win.
"When?" I ask.
"Go now," Vinnie says. "That way you can get back and still get your regular training in, too."
"All right," I reply.
I finish my breakfast and go find Lou. He’s sitting at a table cleaning his gun, not a good sign.
"Vinnie said I’m to help you," I tell Lou.
"Okay," Lou says.
He puts his gun together in under a minute. I watch the big man move, his fingers deft. This is something he's done many times. Once he's finished, he holsters the weapon and leads the way out. We get in the car and ride in silence. Lou doesn't talk much and I have nothing to say. We head for the docks district, an area that Vinnie controls. We pull up in front of a warehouse and Lou parks the car. He gets out and I follow his lead.
Workers are moving boxes and driving forklifts throughout the building. Lou ignores them, walking like he knows where he’s going. There's a small office tucked into a corner of the building and Lou walks in. There are two men inside who look up from papers when we come in.
"Who the hell are you?" the one closest to us asks.
He's a medium build man with shocking red hair who doesn't look like a stranger to violence. I can see it in the way he holds himself. There's a stance a man who's used to fighting carries himself in that another fighter recognizes. The man behind the desk is wearing a suit jacket and slacks and is older with gray at his temples. There’s a world-weary look about his eyes.
"Mark, go make sure the boys got the truck loaded, okay?" the older man asks the other.
"You sure, boss?" the redhead asks.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Mr. world-weary replies.
Mark leaves the room but he keeps his eyes locked on Lou and me. We wait until he’s gone then Lou steps up in front of the desk. I move over to lean against the wall. It's not the first time I've been on a collection run for Vinnie and I know how to appear menacing.
"You're late," Lou says.
"Look, I need a couple more weeks. Business has been bad."
"Not our problem," Lou says. "Pay us."
"I don't have it."
This isn't going to go good, I've seen it too many times. This man's about to get the beating of his life and if he's lucky Lou will let him live. Lou steps forward until he's right up against the desk. He leans in looming and his massive size casts a shadow over the man.
"Pay us," Lou says.
"I can't," the man says shaking. He reaches down and grabs up a stack of papers and holds them up in front of Lou. "See all this? These are all people I owe. I can't pay them either."
I don't think the man sees it coming. Lou’s fist smashes into the side of his head and he flies across the room and lands in a pile against the wall next to me. There's a cut beside his eye which is already swelling. He looks up at me with tears in his eyes and I expect him to start begging. They usually do about now but he grimaces and pushes himself back to his feet.
"You better figure it out," I say.
The man shakes his head side to side touching the swelling point of his forehead. He turns his head and spits blood.
"Twenty-four hours," Lou says. "Be a damn shame something happens to this nice warehouse."
Lou walks out and I follow. The man doesn't say a word. He knows who he borrowed money from and he knew the price of failing to repay. Guy’s an idiot.
Lou takes me home and I start training. The minutes drag by. I can't get my heart into it. All I can think about is LeAnne. The taste of her lips. The curve of her side, the swell of her hip, the way her breasts fill out her shirt, it's distracting and my trainer notices.
"What the hell is wrong with you today, Jans?" Nate, my coach, asks.
Nate was one of the best. He was a reigning champion in the underground circuit until he made a mistake. A big guy known as BonBon came out of nowhere and challenged Nate. Nate was at the top of his game and accepted the challenge. Bonbon was an animal. He broke Nate's arm in three places, broke his shoulder, and dislocated his other arm. It ended Nate's
"When?" I ask.
"Go now," Vinnie says. "That way you can get back and still get your regular training in, too."
"All right," I reply.
I finish my breakfast and go find Lou. He’s sitting at a table cleaning his gun, not a good sign.
"Vinnie said I’m to help you," I tell Lou.
"Okay," Lou says.
He puts his gun together in under a minute. I watch the big man move, his fingers deft. This is something he's done many times. Once he's finished, he holsters the weapon and leads the way out. We get in the car and ride in silence. Lou doesn't talk much and I have nothing to say. We head for the docks district, an area that Vinnie controls. We pull up in front of a warehouse and Lou parks the car. He gets out and I follow his lead.
Workers are moving boxes and driving forklifts throughout the building. Lou ignores them, walking like he knows where he’s going. There's a small office tucked into a corner of the building and Lou walks in. There are two men inside who look up from papers when we come in.
"Who the hell are you?" the one closest to us asks.
He's a medium build man with shocking red hair who doesn't look like a stranger to violence. I can see it in the way he holds himself. There's a stance a man who's used to fighting carries himself in that another fighter recognizes. The man behind the desk is wearing a suit jacket and slacks and is older with gray at his temples. There’s a world-weary look about his eyes.
"Mark, go make sure the boys got the truck loaded, okay?" the older man asks the other.
"You sure, boss?" the redhead asks.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Mr. world-weary replies.
Mark leaves the room but he keeps his eyes locked on Lou and me. We wait until he’s gone then Lou steps up in front of the desk. I move over to lean against the wall. It's not the first time I've been on a collection run for Vinnie and I know how to appear menacing.
"You're late," Lou says.
"Look, I need a couple more weeks. Business has been bad."
"Not our problem," Lou says. "Pay us."
"I don't have it."
This isn't going to go good, I've seen it too many times. This man's about to get the beating of his life and if he's lucky Lou will let him live. Lou steps forward until he's right up against the desk. He leans in looming and his massive size casts a shadow over the man.
"Pay us," Lou says.
"I can't," the man says shaking. He reaches down and grabs up a stack of papers and holds them up in front of Lou. "See all this? These are all people I owe. I can't pay them either."
I don't think the man sees it coming. Lou’s fist smashes into the side of his head and he flies across the room and lands in a pile against the wall next to me. There's a cut beside his eye which is already swelling. He looks up at me with tears in his eyes and I expect him to start begging. They usually do about now but he grimaces and pushes himself back to his feet.
"You better figure it out," I say.
The man shakes his head side to side touching the swelling point of his forehead. He turns his head and spits blood.
"Twenty-four hours," Lou says. "Be a damn shame something happens to this nice warehouse."
Lou walks out and I follow. The man doesn't say a word. He knows who he borrowed money from and he knew the price of failing to repay. Guy’s an idiot.
Lou takes me home and I start training. The minutes drag by. I can't get my heart into it. All I can think about is LeAnne. The taste of her lips. The curve of her side, the swell of her hip, the way her breasts fill out her shirt, it's distracting and my trainer notices.
"What the hell is wrong with you today, Jans?" Nate, my coach, asks.
Nate was one of the best. He was a reigning champion in the underground circuit until he made a mistake. A big guy known as BonBon came out of nowhere and challenged Nate. Nate was at the top of his game and accepted the challenge. Bonbon was an animal. He broke Nate's arm in three places, broke his shoulder, and dislocated his other arm. It ended Nate's
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