcorn first, so we could have something to munch on while we enjoyed the show.”
“You’re a twisted fucker,” I grumble, making him laugh.
“Yeah, I know,” he laughs, giving a bag to me, Cowboy, and Hades.Savage gets to us and gives C one and keeps one for himself.
It makes me laugh.Damn, I somehow stumbled into a club that feels more like home than my other one ever did.Alex, Ollie, and Skeeter are long gone with the women.Despite what I told Georgia, I’m giving Daisy a small chance.I’m shipping her to Indonesia with enough blow andevidenceto show she’s dealing in the shit in their country.Indonesia is one of those rare countries that will kill drug dealers without a fair trial.Their penalty for dealing is death by firing squad.The other girl won’t have that, but she’s a user and that won’t go over well for her.They’ve lived on their backs enough that they may get the chance to keep doing that.It’s a slim chance for Daisy, but more than likely for the second girl.I don’t really give a fuck.I just know they will no longer make their way back into my country and that’s good enough.I will have Scorpion follow up to find out what he can, though—purely out of curiosity.
“Okay, the show is about to start,” C says, his voice muffled as he talks around a mouth full of popcorn.He looks down at his watch and then starts the countdown.“Five.Four.Three.Two.One.”
We all watch as a loud, ground-shaking explosion splinters the air.Fire shoots out the windows.Glass shatters everywhere and you can literally hear it over the roaring of the fire.Me and the boys stand and watch, chomping on popcorn.We continue until an alarm goes off on C’s watch.
“Time to get going, Prez,” C says.“Dispatch will probably be making calls and sending people in about five minutes.We need our bikes gone before the law and fire department show up.”
I nod.“Let’s roll,” I mutter.I’m glad it’s done.I’m tired and I just want to get back to my woman.
27GRIFTER
One MonthLater
We stand outside as the realtor unlocks the door and look at the house and even though I’ve seen it before, I still have to admit that it’s something to behold.It’s a one-story, white barn-dominium with brown trim, sitting proud under a big, blue sky.It looks both welcoming and regal all at once.It’s the kind of place that looks like it belongs in a magazine—wide front porch, starlight windows stretched across the top, and a little steeple with a real weathervane turning lazy in the breeze.
“Wow, Griffy, you don’t go halfway do you, son?”Nana mutters, looking at the house in complete surprise.
“Pretty nice, huh?”I reply with a grin, encouraged by her response.I’m pretty sure Georgia will love the place, but Nana is definitely going to be a tough sell.
“Pretty nice?”Georgia laughs.“Griffin, this is a mansion disguised as a country, luxury barn.”
“Let’s go inside and see what you think,” the realtor suggests.“I’m going to hang back and just let you take it in, but if you have any question, just ask,” she says.
Georgia murmurs her thanks as we begin looking around.It’s as impressive as I remember.The entire place has an open floor plan, tall, vaulted ceilings that make you want to breathe deeper.The main hallway splits off both ways, going the length of the house.There are six bedrooms in total and four bathrooms.
