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My new driver, Brian, raises his eyes to glance at us through the rearview mirror when the tone of my voice changes. A good sign that he’s paying attention in case anything goes sideways.
He grows more frustrated. “Hunter, it’s no secret that the Fabres are making a move out here. They flew across the damn country and took your woman right from under your nose toprove a point. I shouldn’t have to beg you to handle this for me. You should be jumping at the chance.”
“Respectfully, Jack, you’re in no position to tell me what I should or shouldn’t be doing when it comes to my business. I’m worth ten times what you are and built it up from the dirt. Everything you have is what the organization has allowed you to have.”
“I’m not disputing that. All I’m saying is that there’s a code that we all follow and the Fabres are not. I’m just asking for someone to step in and explain it to them.”
“I don’t know that those people can be taught anything.”
Jack sighs heavily. “What can I do to convince you to take me on as a client?”
“I’ll tell you this, attempting to shame me into the job was not a good fucking way to start.”
A call from Vaughn comes through my phone, but I press decline. I know what he wants and I’m not in the mood to talk. That’s the problem when your friends work for you. They always think that everything is up for discussion.
“I’ll pay you double,” he says in an apologetic tone. “To compensate you for the disrespect, which by the way was not intentional.”
Before he even got inside the car, I fully intended to pass on the offer but once he brought up Fabre’s name, I had to consider it.
Not that I needed this guy to tell me but I have unfinished business with Fabre, not to mention that no matter what I think about his liar of a daughter, a part of me knows that if I save her from being handed over in marriage like she’s a piece of meat, Megan will forgive me.
Fuck me.
I need to take the job.
“The way I work is half the fee as a deposit and the other half once I set the meeting.”
“Mmm, but what if the meeting goes south?”
My phone buzzes again.
“Do you need to get that?” Jack asks.
I press the decline button.
“It’s not my job to settle your business,” I tell him. “It’s my job to set the meeting.”
“I think for double the fee you could at least guarantee the safety of an old friend.”
“You’re a big boy. You can guarantee your own safety, plus you’re pushing it, Jack. You’re lucky I’m even entertaining this. Protecting your business is not in my self-interest.”
“But preventing a war is, and you know it’s not just going to end with me. Fabre is coming for all of us.”
“I don’t run guns.”
“Yeah, but he seems like the kind of guy looking to run everything, not just one thing.”
“I will arrange the meet, and I’ll make sure you leave it breathing, but that’s my final offer.”
Jack extends his hand. “Deal.”
“Payment is in cash,” I tell him before I commit to the handshake.
“Any idea on how long this meet will take?”
“It will take however long it’s going to take, Jack.”
“When did you become such a hardass, Hunter?”