CHAPTER THIRTY

Tony

 

During the days leading up to the 25th, I felt like I was walking on eggshells when I was at the penthouse. Bruder stayed busy, but somehow I felt as though he was constantly watching me. I finished Shika’s portrait, and when Bruder paid me the rest he owed me for it, I wrote a long letter to my mother. In it, I purged a lot of what I’d held back for years, and at the end, I told her I wasn’t going to be sending her any more money, so she needed to make the most of this final check. Then I told her goodbye and went through an entire box of tissues crying over it.

I felt awful but also really relieved. I don’t think I could have done it without Cane supporting me. I’d discussed it with him at length, and I was beginning to see my mother’s manipulation more clearly. He told me I didn’t have to send the letter. I could even burn it. Writing it was the important part, but I was going to send it. I wasn’t doing my mother any favors by enabling her to sit around and drink.

Bruder had hung the portrait of Shika over his bed, obviously very pleased with it. When I walked upstairs the last morning I was working for him, the bedroom door was closed. Bruder was in his study on the phone. I worked through lunch to get everything done, and as I was finishing up my reports on my last day, I heard him walk upstairs and into the master bedroom. Seconds later, he began cursing loudly. Picking up my things and walking into the hall, I immediately saw what he was angry about. The painting had a giant Fuck You written across it in red lipstick, and clothes were strewn everywhere. Evidently, Shika had packed her bags and taken off.

“The bitch!” Bruder yelled, stomping on a Gucci purse that had been left behind and then kicking it against the wall. “After all I’ve given her!”

“Evidently, what she wanted was fidelity,” I said without thinking.

I probably shouldn’t have said that. Bruder’s face grew crimson with anger, but then he suddenly calmed and smiled at me. “You tell it like it is, Tony. I like that about you.”

For some reason, his words didn’t reassure me.

“I’ll get the last of the reports to you after lunch,” I told him and left.

On the phone at a Panera around the corner, I asked Cane if he’d seen Greer, who had disappeared from Bruder’s place as fast as he’d appeared.

“Karl’s probably sent him on a little vacation while he tries to get Shika to forgive him. She walked in on them the other day and threw a fit.”

“Oh, God. Well, that explains what happened. Shika defaced the painting, packed her bags, and left.”

“What? You worked hard on that portrait!”

I shrugged. “And I got paid. I’d rather not have my work hanging in Bruder’s bedroom anyway.” I sighed. “It’s going to feel so good to leave there. And so is this huge bill for my services I’m writing up as we speak.”

Cane chuckled. “I’ll bet. Listen, I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”

I finished writing the bill, ate the rest of my salad, and walked back to Bruder’s building.

Even though I’d been leading the charge to nab Bruder, I was secretly getting nervous about it. I didn’t want Cane to get hurt. Or any of the guys. Anxiety was going to eat away at me until it was all over.

Nick’s name popped up on my phone as it vibrated, and I sat down on a bench a block from Bruder’s building to answer, hoping it was good news. As of yet, Royce had not heard back from Bruder about his email, and I was beginning to panic. Without Royce down there feeding us information, things were going to be a lot more dangerous for us.

“Hey, Nick.”

Nick didn’t waste any time. “Royce finally heard back from Cane’s cousin in an email.”

I sagged on the bench. “Thank fuck. What did he say?”

“He said he has what Royce wants, and he can ‘pick up his tea’ after the convention taking place tomorrow at Rockwell Center. Sounds like you and Cane really hit it on the nose. And he gave him a price that has to be delivered to him immediately in cash. There wasn’t a code for the amount or anything, probably since this was all last minute and Royce was contacting through a friend.”

“That’s great! Did Royce email him back?”

“Yeah. He said he’d bring the cash to him at his office this afternoon, and he couldn’t wait to pick up his tea.” Nick sighed. “He’ll be safe, won’t he?”

“As safe as we can possibly make him. I’m sorry Royce got mixed up in this, but at the same time, I’m so glad he’s willing to help.”

“Fuck Jeovanni for suggesting Royce. He did that on purpose to get to me.”

“Isn’t that a little much to get back at you for being a bitch when waking him up for appointments?”

“Hey, he was hard to wake up!” Nick sighed again. “I don’t know.”

“Forward the email to me, so I can print it out. Blaze is sending all the information to his FBI contact, but he’s already been told it was going to take a few weeks to get anything together. Which means we have to do it all ourselves and call the cops. But they won’t be able to ignore it when we’ve got a group of kidnapped people to show them.”

“Did the Pistons agree to help?”

“Yep. I guess they felt honor-bound to after Blaze loaned them that money so willingly. I have to say, it’s all working out.”

Nick and I disconnected our call, and I continued my walk back to Bruder’s. Once in the penthouse, I headed straight to the study with the reports and the bill.

Bruder sat staring at a photo of Shika on his desk.

“I can’t believe the fucking bitch ruined the painting,” Bruder said, obviously not over it. “What the hell?”

“If you really want to keep it, you might be able to have it cleaned,” I said.

“Ah, I don’t know if I want to look at the cunt’s face now.” Bruder shoved the framed photo away from him and leaned back in his chair.

“You know what they say—love’s a fickle bitch,” I said, wanting to fill the heavy silence that took over the room.

Bruder frowned. “Who said that?”

“I don’t know. Somebody on Reddit?”

Bruder smiled. “You’re a funny guy, Tony. I hope to work with you again.”

I cleared my throat and handed him the folder. “Here are the last of my reports and the bill. I don’t think you have anything to worry about when it comes to your competitors. Your business is solid, and none of them are doing nearly as well as you are. Your protection is state of the art, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about there. Oh, and I printed out an extra list of the products you provide that your competitors don’t.”

Bruder didn’t even look inside the folder. He just kept staring me down with his cold, dark eyes. “It’s good to have you in the family, Tony.”

“You make it sound like the mob,” I said lightly, tempted to point out that after today we were done, but what was the point? Soon Bruder wouldn’t be in business any longer.

Bruder didn’t smile at my quip. He just kept staring, and a prickle of unease skated down my spine. Cane had told me about the wife of the guy I was filling in for—Travis—dying at Bruder’s orders. I guess I was sheltered because in spite of belonging to a motorcycle club, violence didn’t cross my path often.

I left the building, hoping to never have to go back into it again.