Looking through the peephole, I saw an employee holding a tray. While I tucked the phone into my back pocket, I opened the door. He carried the tray to the small table, and I dug cash out of my pocket for a tip.
My order included a bottle of wine, and I wondered if a corkscrew had been left behind, but I noticed the bottle had already been uncorked. After the door closed, I engaged the metal security bar and poured myself a generous glass of merlot.
After a sip, I took my glass to the bathroom and inspected the tub. It seemed clean enough, so I engaged the stopper and set the water to hot and filled it up. There wasn’t any bubble bath, but I didn’t care. A long soak with a glass of wine would do me good.
Har
THE NIGHT STEPHANIE hauled ass out of the clubhouse, Block and Tiny brought Carter into the clubhouse. It was the only good thing that happened that night since it allowed them to put an end to that shitshow – literally – and it gave him an outlet for his mounting rage.
Tiny put his arm around Carter’s shoulders as they moved toward the bar. “Thinkin’ it’s time this boy earned his cut, don’t you think President?”
Carter looked around the room. “Uh, I know that’s not right. Hardly any of the brothers are here.”
Har propped a hip on a stool and leaned his forearm on the bar. “You know that isn’t right, but you don’t know it’s wrong to let a woman into my house without my fucking knowledge?”
Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed with his swallow.
“Right,” Har whispered. “You see my face? Her fuckin’ brother did that to me, and because you let them into my place—”
“I didn’t know about a brother—”
“Shut up when I’m talkin’ to you!” he roared.
Carter’s head reared back and he shuffled his feet before he nodded.
“You let them in. You’re as responsible for the literal shit they did to my house as they are.”
He grimaced. When the silence stretched he looked at Har with pleading eyes.
“May I speak, President?”
With the slightest movement, he nodded.
“She told me she had a surprise planned for you along with your new chick. There wasn’t any sign of a brother, I swear.”
Block crowded in on Carter’s other side. “What about Layla? That’s what I want to know. She’s been playin’ all of us, except Wreck and Massive. Why didn’t you clue us in on that shit, boy?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know for sure.”
Har looked to Tiny who had turned narrowed eyes to Carter.
“That sounds like utter bullshit, Car,” Tiny said.
“She was goin’ down on me out here when Massive busted in with a bloody nose. He told her it was time to go, then he looked me in the eye and said I was a dead man if I said anything to anybody.”
The sound of a slap cracked the air and Har saw Carter ducking his head as Tiny’s hand came down. “What the fuck’d I tell you? Gettin’ your rocks off will get you knocked off. Guess what, dumbass. That’s exactly what’s happened here.”
Carter raised wide eyes to Har. “You’re gonna kill me? I didn’t do anything!”
Har pressed his lips together for a moment. “That’s the fuckin’ problem, now isn’t it? When you should’ve spoke up... you didn’t do anything. When you should’ve asked if I wanted Diana in my goddamn house... you didn’t do anything. Shit like this doesn’t fuckin’ end if we don’t do anything about it.”
“But... killing me?” he cried, and his feet shuffled again and Har realized the kid was about to piss his pants.
Har shook his head. “Have a seat. My V.P. is down with my plan; we won’t kill you... yet.”
“The fuck?” Tiny asked.
Har raised his brow, and Tiny shook his head. “Sorry, Prez.”
He pointed a finger at Block and jerked his head toward the kitchen. When he and Block were well out of sight, he stopped. “Most people either left or retreated to their rooms after my earlier outburst and Stephie leaving. You and Tiny weren’t here for that. I don’t know where Brute is right now, but my thinking is, we’ll restrain this asshole in Brute’s room since he’s got an extra bed and I know he’s got the hardware installed for restraining someone.”
Block nodded. “Okay, but really, Prez, are you thinking of letting this go? That’s the ultimate sign of you goin’ soft on us.”
“Fuck no, I’m not letting this go. But, I can see where he got duped. Twice. And being that stupid means he’s never gonna earn his cut. At the same time, he’s that damn stupid, he could run his mouth and other shit.”
Block nodded. “It’s a no-brainer. He fucked up, fucked you over to the point neither you nor your woman has a bed. You’ll be lucky if professionals can clean up what those assholes did to your pad.”
“I’m aware, man. Which is exactly why those two are dead. But we don’t need Carter fuckin’ us over by runnin’ his goddamn mouth.”
“And so he dies with them,” Block said, extending his hand out with a flourish.
“That has to be the plan. Even if I don’t like it,” he muttered.
They wandered back to the bar where Carter sat bouncing his leg like a tweaker. Har smiled, but Carter was too wrapped up in his head to notice.
“Carter. Can you stop with the nervous-leg shit for a minute?”
The moment he heard his name, Carter focused on Har and slowed his leg bounce.
He smiled again. “Thanks. Gonna take you to Brute’s room. I’m thinkin’ you have to piss, and you’re gonna do that in Brute’s bathroom. Unfortunately, either Block or Tiny will be watching you. Also, I need your cell. Not gonna kill you, yet.”
Carter’s mouth dropped open and he stammered. “Y...yet?”
Har threw a hand out lightly. “You’re doing a damn sight better than Diana and her brother, Dixon. They’re strapped to chairs with buckets under ’em. At
