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I turn my back to the door, wiping my eyes, hoping my mascara hasn’t smudged. It’s Bram who comes in, I recognise his voice. I fix a smile on my face and turn to greet him. Slater is by the bar pouring himself another drink.
‘I’m impressed, Coach Slater. This is some hot shit,’ the man with Bram says. His skin is black, which makes the diamond stud in each ear sparkle brightly and the thick gold chain around his neck stand out.
‘You like the place, Cesar?’ Slater throws back the whisky in one go then moves around the bar and offers his hand. Cesar takes it and Slater presses his other hand onto his shoulder in a friendly embrace.
‘I do indeed.’ Cesar nods approval and then sits down on the leather sofa, stretching his long legs in front of him and putting his feet up on the table.
‘What you wanna drink?’ Bram asks.
‘Hennessey.’
Bram gets the bottle and a glass. He tosses a bottle of water to Slater, and the brothers exchange a look.
‘You guys not drinking?’ Cesar asks.
‘We’re working,’ Bram says. His voice is tight and I can see he’s annoyed with his brother.
Slater opens the water and swallows half of the bottle in one go.
‘You never let loose?’
‘We do,’ Slater says. ‘Just not when we’re working. Health is our business and being drunk wouldn’t be a good look for us.’
‘Our bodies are our tools,’ Bram adds with a grin, his irritation having dissolved.
Cesar shakes his head. ‘You’re so full of shit, Bram. My body’s a goddamn tool.’ He grips his crotch then looks up and notices me for the first time. His eyes sparkle as he smiles across at me. ‘And who are you?’
‘This is Dale.’ Slater holds out his hand to me.
‘Dale? You El Patron’s li’l girl?’
I look at Slater.
‘Yes, but now she’s with me.’
Cesar nods his head slowly. ‘I heard ’bout that. Nice to meet you, li’l girl.’
‘You too,’ I say, and mean it; there is positive energy around this man.
Slater’s leaning against the back of an armchair. He pulls me between his legs and links his arms round my waist, resting my weight on his lap.
‘So, who’s going to work this bar of yours, then, bros?’ Cesar puts his feet on the floor and leans forward, resting his arms on his knees.
‘Nobody. It’s going to be clean.’
Slater’s voice is even and controlled. I want to look at his face but he’s behind me. I can’t tell if he’s annoyed or not.
‘Ah, c’mon, a place like this? And you ain’t gonna have no one in here?’
‘No. That’s not the purpose of this place. The Highbar has to remain clean. If I get even a hint that one of your dealers has been in here, you and I will have a problem.’
Cesar holds up his hands. ‘I hear you, Coach Slater. I hear you. Don’t go getting all kung fu on me.’
‘MMA.’
‘Whatever.’ He leans back on the sofa, turning the crystal glass between his fingers. ‘You got any fights coming up?’
‘I’m not competing any more.’
‘You’re not gonna defend your title? I’d have put a whole heap of cash on you to win.’
‘The odds on me would have been pretty short. You’d have had to stake a lot. But no, I’m retiring. I’m too busy these days, managing the gyms and now this place.’
Cesar tuts, shaking his head. ‘Don’t lose condition, Coach. You never know when you might wanna pick that shit up again. Once a fighter, always a fighter. It’s in your blood.’
‘I’m still training, just not competing. I’m focusing mainly on ju-jitsu. I don’t have time for the dieting, hitting the right weight to compete, all that shit takes effort and precision. And running a business isn’t easy. Far from it.’
Slater slides his fingers over the side of my neck and lowers his lips to my skin.
Cesar huffs. ‘Yeah, I can see why you’re real busy.’
Slater changes the subject. ‘How are things on the street at the moment?’
He repositions me on his lap. His cock is hard again and pressing against my bottom.
‘Off the chain. Has been for weeks.’
‘Bana still not got his supply back?’
‘Dunno. But whatever’s making business so good, I ain’t complaining.’
‘I don’t like it,’ Bram says. He stands up and moves around the office. ‘Bana’s taken too many hits lately. He’s gotta be getting pissed off. We might end up with a situation on our hands if we’re not careful.’
‘Too many hits? What else he taken?’ Cesar sits forward.
‘His supply, and now all the business he’s losing,’ Slater says, and I see Bram glance at him.
‘Oh, and I heard one of his crew was taken out. You hear that?’
‘Yeah, we heard that too,’ Slater says softly.
The thought of Slater facing trouble for defending me makes me afraid for him.
‘I just don’t think Bana’s going to take all this and hold his hands out for more,’ Bram says, his eyes on his brother. ‘He’s going to start a war, or try to take over new turf, or who knows what else that crazy man could come up with.’
‘Don’t worry about Bana.’ Slater’s tone is firm. ‘We can handle him.’
Cesar raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. ‘That’s one mean motherfucker, Coach Slater. Bram’s right. He plays dirty. You don’t wanna underestimate him.’
‘Bana doesn’t scare me. He knows not to make enemies out of us. He needs us.’
‘We all need you, bro.’ Cesar nods and finishes his drink. He stands up and looks at me. ‘What about you, you got any cute girlfriends here tonight?’
‘No. Well, there is Lina,’ I say.
‘Lina?’ He looks at Slater. ‘D’s Lina?’
‘Yup,’ Slater answers.
‘That girl’s back?’
‘No.’
Slater eases me onto my feet and stands up, his forearms resting on my shoulders. ‘She dropped by to see the place.’
‘That’s why D ain’t around tonight?’
‘He’s around. Somewhere.’
Cesar starts walking to the door and Slater follows him.
‘Catch you later, Dale.’ He touches Slater on the back. ‘Don’t take your eyes off that one, Coach.’
He and Bram disappear down the stairs to the bar.