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“Did you know who she was when you took her on at the car wash? Did you know how she was connected to Z’s Scrap?”

Larry doesn’t answer that. He just sits back in his chair,resting his folded hands on his paunch. “Why are you here, son? I believe our business is concluded already.”

Scotch turns his eyes to me, then they drop. “I know you can’t forgive me. But for what it’s worth I am sorry.”

“Sorry forwhat?” my mom demands, and even I have to admit, if she’s faking her disbelief she’s doing a damned good job of it.

Larry yawns, like it’s all so boring. “Z’s Scrap. We ran it out of business. Well, Scotch did, that’s his department really. I just invested the money to buy up the competition.”

“You did what?” My mom turns from him to Scotch, then back again. “Did you know this when we got married? Did you know that’s my ex husband? How…” She looks on the verge of tears. “How could you do that to them? That’s my daughter, for fuck’s sake, Larry!”

She pulls her arm back, ready to slap him, but he catches hold of her wrist and twists.

And Scotch steps in.

In a flash, he’s there as a shriek leaves my throat and my mom cries out in pain. He grabs Larry’s arm at the shoulder and pushes him back, then throws a punch that crunches into his eye socket.

“Don’t fucking touch her, you piece of shit,” he says as my mom scrambles back. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m there beside her, pulling her up into my arms.

“Did you know?” my mom demands as Larry backs away into the corner. She turns from him to Scotch. “Didyou?”

Scotch shakes his head.

“Of course we knew,” Larry says with a laugh. “Sticking it to him and sticking it to his ex wife at the same time? How could I possibly resist?”

“Ididn’tknow,” Scotch says, rubbing his knuckles as they come up in bruises. He turns to me. “I swear, I didn’t know. I knew what we were doing, but not who we were doing it to.And I’ve already told him, I’m not doing any of that shit again.”

“I still win,” Larry says with a smirk.

“I don’t think so.” The voice comes from the doorway, and I turn to see the man Scotch was standing with the other night coming through.

Scotch

James’ timing is off. If he’d got here a second later, Larry would be dead and I’m pretty sure I’d prefer that outcome. I’d be able to sit in a cell, knowing I’d lost Lula forever but at least I’d wiped his fucking ass of the planet.

My brother slams the bag on the table.

“What’s this?” Larry says, still grinning as his eye swells shut.

“Money,” I say. “Same amount you paid for Z’s Scrap. You’re going to sell it to me and I’m going to give it back to Lula and her dad.”

He laughs. “Why would I do that?”

“Not just that,” James says. “That’s my money, and I’m getting Metal Heads.”

“I don’t fucking think so. You’re out of your minds if you think—”

“Tell him,” I say to James.

He glances at Lula and her mom. “With them here?”

I nod. “Go ahead.”

“You’re not the only one that can hold a grudge,” James says. “The Gregory Family were pretty interested when we told them it was you that drove the Scarlet Express out of business.”

“That place? Fucking dump. That was years ago,” Larry says,but the grin has fallen from his face. “Anyway, Scotch was involved too.”

James shrugs. “Scotch was a minor. They know who was pulling the strings.”