head back and scoffed. “What? I’m sure Bobby’s friend can get it to us tomorrow, right?” Lincoln asked, looking over at me.
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t have that kind of money lying around.”
“You told Bobby here that you were debating on Vegas. That’s a ten thousand dollar buy-in. Obviously a man of your caliber can afford twenty grand.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Robert . . . um . . .” I furrowed my eyebrows at the kid as my heart beat harder. Then I exploded in frustration. “This kid lied to me! He told me it was two grand! Not twenty!”
“Bobby, is this true?” Lincoln asked, shooting a deadly look over at Robert.
“It was twenty,” the kid replied, lying.
Lincoln looked back at me with a lowered eyebrow. “You thought you were going to sit down and have a chance at fifty grand with a two thousand buy-in?”
“I thought there were more than a few people playing when I heard it. Then when I got here, the thought never crossed my mind.”
Lincoln laughed as he raised a hand out to me and shook his head. “No. Don’t try to play me for a fool. Make it right, Rick. You’re a man of honor.” Lincoln slid his hands in his pockets and walked away without another word. On his way across the smooth cement floor of the warehouse, he stopped and looked back. He said, “Drop it off in the mail slot of the door you came in by tomorrow night at six.” He turned and continued his stroll across the floor.
Bear had hardly opened the door before I darted out and across the parking lot to my car. My heart pounded in my chest as sweat beaded on my forehead. I struggled to hold my key steady enough to unlock my door.
“Blaze!” Robert shouted, startling me from across the parking lot.
I steadied my hand enough to get the key in the hole and unlock the door. I quickly got inside my car and started it. The kid was just outside my car window now. “What do you want?!” I shouted through the still rolled down window. “Just leave me alone, kid!”
“Dude, I’m sorry; I didn’t realize I told you two. It was twenty.”
I rolled up the window and shouted, “YOU make it right then!” Backing out of the spot next to the Porsche, I sped over to the gate and waited for the kid. He came over and opened it. Not even giving him a look, I peeled out of the parking lot and back toward my side of town.
CHAPTER 7
A fter getting out of the Valley, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot to catch my breath. Still trembling as I turned off the car, I pulled down the visor and looked at myself in the mirror. I had never been through anything like that before in my life. I was terrified. Suddenly, I heard a honk behind me. With a quick jerk of my body in the seat, I turned around. I was relieved to see it was just a couple of cars honking at each other in the parking lot.
“Get yourself together, man,” I said out loud, slapping the visor back up against the roof. Flinging the car door open, I stepped out and took a deep breath of the cool night air. Taking another deep breath, I felt my nerves empty themselves out onto the wet pavement below. Leaning over the back end of my car, I yakked again. I wiped the brim of my mouth and stood upright, relaxing my back against the trunk for stability.
Suddenly, I let out a laugh.
“He sells diapers . . .” I said. Turning myself over on the trunk, I pushed myself fully upright with my hands. My nerves settled.
Shaking my head, I felt myself return to a state of normalcy—well, as normal as I could feel right then. I got back into my car and put it all behind me. My daughter and wife were at home with the grandkids. I needed to focus on that. Not some diaper guy from the Valley. Pulling out of the grocery store parking lot, I left feeling a lot better than when I’d arrived.
Back at home, I was greeted by two of my daughter’s three children. Natalie was seven years old. She ran up and wrapped her arms around my leg as she smiled up at
Shaking my head, I said, “I don’t have that kind of money lying around.”
“You told Bobby here that you were debating on Vegas. That’s a ten thousand dollar buy-in. Obviously a man of your caliber can afford twenty grand.”
Shaking my head, I said, “Robert . . . um . . .” I furrowed my eyebrows at the kid as my heart beat harder. Then I exploded in frustration. “This kid lied to me! He told me it was two grand! Not twenty!”
“Bobby, is this true?” Lincoln asked, shooting a deadly look over at Robert.
“It was twenty,” the kid replied, lying.
Lincoln looked back at me with a lowered eyebrow. “You thought you were going to sit down and have a chance at fifty grand with a two thousand buy-in?”
“I thought there were more than a few people playing when I heard it. Then when I got here, the thought never crossed my mind.”
Lincoln laughed as he raised a hand out to me and shook his head. “No. Don’t try to play me for a fool. Make it right, Rick. You’re a man of honor.” Lincoln slid his hands in his pockets and walked away without another word. On his way across the smooth cement floor of the warehouse, he stopped and looked back. He said, “Drop it off in the mail slot of the door you came in by tomorrow night at six.” He turned and continued his stroll across the floor.
Bear had hardly opened the door before I darted out and across the parking lot to my car. My heart pounded in my chest as sweat beaded on my forehead. I struggled to hold my key steady enough to unlock my door.
“Blaze!” Robert shouted, startling me from across the parking lot.
I steadied my hand enough to get the key in the hole and unlock the door. I quickly got inside my car and started it. The kid was just outside my car window now. “What do you want?!” I shouted through the still rolled down window. “Just leave me alone, kid!”
“Dude, I’m sorry; I didn’t realize I told you two. It was twenty.”
I rolled up the window and shouted, “YOU make it right then!” Backing out of the spot next to the Porsche, I sped over to the gate and waited for the kid. He came over and opened it. Not even giving him a look, I peeled out of the parking lot and back toward my side of town.
CHAPTER 7
A fter getting out of the Valley, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot to catch my breath. Still trembling as I turned off the car, I pulled down the visor and looked at myself in the mirror. I had never been through anything like that before in my life. I was terrified. Suddenly, I heard a honk behind me. With a quick jerk of my body in the seat, I turned around. I was relieved to see it was just a couple of cars honking at each other in the parking lot.
“Get yourself together, man,” I said out loud, slapping the visor back up against the roof. Flinging the car door open, I stepped out and took a deep breath of the cool night air. Taking another deep breath, I felt my nerves empty themselves out onto the wet pavement below. Leaning over the back end of my car, I yakked again. I wiped the brim of my mouth and stood upright, relaxing my back against the trunk for stability.
Suddenly, I let out a laugh.
“He sells diapers . . .” I said. Turning myself over on the trunk, I pushed myself fully upright with my hands. My nerves settled.
Shaking my head, I felt myself return to a state of normalcy—well, as normal as I could feel right then. I got back into my car and put it all behind me. My daughter and wife were at home with the grandkids. I needed to focus on that. Not some diaper guy from the Valley. Pulling out of the grocery store parking lot, I left feeling a lot better than when I’d arrived.
Back at home, I was greeted by two of my daughter’s three children. Natalie was seven years old. She ran up and wrapped her arms around my leg as she smiled up at
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