Page 76 of A Murderous Crow
On paper, we were renting the warehouse for a month to store shipments going out to parts to be decided. It was, of course, all a shill just to get things done on the back side. Of course, this did make for a handy opportunity to change things up with the Colombians. Easier access and all of that, which why not kill two birds with one stone?
The chess pieces were constantly moving across the board, and it wasn’t really paranoia if they were out to get you. The “they” in question? Law enforcement, of course. While we’d done a fair bit of investment into Savannah PD there were any number of a veritable alphabet soup of government agencies who were likely out there lurking. FBI, ATF, hell when it came to the South Americans, I was hazarding CIA, not to mention with the Marines involved there could possibly be NCIS and JAG in the bowl too.
See… alphabet fucking soup.
Dinner was fabulous, of course; and Synister was rejoined by this evening’s wrecking crew as we headed out the door.
“Shade,” I gave a polite nod. “Death.” I spared him the nod – but that was just how things were with me and Death. He’d been the one that Courtney had set her eyes on back in the day, which who could blame her? He definitely had the looks to go along with his money. We were good, don’t get me wrong. We’d squashed that shit years ago; but with Savannah so new and now firmly in the mix thanks to Synister? Well, old ghosts… you know?
“You good?” Synister asked me, because of course he didn’t miss a thing.
“I’m good, just personal shit,” I said. “I’ll get to that with you in a moment.” I scowled at him, and the fucker grinned.
“Let’s walk,” he said. “Where’d you park?”
“Lot down the street,” I said.
“Good,” we fell into step, Death and Shade bringing up the rear.
“You know I’m just ripping the Band-Aid off. She had to meet the majority of them sooner rather than later.”
“Thought that was what tomorrow night was for,” I said and he chuckled.
“I was just saving you a few grand on moving expenses.”
“Fuck you, a few grand is nothing.”
He laughed.
“There’s a reason I’m here tonight, man.” Death chimed in quietly from behind me.
“I kind of figured, and I appreciate you leaving the introductions to me,” I said with a sigh.
“No problem,” he said.
“Bros before hoes,” Shade pitched in.
“Always,” I said and Synister slowed.
“First time I’ve heard you even come close to hesitate with that one.” My best friend stopped and turned to me.
“I have no idea what I’m doing here,” I confessed. “The pull is strong with her and it came out of nowhere,” I told them.
“One day at a time,” Shade put his hand to my shoulder and gave me a nudge. “Keep moving, boys – before the Italians think this is some shit it isn’t.”
I laughed at that, and nodded, “Fair point, my brother in blood. Fair fucking point,” I said. We kept moving.
We talked about it a little more as we moved down the sidewalk and ultimately, I was surprised the rest of the guys were being so easy on me with this.
“Why is it, none of you have been giving me a ration of shit?” I asked as we reached my Porche.
“Maybe we just think you deserve a shot at happiness, too,” Death said with a shrug and Synister gave me a look like ‘duh.’
“Thanks,” I murmured, and they said their farewells until tomorrow night as they wandered on down the street back toward Luciano’s and whatever vehicle they’d ridden in to get there.
I drove home and wondered to myself how Savannah’s day had been, hoping like Hell that Tor and Fear hadn’t given her a run for her money.
Chapter Twenty-Five
