Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“I got Nana’s ring.”
“Oh, Pres” she sighed. “Do we really have to go there?”
“We’ve been through this, Lila. I don’t want to go through it again.”
“I know, and I’m really, really sorry. I should’ve known better than to trust some asshole like Davis.”
“Been through that, too.” I gave her a wink and a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine. We’re going to get through this.”
“You sound like you actually believe that.”
“Because I do.” I reached up and brushed her hair from her face. “I just need you to believe it, too.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
She nodded, then reached out and pulled me into her arms, hugging me. When she finally released me, she stepped back and asked, “What now?”
“I go to the jewelers and see what he’s willing to give me for the ring, and then, see what we can get for the baseball card Dad gave me.”
“Woah. He gave you one of his cards?”
“He did. I’m not sure what it’s worth, but it will definitely help.”
“Was he mad about it?”
“No. Actually, he was pretty good about it. Mom, too.” I didn’t want her to have time to think about what that meant, so I continued, “Once we sell the ring and the card, we’ll pool everything together, see what we got, and go see Gary about borrowing the rest.”
“Not Gary. Surely, there’s another way.”
“He’s not that bad. Besides, you don’t have to deal with him. I’m going to be the one going there for the loan.”
“No, I’ll go with you.”
“We need him to loan us money. And he’s not going to do that if you act like a jerk.”
“I won’t. I promise. In fact, I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Sure you will.”
I shook my head, but I didn’t put up a big fuss about her tagging along because I wasn’t exactly thrilled about going alone. Having her with me actually worked in my favor at the jewelers. Because of her unbelievable bargaining skills, we managed to get just over five thousand dollars for Nana’s ring. I was sad but pleased.
I knew her ring was valuable, but I never dreamed it would bring that much. Even so, it didn’t compare to the luck we had at the card shop.
The owner had a buyer who was a die-hard Robinson fan with deep pockets. He ended up paying seventeen thousand dollars for Dad’s card and begged for my father’s information, so he could reach out about his other cards.
It was a successful trip, but by the time we were done, it was well after five and the banks were closed. Even though I was eager to get this thing done, I would have to wait until the following morning to go see Gary. So, I dropped Lila Kate off at her place, and I was feeling pretty good as I headed home.
I thought we were reaching the end of our nightmare, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It was just the beginning.
11
GOOSE
“You need to get to the Vault.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Davis is here, and he’s fucking wasted,” Memphis answered.
“It’s barely eight o’clock. Did something happen?”
“Fuck if I know. He came in sauced and just kept at it,” he explained. “Now, he can barely keep his fucking head up, and he’s refusing to let one of us take him back to the clubhouse.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
I’d barely ended the call when I was out the door and in my truck. The drive to the Vault was a blur of red lights and quick turns. Davis getting hammered wasn’t anything new. He’d always been a heavy drinker, but usually, he had the sense to consider his surroundings.
He had no business doing this shit at the Vault.
And Memphis’s tone had my gut twisted into knots.
I didn’t bother looking for a parking spot. I simply pulled up to the side of the building, cut the engine, and charged inside. The noise and lights faded into the background when I spotted my brother slumped over one of the back tables. His head was hanging forward, and there was an empty bottle of cheap gin next to him.
I’ve seen this show before, and it never ends well.
“Jesus.”
I walked over and gave him a hard nudge. “Davis. Wake up!”
No response.
“Davis!” I huffed again as I shook him a little harder. “Wake the fuck up.”
Davis lifted his head a fraction and glanced up at me with glassy eyes. His mouth moved, but I couldn’t make out anything he was saying. It was just garbled noise, and that annoyed me even more.
“What the hell are you saying?”
He squinted at me like I was the one who didn’t belong there, and he was pissed that I’d disturbed his beauty sleep. He tried again, slurring his words even more, then laughed under his breath and dropped his head back on the table.
Motherfucker.
I scanned the room, and my frustration spiked to a new level when I saw that a couple of the girls were watching. Memphis stood in the corner, monitoring the situation, and I had no doubt that he was ready to step in. I leaned in with my mouth close to Davis’s ear and barked, “You can’t be doing this shit, man. We kick assholes out for this kind of shit. You know that.”