HARDCORE: Storm MC(85)
Cain looked down at it, scowling.
“Are you really going to sit there and ignore a call from your president?” Missy asked with a hint of mocking. “What happened to the last Eagle who ignored a call from you?”
Cain let out a frustrated growl and picked up the phone. “Yeah, what is it?”
The volume on the phone was up, and Missy could hear Hunter on the other end. “Hey, you're awake! Good. How are you feeling?”
“I'm fine,” Cain said. “I'm a little bruised up, but I was just telling Missy that I'm ready to come over to the Knife and help out. I've got Gooch's bike in my garage, so even with the cast, I can still—”
“Fuck Gooch's bike,” Hunter snapped. “Cain, if you take so much as a single step outside of that goddamn house without my permission, I'm gonna collect your fuckin' patch. I'm not even close to fuckin' around.”
Cain's face fell. “But...I'm your VP,” he said. “You guys need me there, especially if some shit's jumping off.”
“I don't need you here while you look like fuckin' Frankenstein an' you can barely stand up,” Hunter replied. “I need you sharp an' ready to fight, or else you're just gonna get in the way an' get yourself killed. If that means you gotta sit things out for a week, you'd better cozy up an' find some good programs on TV 'cause that's how it's gonna be.”
“But...”
“Stop with the 'buts' an' listen to me,” Hunter continued. “Gaspar Hernandez arranged for you to get stomped.”
Missy saw the color drain from Cain's face for the second time in as many days. She wondered if he'd throw up blood again. That's certainly what she'd felt like doing when she heard who the Eagles were up against.
“Was this a solo play by him, or did the cartel...?”
“We don't know yet,” Hunter said. “This is what I'm saying. We need to get some more information an' get organized before we start makin' moves against an outfit like the Barros Cartel. Most of all, we need our VP recovered an' able to think straight. Until that happens, Missy is gonna take good care of you. She's gonna make sure you have everythin' you need, an' she's gonna try to keep yer spirits up.”
“Yeah, she's doing a fucking bang-up job of that already,” Cain hissed through clenched teeth.
“Great!” Hunter replied cheerily. Missy wasn't sure whether he was being sarcastic, or if he was genuinely oblivious to the venom dripping from Cain's words. Knowing Hunter's sense of humor, Missy suspected it was the former.
“So stay put, do what Missy says, an' try to scrape together a little patience,” Hunter continued. “I know that ain't yer strong suit, but it's the only smart way to play this.”
Cain took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. “Sure,” he answered.
His voice sounded like he was agreeing to put his arm down a garbage disposal and flick the switch.
Chapter 13
Missy
As soon as Hunter ended the call, Cain let out a furious roar and pitched the cell phone at the wall as hard as he could. It splintered in a shower of plastic, making a dent in the drywall. A shard of the phone's casing hit Missy just above her left eyebrow, leaving a scrape.
“Ow! What the fuck is your problem?” Missy yelled.
“My problem?” he spat back. “The four guys who kicked me around like a soccer ball get to spend a whole week walking around laughing about it, while I have to hang around here and do fuck-all! And the worst part is, I don't even get to have any goddamn privacy while I heal up!”
“Well, raging out like an animal and smashing up your own stuff isn't going to make anything better,” Missy countered. “Especially since the next time Hunter tries to call your phone to make sure you're okay, he won't be able to get through and he'll have a total shit fit. God, you really don't stop to think anything through, do you?”
As she said this, Missy pulled out her own phone and sent a text to Hunter. “If you need to reach Cain again tonight, use my number. His phone broke.”
A moment later, Hunter's response came back. “He took the news well, huh?” He'd included a smiley emoticon.
“I'm thinking plenty of things through right now, believe me,” Cain snarled. “Like what I'm going to do to those cowardly assholes the next time I see them.”
“Did you hear a word of what Hunter said?” Missy challenged him. “Don't you realize who you're up against? I mean, are you one of those weird dudes who's got a pain fetish or something? Do you need to be burned with hot pokers and have fish hooks through your scrotum to get hard or something?”