“What the fuck?” Percy said. “What the fuck, man? What the fuck?”
“He was going to be trouble,” I said and turned away from where Liam lay bleeding into the carpet. “Now, I’m going into the kitchen to take your stash. If things go sideways from here, someone’s going to die, and I can promise you that it won’t be me or my men.” I walked past Percy again and looked to Luca. “Stay here and cover them.”
“All right, boss.”
I walked down the hallway and stepped into the galley kitchen. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink and crumbs littered the stove top. There was a tea kettle, covered in grease stains and dented, and a coffee machine that looked like it’d never been cleaned. I ripped open cabinets and found most of them empty except for a few glasses, some chipped and yellowing mugs, and some old mismatched thrift store plates and bowls. The refrigerator smelled like feet and had ketchup, eight Miller Lites, old Chinese food takeout containers, and a moldy loaf of bread.
I slammed the door shut then checked the cabinet under the sink. Shoved in the very back was a black trash bag. I grabbed it, pulled it out, and opened it up.
Little vials covered the bottom like snowflakes.
I smiled to myself and threw the bag over my shoulder. I stepped out of the kitchen and looked half way down the hall. “Luca,” I said. “Come on.”
He came walking backwards, gun still out. As I headed to the door, I heard commotion from upstairs. I gave Luca a look and he nodded, still watching the guys in the living room from the hallway. I hurried upstairs toward the noise and walked down a dark hallway. No pictures hung on the walls, just bare white paint with black marks from where people bumped and scuffed it. I found Simon and Davide in the back bedroom ripping open a mattress with a long, serrated military style knife. Old dirty clothes were piled in a corner along with empty cigarette packs, old beer cans, and crumpled chip bags reflecting the bright overhead light.
“Look at this,” Simon said and gestured down.
I tilted my head as Davide held up a fist full of cash. “It’s stuffed inside,” he said, stabbing the mattress again and slicing downward. The knife caught on the metal springs so he pulled back, stabbed again, cut some more.
Once it was open enough, they pulled out more bundles of cash. I guessed at least fifty thousand dollars was shoved in there. I held out the trash bag full of little vials, and they dumped the cash bundles in on top. When it was cleared out, Davide and Simon left first, their guns out, and I followed.
There was a shout downstairs and a gunshot went off. More gunshots popped, and Davide and Simon leapt down the last few steps. They flung themselves into the hallway as I threw myself after them. Luca was backed up, firing his gun back into the living room. I heard shouts from down the hall and I recognized Percy’s voice.
“Go,” I shouted at Simon. I shoved him toward the mangled front door. He stumbled outside and nearly tripped down the steps. I grabbed Davide and shoved him out next. “Get the fuck out of here,” I yelled.
They ran back and headed toward their car. I grabbed Luca and pulled him as Percy poked around the corner with his little revolver.
“Fuck,” I said, and remembered that I kicked it into the corner, but didn’t take it away. They must have gotten up and grabbed it while Luca was distracted.
I fired my gun at Percy and the fat man stumbled back into cover. I shoved Luca toward the door and shot my gun over and over. I put down covering fire as Luca got out the door and I followed. The cool night air swept across my skin as I shoved Luca down the steps and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him along the sidewalk as I ran.
Luca had his own car further down the block and kept running as I peeled off and crossed the street. Colleen stared with wide eyes as I came around and threw open the driver’s side door. Percy stepped out of the destroyed door, his little revolver in his hands, followed by Liam and the skinny guy.
“What the hell happened?” Colleen said.
I threw the car into gear and slammed on the gas. We leapt forward and I swung the wheel hard as we drove past the house. Percy fired off a couple wild shots, but he must’ve ran out of bullets as he came into the street behind us and screamed something impossible to hear.
“You okay?” I asked.
Colleen nodded, her eyes wide. “What happened in there? Are you okay? Is anyone hurt?”
I shook my head and laughed. I couldn’t help myself. I tossed the black trash bag into her lap and laughed my fucking head off, giddy with the rush of a good score. It hadn’t gone down the way I planned, all because I fucked up with that gun, but it’d been a good score anyway.
Colleen looked into the bag and sucked in a breath. She lifted out a stack of money and a little vial. “What is this?” she asked.
“I’d guess fifty grand,” I said. “And a bunch of crack.”
She sucked in a breath. “Crack?” she asked.
“You know, crack cocaine. Common street drug, lots of fucking people do it.”
“I didn’t know… I didn’t know the Club sold this stuff.”
I snorted. “Of course they do. They all fucking sell it, including me.” I laughed as she dropped the bag onto the ground and stared. “What, you think I don’t deal with that shit?”
“I didn’t
