Roman-1(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(17)
“The pleasure is ours.”
The man smiles. If I didn’t know that he’s one of ours, I’d think he’s a weapons runner. I feel like I’m another person entirely, and I’ve only been at this for a few months. What must Fielding battle with daily, doing the things he has to in the name of God and country?
We leave as quietly as we came and I let the tension drain away when Dyson turns to me with a grin and a respectful nod.
“You’ve proven yourself admirably, Roman, and I know that Cleo will be quite pleased with the results. Maybe now she’ll stop her search for Melissa Dobson.”
I snort and throw him a knowing look, letting him see that I know he’s fishing and I don’t give a shit.
“I told you, she was just my way in with the chief. Do I want to see her die because I used her and her father was too chicken shit to protect her? No, I’m not a monster. But honestly, I don’t give a shit what Cleo has in store for the girl now that her usefulness has run its course.”
The words are like acid on my tongue, and it takes me a few swallows to get rid of the bile climbing up my throat.
That’s why I called her this morning and agreed to go through with the Fielding deal when I was vacillating. Cleo has a bug up her ass about little Mel and seems to think that she can use her to make me prove myself.
Like hell I’ll let them hurt her, but I’m not as assured of her safety as I want to be. She resurfaced when I told her not to, and now she’s making herself very public.
I know what she’s doing, and I’m proud of her grit and guts, but I can’t let her expose herself to danger this way.
What can I possibly do to get her to see reason and stay behind the estate walls while I get this done? Mel is stubborn, and now that she’s got it in her head to use her little band of outlaws to bring me home, I know nothing short of me tying her to my bed and gagging her would make a difference.
Having Will Sparrow on the case is going to fuck things up, I just know it is. That’s not just my jealousy talking, though I’m dying to beat him for even looking at her. Nah, my reasoning and annoyance is based on the plain fact that Will is one of the craziest, most reckless assholes I know.
The man shot at a deputy a few months back for daring to even step foot in a club bar. The only reason he didn’t see the inside of a cell was because Mel made me talk to the chief about it and the man buried the incident under red tape.
In other words, the case file got “lost.”
Did I enjoy saving that idiot from prison after the way he’s been trying to steal my girl right out from under me? No, but an angry Mel is not a Mel I want to ever meet. Ever.
So I towed the line.
“You still with me, Roman?” Dyson asks and I snap out of it to see him staring at me curiously.
“Yeah, man, sorry. I just didn’t sleep too well last night is all. Cleo isn’t paying me and my creditors are chewing my ass for the money I owe them.”
“Man, I told you to stop gambling, dude. That shit’s a black hole.”
“Yeah, yeah. You pay for sex, I like poker. We all got our weaknesses, man,” I gripe, pushing down my distaste for the man.
What he’s into with women is nasty, and I hate even hearing half the shit he does when he hires one of his “birdies,” as he likes to call them.
In reality, I have more money than I can realistically spend in a lifetime, and I wouldn’t gamble with anyone but my brothers, if that. But among these people, I’m a gambler who’s split from his family, so letting him think my woes are all financial related is the only way to avoid suspicion.
Plus, I needed to turn the focus away from Mel before I did something stupid like beat him to death and rile Cleo more than she already is.
“Dude, at least I get something out of my vice. All you got is debt and misery.”
Yeah, but at least I don’t walk away from a woman leaving her crying and shamed, I think, wishing not for the first time that I could let Miah loose on this animal.
“Shut up and get us back to the warehouse already, Dyson. I’m sure Cleo is just dying to see if I came through or not, and I’d like to see her wrinkled old trout pout collapse when I prove her wrong.”
“Hell yeah, man! I hate that bitch so much sometimes. I can’t believe Jerry lets her run the show.”
Maybe Mel was right. Maybe I should get out with what I have, but whether I end up dead or not, I need to see this through and find the last player.
Chapter Six
Melissa
The bar is smoke filled and crammed to the gills the next day, thanks to Lon and his big fat mouth. I’ve had so many people up my ass about the baby that I finally lost it and took old Bertha out just to let them know how I feel about unnecessary physical displays of affection and people touching my still flat stomach.