“I told you I’m done.”
“And I told you I’m not. We’ve got at least three or four more runs before I’m going to be ready to call it quits.”
“You’re taking a lot of fucking chances, Hennessy.”
Well, fuck. We listened to the end of the recording, even though I didn’t need to hear any more to have my answers.
I held out a hand and Johnny placed an envelope in it.
“For your good work,” I said.
Herman grabbed the envelope and folded it in half before shoving it in his pants pocket. “Guess I’ll be on my way.”
“You do that.”
He left the warehouse, and I waited several long moments before my curse echoed through the room.
Fuck. As much as Hennessy was pissing me the fuck off right now with his dogged determination to get my woman, I didn’t want this for him. This wasn’t the kind of news I wanted to deliver to any person. It also wasn’t something I was going to keep from him.
“Let’s roll,” I said to Johnny before we turned to leave the warehouse. A shuffling sound caught my attention before we got too far. We both drew our guns in the direction of the noise before taking another step.
“Come out or you’re dead.” My tone was casual, but my words weren’t.
D-Rock materialized from the shadows.
“What the fuck are you doing back in town?” I demanded, lowering my piece.
He was lucky I didn’t shoot him instead. He was supposed to be laid up in his aunt’s guest room, not allowed to step foot in Louisiana again without my express permission. His recklessness had cost people their lives, and had caused me a huge pain in the ass.
“I needed to talk to you.”
“That’s what phones are for, genius.”
“Nah, man. I needed to get back here. Gotta see my girl.”
“Your girl is done with you. Most women don’t appreciate getting kidnapped and staying kidnapped for a week, and on top of that, they’re not big fans of being rescued by people who aren’t their man.”
“But I—”
“All you did was start a war. You need to get the fuck out of town before you cause me more trouble. Told you I didn’t want to see your face anytime soon.”
“But Trinity—”
“Is fucking going to art school, and she doesn’t need a gangbanger like you to fuck with her life any more than you already have. The girl is bright. She’s going places. You’re not what she needs.”
D-Rock’s face twisted into an ugly scowl. “Ain’t that the pot callin’ the kettle? Fuck, you’re so far up that rich bitch’s ass, you can’t even see that you’re fuckin’ draggin’ her down like you’re accusing me of doin’ to Trinity.” He laughed bitterly. “You’re a gangbanger and she’s practically fuckin’ royalty. You’ve got no business touchin’ her, but you don’t seem to get that, do you? What do you think is gonna happen with you two? You’re gonna move into her fancy digs and live happily ever after?”
If my gun were still drawn, I would have been tempted to pull the trigger to shut him up. “None of that shit you spewed is any of your goddamned business, so I suggest you buy yourself a bus ticket and get back to Bumfuck where I sent you, and wait until you’re called.”
D-Rock’s face twisted with rage. “You don’t get to fuckin’ tell me what to do. I’m not some punk kid anymore, Rix. I’ve paid my dues. I get a say.”
I stalked toward him. Enough was enough. “You don’t get a say unless I tell you you do. You’re still a punk kid because you can’t make a damn decision without putting what you want first. You need to grow the fuck up before you get yourself killed. Or before I kill you.”
“Fuck you, Rix.”
Enough of this little fucker. I closed the distance separating us and grabbed him by the throat, lifted him off his feet, and walked forward until his back slammed into the concrete wall. If my crew didn’t respect me, then they weren’t part of the crew any longer. Because he was a stupid fuck, I’d given him more chances than he deserved, but this was his last.
“You ever talk like that to me again, I will fuckin’ kill you with my bare hands. I won’t waste a bullet on your sorry piece-of-shit brain because you’ve wasted too much already. You’re done with the girl. No need to explain. I’ll take care of that shit. And if you talk about my woman again, you’ll wish you were dead long before I get around to ending you.”
And I meant every single fucking word of it. My hands weren’t clean. But in my world, the ends justified the means, and I got shit done. A few more steps, and I could walk out on this life.
I could already taste the sweetness of freedom on the other side. Not long now.
D-Rock gurgled against my hold, and I shook him hard.
“You get me?”
He nodded with jerking movements before I lowered him to his feet.
“Do not test me again. This is your last chance. Now, get the fuck out of my sight.”
He fixed his shirt and glared at me. All his thoughts showed on his face, but he was smart enough not to open his mouth.