Page 15 of Phantom
Nick pulled a bottle of whiskey out from under the bar, followed by a line of shot glasses. He started pouring some of the dark liquid into each of the glasses and then motioned to his members to pass them around. When everyone had one in hand, Nick moved to sit in front of the bar and smiled at me.
“A toast to our new member!” He held his glass in the air, and everyone mimicked the action, apart from Taylor. “To ‘Just CJ’.”
The reception was lukewarm, but everyone said some form of “To CJ” before emptying their glasses. Tess grinned at me, and it sent a wave of electricity over my body. If the circumstances were different, I’d dedicate myself to chasing her smile. I suppose I’d have to settle for what I could get in a week’s time.
“So. Have you been properly introduced to everyone?” Nick asked. “You know me. I’m the top dog around here.” He nodded at Tess, who’d made her way over to the chair across from me at the table and reclaimed Lockjaw. “That’s my vice president.”
So Ihadheard that correctly. When Nick first said that I was backed by the president and vice president, I was certain I misunderstood him. For as much as these guys didn’t seem to care for Tess, that she was the vice president was astounding. I didn’t plan to ask Tess many questions next time we were alone, mainly because I didn’t want her to ask me many, but I had to know how that happened.
Nick turned his head to look at Taylor. “The one with the scowl over here is my boy, Taylor. He’s our Sergeant at Arms. He’s married to the bylaws, so if you’re thinking about acting up, I’d think again.”
The family resemblance between Nick, Taylor, and Tess was strong. They all had the same almond-shaped gray eyes and auburn-colored hair. Tess’ was long, flowing down her back, but both Taylor and Nick were giving her a run for her money. Taylor’s was shorter, settling over his shoulders in unkempt waves, but Nick’s was straight, fell down to his chest, and looked neatly brushed. The men both had more triangular jawlines as opposed to Tess’ rounder one, but the only other thing that really distinguished Nick from his kids was the crow’s feet in the corners of his eyes. He was clinging to his youth, and someone might think they were siblings instead of a parent and his kids if they didn’t know any better.
“Speaking of the bylaws,” Taylor started, “I still object to this new member.”
“Oh, and why don’t you tell me why?” Nick responded, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and refilling his glass.
“They explicitly state that any prospect must be in consideration for two or more weeks.” He eyed me like he wanted to stick a knife in my forehead and drag it down until I was in two pieces. “CJ hasn’t been in consideration for two or more minutes.”
“I believe the two-week probationary period you’re referring to is up to alteration for extenuating circumstances,” one man that I had seen but hadn’t yet been introduced to said. He had glasses settled on his nose and short brown hair that hung down into his eyes and curled down his neck, likely from a helmet sitting on his head regularly. “It’s not strict.”
Taylor’s glare shifted to this man. “Don’t quote the bylaws to me, Bullet. You worry about your books.”
“I’d never misquote my books,” the man spat back, unafraid.
A smile crept across Taylor’s face, but he was not amused. “You wanna go?”
“There have been enough fights today,” Nick growled before tossing Taylor a look of his own, but it was almost amusing in its indifference. He, too, was far from concerned with Taylor’s attitude. “Are you questioning my decision?”
The entire atmosphere in the bar shifted at the question. The members exchanged looks, and Tess averted her gaze down to her prized dog. From what I could tell, I was the only one intently watching the interaction as it sucked the very oxygen out of the room with its heat. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but finally, Taylor walked around the bar and to a table in the far back and threw himself down into it. Nick turned to look back at me and smiled.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yes.” He pointed a finger out at the man with the glasses who’d made a comment to Taylor. “That’s Bullet, our bookkeeper. I’m not gonna tell you his real name, because ya gotta earn it.” I nodded at Bullet, and he nodded back. “He’s our bookkeeper. I would say, next to myself, he’s the one who takes his job the most seriously. There ain’t a dollar comes in or out this place without him knowing. I once forgot to expense a three-dollar box of shot glasses—I thought he was gonna take me out.”
There were some chuckles around the bar, but Bullet had a stone-serious expression. He stared at me as if to say, “They’re laughing, but I’m not,” and I read the message loud and clear. It sent a shiver down my spine as I thought about how easy it was for me to get fifty thousand from under Luther’s nose. If he had a bookkeeper like Bullet, it probably wouldn’t have happened. I probably should be relieved he didn’t. If anything, I knew that there wouldn’t be room for sticky fingers of any kind with the Steel Knights, not that I’d risk it anyway with Tess’ reputation on the line.
Nick shifted his finger toward a man wearing a full suit and tie. When he became the center of attention, he smiled brightly at me as though we were at a sleepover. “That suit and tie there is our chaplain, Father. He’s also a lawyer, so, needless to say, he gets shit done.”
Father walked across the room and held out a hand to shake, which I did. “Father is fine, or my God-given name, Parker Piscatoni. The Lord smiles upon those who stand resilient against the darkness. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”
Being near people like him made me more than a little uncomfortable. My mom had grown up in a strict Catholic household but was already a drunk and drug addict by the time she became a parent. She’d get wasted and quote bible verses at Caid and me. Whenever she beat me, she would tell me that my heavenly father wanted her to punch me in the face because snatching some bread and cheese from the kitchen to feed myself and my brother was a sin that he frowned upon. It didn’t take a psychologist to know that events like that were why I ended up leaving religion in my past with my mom.
I settled for a simple, “Thanks,” so that Parker would walk away from me, which thankfully, he did.
Before Nick could get to him, one of the other members stood up out of the chair he’d found and walked over to me. He slapped my back, and he was a heftier guy, so it nearly knocked me out of my chair. Tess chuckled.
“Name’s Bucky,” he said. “I mean, my mama called me Bernard, but who wants to go by that, ya know?”
“Bucky it is,” I replied.
Bucky looked up at Nick. “I’m with you, Squared. I think I like this guy.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “Sorry for that cold reception earlier. A guy just walks in, and with Val, no less. What’s a guy to think?”
“Why would it matter who I walked in with?” I asked before I could stop myself. Even all these years later, Tess was still a hot button for me. Having sat in the bar and watched these guys glare at her for the past hour was trying my patience enough, let alone someone mentioning it like it was fine.
Bucky’s wide grin faded some. “Well, ya know.”
“I don’t.” I stared up at him. “Tell me.”
“It’s fine, CJ,” Tess said, but I didn’t shift my stare from Bucky.
