“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you who I was.”
His frown deepened. “Janey is busy.”
“Get her. Tell her I’m here to finish our deal from last night.”
“What deal?”
I sighed. “Go get your sister, Brock. I don’t have all fucking day.”
Brock straightened up at that. “Hey now. That’s no way to talk to me.”
“Listen, Brock. This has been a rough few days. I really don’t need to deal with your shit, too.”
I could feel Hartley next to me getting uncomfortable, but fuck if I was going to eat shit from this dumbass.
Brock slowly came out from behind the counter and stood directly in front of me, squaring off. “I said, Janey’s fucking busy. Come back another time.”
“Your sister is going to be very pissed when she realizes that her dumbass brother ruined a business arrangement for her.”
I stared him down, practically begging for him to come at me. I was feeling particularly annoyed today, and a little fight with Brock was probably enough to blow off some of that steam.
Unfortunately for me, though, King stepped in through the back door.
“She’s waiting for you in the barn,” King called out. “Brock, back down, man.”
I smirked at Brock. “Listen to your brother.”
I could tell he wanted to swing, and badly. Instead, he slowly backed down. He turned and walked behind the counter, grumbling to himself the whole time.
“Come on,” I said to Hartley. We went back out the front door and headed across the property toward the barn. I knew exactly where I was going, considering I’d just scouted the place recently.
The back doors were sitting slightly open. I pushed them open and stepped in, Hartley on my heels.
What I saw stopped me in my tracks.
The whole damn place was empty.
Janey was leaning up against a hay bale not far away, smoking a cigarette. She smiled at me as I looked around. I finally stared at her and cocked my head to the side.
“Those things will kill you,” I said to her.
She laughed. “That’s it? Nothing else to say?”
I shrugged. “You moved the stuff. I’m not exactly surprised.”
She laughed again, shaking her head. “I guess I should have expected that. Mister Navy SEAL can’t be surprised.” Janey looked at Hartley. “Is he always like this?”
“Yeah, he is,” Hartley grumbled.
I grinned at her. “If I were still going to try to steal that stuff from you, this would be a huge deal, but that’s not my plan.”
“Before we discuss plans, I believe you have something for me.”
I tossed her the bag. She caught it effortlessly and looked inside.
“It’s all there,” I said, “courtesy of the Dixie Mafia.”
She looked surprised. “This is Dixie money?”
“I told them it was to hire a crew to rip you off.”
A bemused smile broke out across her face. “That seems suicidal to me.”
“Well, it’s good you didn’t have to make that call then, isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
I felt someone approach from behind, and I resisted the desire to turn around. Instead, I looked blandly at Janey.
“Can you ask your brother to get out of my blind spot?”
Janey nodded and King moved farther to the left, getting into my peripheral vision.
“Thank you.”
“So tell me, Travis, why should I let you live?”
I sighed. “Why the fuck is everyone asking me that question?”
“It’s a good question. You seem like you’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
King began to drift back into my blind spot. I turned my head toward him. “Stop moving,” I said.
He glanced at Janey.
“Travis, I’m being serious.”
“So am I,” I said to her. “Your brother moves again, I’ll fucking break his knee.”
“I’d love to see you try,” King said, stepping up to me and drifting into my blind spot again.
I moved fast. I stepped sideways toward him, driving my elbow low and hard into his stomach. He stumbled backward and tried to get his hands up, but I wasn’t going high. Instead, I shifted my weight and swung a rough kick into the side of his knee.
He crumpled to the ground, grabbing his leg.
“Enough,” Janey said loudly. “Enough.”
I stood up straight. “I warned him. Twice.”
“What do you want, Travis?”
King was rolling side to side. “Relax,” I said to him. “I didn’t break it, you big baby.” I looked back at Janey. “You know what I want.”
“You want to make a deal. You paid me, which is good, but now you’ve hurt my brother. I’ll ask one more time: What do you want?”