Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 773(@200wpm)___ 618(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
“What constitutes the last one?”
Big Mike cocked one eyebrow higher than the other. “Excuse me?”
“I need clarification. For...possible reference. Allegedly.”
The man just stared, open-mouthed. “Seriously?”
“No,” Nico returned, shrugging it off. “I know when people need to die.”
He’d just never had to do it. Yet.
“Vauhn seems friendly,” Nico noted, slightly sarcastic, but hoping to move the conversation along. He had a deadline today.
“You should see what he can do with a knife,” Big Mike deadpanned.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Do. He also hates thieves.”
Nico smirked. “This must be a hard career for him. Aren’t we all thieving in a way?”
“Thieves who steal from me,” Big Mike added with a chuckle. “You really are something else, kid. It’s good you’re a conversationalist, because you’re gonna need to talk your way out of a lot of shit over your lifetime. Especially if you’re going where I think you wanna go in the future.”
Nico had given up on telling people to stop calling him kid at this point, so he just folded his arms across his chest and said nothing.
Big Mike seemed fine with that. “I’m gonna see you once a month for a while, less if I need or want to. I hear you’ve got something like a hundred k left over from the money you made off my drugs, so make sure you’re putting that to use to get you a respectable due the next time I come calling for you to pay up. Be busy. But I don’t want to hear about people seeing you, if you get my drift.”
“You want me to stay out of Carcoli’s joints, is what you’re saying. The guy’s got a network of clubs across three states, but I’ll do my best.”
“For starters, make sure you do. Or try. I do have a bit of leeway there seeing as how Carcoli and I have an agreement about my distributors in his clubs.”
“You’ve got people dealing out of his joints?”
“Like I said, some leeway. I also heard you’ve got a lot of problems with your older brother, and those two, well...”
“Trust me, I know,” Nico responded dryly. He remained calm externally, but inside...a festering hated burned and raged at the mention of Marco and Anthony.
“Vauhn can link you up to guys on the crew whenever you need something. Don’t cause problems, and I won’t become one for you. That’s the rules. Got it?”
“Got it,” Nico said, nodding.
Big Mike tossed a standard, black smartphone Nico’s way. He caught it easily, barely giving it a glance before tucking it into his back pocket. Mike pointed his large finger Nico’s way but directed his next comment toward the phone only.
“Make sure that stays on. If you are doing business, it goes through that.”
“Understood.”
Big Mike gave him another once over before muttering, “Yeah, I think that’s about it.”
Nico hesitated on what the man meant. “You mean we’re done here, or...?”
“Unless you have something to tell me.”
“No, I just thought—”
“Use the shit you can get from people in the crew to make me money. That’s what I need from you. And if you need someone to hold your hand through getting it done, I think I underestimated what everybody says you can do.”
All he heard was everybody.
“You got people talking, kid,” Big Mike murmured, picking up on Nico’s sudden stillness and silence. “If I get to be the motherfucker who benefits from letting you show them why they should keep your name in their mouths, I don’t see the problem.”
“Unless I become one,” Nico replied.
Big Mike lifted one shoulder, shaking his head, too. “That’s right, but you know, I don’t think so. I’ve got a feeling about you.”
“Don’t worry,” Nico joked, “that’ll probably pass.”
He earned himself a laugh with that one.
“Get out of here,” Big Mike demanded, still chortling. “I’m sure you’ve got better things to do, anyway.”
Yeah, he did.
A tux to pick up and girl to take to prom.
•••
Nico parked the Mustang next to a freshly washed and waxed—as if it hadn’t just come off the lot two days earlier—Rolls Royce. The gleam of his vehicle reflected off the pink Rolls, and the cat sitting on the hood of the vehicle didn’t move a muscle as he exited the car.
“Stella kitty,” he practically cooed to the cat, “what’s her doing, beautiful girl? Can I pet her today?”
The cat pretended like she didn’t see him, but he had been working on this for a while. Sometimes she let him pet her, sometimes not. Sassy, the dog, wasn’t as difficult if he had treats. Seemed she was always on a diet of some sort.
The cat, on the other hand...
The end of Stella’s fluffy, white tail flicked against the hood of the car the closer Nico came to her spot. He knew she would allow him to pet her when she stood as he came up alongside and lifted her head to meet his extended palm. That was all he got, just the rub of her soft fur against his hand before she jumped down from the car.