Page 15

Max

I pull up to Tiny’s house—an unassuming brick ranch in the suburbs. The neighborhood is old, mostly home to the elderly who are hopefully too detached to notice the odd comings and goings.

Nick hops out to enter the code, the garage door creaking open as I drive in.

“Do you want me to wait in the car?” Hailey’s wide blue eyes question me as I’m about to step out.

“Yes.” The word comes out rougher than I mean it to.

Leaving her in a hot, dark garage isn’t ideal, but it's better than letting her meet Tiny. At just 5’2”, he’s hardly physically imposing, yet he's the most intimidating motherfucker I've ever shared a room with. His beady black eyes don’t blink nearly enough. I’ve never seen him display any emotion, ever.

We all get our hands dirty, but when it comes to extracting information, he’s our guy.

Nick offers her a reassuring smile. “We won’t be long.”

She seems to ease a bit, making up for my harshness. But knowing that this asshole lying in the car had his hands on her pisses me off so much I can barely contain it.

Tiny steps out, a stogie hanging from his mouth. I notice Hailey shifting uneasily in her seat under his stare. I tense, realizing I’ve never witnessed him around women before.

I help Nick lug Kaiser out of the car, eager to hurry this along. I nod slightly at Tiny, momentarily forgetting my neck injury. His eyes lock onto mine, which is pretty much a smile for him.

The stench hits me as we enter his house. Usually, smoke doesn’t bother me, but this is overwhelming. The living room has nothing but a worn couch and a TV. No decorations, no plants, just stained carpet.

We make our way to the kitchen, equally bare, where Dad leans against the counter, arms crossed, expression unyielding upon seeing me. Mike’s here too—being Tiny’s boss, he’s likely here for business, otherwise I doubt he’d choose to hang out in this shitty house voluntarily.

“Hey, Max. Nick.” He acknowledges us with a nod. “Appreciate you handling Sam for me. You never know who you can trust these days; he was a greedy little prick.”

“Of course.” I shrug. My grandfather mentioned he noticed the accounting irregularities with Mike’s crew disappeared after dealing with Sam. Whether it was him or someone took a hint, we did what was necessary.

Adjusting my grip on Kaiser, all four of us head to the basement, where this piece of shit will face his fate.

The basement is a makeshift prison—soundproof and equipped with all sorts of tools for Tiny’s work.

We drop him in a cell, and Tiny moves in closer to examine him. “Why’s he knocked out? Did you give him something?”

“No,” I say. “I rammed my car into his. Probably hit his head.”

“His leg is fucked up,” Nick adds.

Tiny checks, nodding. He runs a hand through the hostage’s hair. “No sign of head trauma but he could still be knocked out cold. Or from pain.” He exhales smoke, looking to us. “I’ll monitor him and get started when he wakes up. What do we need from him?”

Dad turns to give me an unfriendly smile. “Yeah, Max? What’s the info we need? Why’d you bring him in alive?”

Nick shifts, glancing at me. Nick told him everything during the drive back.

I couldn’t hear exactly what my father was saying, but he sounded pissed.

Eventually, Nick cut him off, saying that it was all my idea and he should talk to me.

And he’s right. That’s the deal I made with him so he’d help me save Hailey.

“He tried to kidnap Hailey. He’s involved in some cult, and I figured we could extort them if he’s valuable,” I blurt out, aware I hadn’t thought this through. I acted to protect Hailey rather than considering the family’ s benefit.

“He’s part of VOE,” Nick says, adding more context. “There’s a documentary you all should watch before making any decisions.”

“Are they dangerous?” Dad asks.

“Very,” Nick replies. “But they’re loaded.”

“I’ll consider it,” Dad says, turning to Tiny. “Keep him alive and wait for my go.”

Tiny gives a brisk nod.

“You two go on upstairs. Max, stay.”

I pocket my hands, waiting nervously after Nick and Tiny leave. When the door shuts upstairs, my father speaks. “What the hell were you thinking?”

I shrug, trying to downplay it. “Hailey works for us. It’s our job to keep our employees safe.”

“Safe from gamblers—not some cult she stupidly got tangled with.” Anger heats my face, but I breathe deeply to stay calm under his ongoing tirade. “Why didn’t I get a call from either of you when you found him? Or when you sped down the highway?”

“It all happened fast...”

“Enough. Admit it—you have a little crush on the girl and it’s clouding your judgment. First, you beat a man to death during poker night, now this?”

Eyes shut, I seethe at how he belittles me. I don’t bother replying, glaring at the piece of shit that caused the mess.

“Have you fucked her yet?” He presses.

“What!?” I snap, incredulous at his nerve .

He arches a brow.

“That’s none of your business.” I step closer, rage intensifying.

He points at Kaiser. “It is now. You need to work her out of your system. So, hurry up and fuck her, so you stop acting so stupid. Then you can move on, marry Elena Ferrara, and we can stop worrying about Alexei.”

I clench my jaw, fury boiling at his crude disregard for my life. But I also can’t help but wonder if I’m blowing up my life for a girl that’s not even interested in me. What the fuck is wrong with me?

“I promise,” I say firmly. “This won’t happen again.”

“This should be your last shot, but since you’re my blood...” He trails off, wiping sweat from his forehead. “One more mistake and she’s out. I don’t care if she ends up drinking cyanide Kool-Aid with those cult freaks.”

The urge to punch my father in the face has never been stronger. How is it her fault if she’s kidnapped, dragged into this against her will?

“Fine,” I growl then turn my back to him.

I storm up the stairs, past Tiny, who’s glued to some nature documentary, then back to the garage.

I sit down in the back, since Nick is back in the driver’s seat. Everything happened so fast after the crash that I ended up driving his car. Hailey looks back at me, then quickly away. I must look as pissed as I feel .

“So,” Nick speaks up. “What’s the plan now? The body is taken care of and Savannah’s home now. Do we drop Hailey there? I can stay for a while, keep them safe.”

“No. We’re getting her stuff. She’s staying with me.”

I trust Nick to keep them safe, but I’m not letting Hailey out of my sight.

Hailey bites her lip, fingers picking at her nails. I expect protest or agreement, but there’s only silence.

Nick whistles, putting the car in gear. “Alright then.”