Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77904 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Grant walked through the living room and over to a wall of shelves. He pulled down one of the books, and without warning, the wall started to slide back, revealing a secret room filled with glass cases of weapons, video surveillance of not only his house but the entire city, and a large round table in the center with at least ten office chairs.
It reminded me of Bones’ computer room, but it was much more than that. As we followed him inside, I leaned over to Wrath and whispered, “What the hell is all this?”
Grant smiled as he answered, “This is where all the fun happens.”
“Enough of the bullshit.” Prez stopped and crossed his arms, taking it all in. “It’s time you started talking.”
“I understand your urgency, especially during such an unsettling time... Bruton used to call me his Alfred.” Grant sat down in one of the office chairs and waited as we all did the same. Once we were all settled, he went on to explain, “Bruton was quite the businessman. He had connections all over the world, and when you have that many irons in the fire, you need a little help to make sure things don’t go awry. That’s where I came in. I took care of problems. I still do.”
“What kind of problems are we talking about?”
“Ones like the Stingers.” The hairs on the back of my neck prickled against my skin when he said, “They came sniffing around, causing you problems, and I took care of it.”
“Holy shit. That was you?”
“The one and only. I must admit, taking out that entire block wasn’t one of my finer moments.” He scratched the back of his neck and winced. “I’m not a fan of innocents getting caught in the crossfire, but sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do.”
“Never okay to pull a stunt like that,” Prez snipped.
Grant’s confident demeanor didn’t falter as he replied, “Bruton informed me about your feelings on the matter, and I will take them into account in the future.”
“We partnered with Bruton,” Wrath snarled. “Not you.”
“This is true.” Grant retrieved a file from the center of the table and pushed it over to Prez. “But in this game we’ve been playing, you have obligations to fulfill, and it would be in everyone’s best interest to fulfill those obligations. I’m here to help you do that.”
With Wrath leaning over for a better look, Prez opened the file and quickly scanned what was inside. I didn’t have to read it to know that it was bad. Hell, it was written all over their faces. Grant’s tone turned serious as he said, “As I’m sure you already know, the Angotti clan has made quite a name for themselves. They can be pretty ruthless when things don’t go their way.”
“We’re aware.”
“So, you understand the urgency behind getting them the goods they’ve ordered.”
“And how many others are out there expecting similar deliveries?”
“There are a few.” Grant motioned his hand toward the stack of files remaining on the table. “But it’s nothing you fellas can’t handle.”
“When is the Angotti shipment due?”
“Everything you need to know, including shipment, location, and dates and times, is included in the files, and of course, I’m here if you have any questions or concerns.”
“Say we continue down this road...” Prez leaned forward with a fierce expression. “Who’s going to take Bruton’s place?”
“We haven’t decided on anyone yet, but we’re looking into it.”
“Don’t bother.” Cotton glanced over at Maverick, then added, “I’m taking it.”
“Well, I don’t know how that...”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Cotton interrupted. “We went into business with Bruton. He’s gone, so now the business is ours. You either work with me, or you’re gone, too. That’s the only choice to be made.”
Grant inhaled a quick breath, then replied, “When you were President of Fury, you made quite a name for yourself. You were respected by your boys and your community. That’s not an easy thing to do in our line of work. That being said, I would be honored to work for you.”
“That will mean doing things my way. No questions asked.”
“Understood.” Grant seemed surprisingly agreeable. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. “And where will you have your headquarters?”
“We’re still sorting out the details on that.”
“Of course. Just let me know what you decide, and I’ll make sure you have everything you need.”
“Well, to start...” Prez motioned his hand over to the stack of files on the table. “I’m going to need to have a look at those.”
“Of course.” Grant eased the rest of the stack over to Prez. “Anything you need.”
“We need the details on Friday’s run.”
“Of course.” Grant pulled out one of the files and offered it to Prez. “Mr. Cardelli will be expecting his shipment on Friday at three. The location is in the file, along with his order.”