Page 100 of Brick

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

Brick

Brick had precious little time to come up with a plan if he wanted to get Olivia out of Sucre’s hands. The only chance he had was to reach out for help. Though he dreaded the way he knew it would play out, his first call had to be to Will.

Pulling Olivia’s phone out of his pocket, he called up the contact.

It only rang twice before her brother answered. “Hey Liv, we still on for dinner tomorrow night?”

“Sucre’s got her,” he rasped. “I need your help to get her back.”

“Fuck.” A crash sounded on the other end of the phone.

“I’m calling Kane. Maybe between the three of us, we can come up with something.” Without waiting for a response, he dialed in his friend and merged the calls.

“Liv, is everything okay?”

He filled them in on everything that had happened over the past two days. Well, everything pertinent to the situation at hand. “I have an idea, but I’m gonna need help with the details and the execution. Kane, do you think your club might be interested in making a little extra cash?”

Thankfully, they hashed out the plan quickly, because he’d barely had the chance to drop off the money before Sucre summoned him to the club.

He sent word to Kane and Liv’s brother before heeding the call. It would only take about twenty minutes to get there. He could only pray it wasn’t too late.

When he walked in, the vibe inside El Cabron was different than he’d ever felt. There was a sense of anticipation, like the dead-eyed girls, the drunks, and the thugs held their breath. Gripping his backpack, he made a beeline straight for his boss.

“Could I steal a minute alone, sir?”

Sucre examined his expression. “Are you worried about something, Brick?”

Of course, he hadn’t missed Olivia’s stark, white face as she sat miserably on Tre’s lap a few feet away. He pretended she wasn’t anything special, though, just another girl scratching an itch for Sucre’s crew.

“My grandmother passed,” he said soberly.

His boss held a hand to his chest. “Did she? I’m sorry to hear it. Sylvie was quite a woman.” He stood. “Let’s talk in my office.”

Dutifully, he followed and closed the door behind him.

Sucre whirled to face him. “I have to say I’m surprised. I thought you might take your stash of money and try to make a run for it.”

“Is that what you thought I was saving for?” He pulled the backpack off his shoulder and emptied the contents on the bed. He’d already removed his keepsakes and stashed them in the truck. “I’ve been saving up to make a proposal.”

Eyeing the money, Sucre folded his arms. “What kind of proposal?”

“I want to buy in. Become a partner in your business.”

Sucre’s eyebrows shot up so high it would have been comical if the stakes weren’t so serious. “You what?”

“I’ve got about forty thousand dollars here. Look, I’m tired of knocking heads together. I’m tired of fighting, but really, how far can I make it in the real world? I tinker with building shit, but who am I kidding? This is who I am.” He deepened his voice. “I know this is always gonna be your business. I was only hoping my role might change. Grow. I’m not getting any younger.”

“Why wait for your grandmother to die to bring me this proposal?” Suspicion laced every word.

He shrugged. “She wouldn’t have approved. I waited out of respect to her, but she’s gone now. I’ve got to do what’s right for me.”

“So, you give me this money. What do you get out of the deal?”

“My cash means you can front more loans. More loans mean more interest. Part of those profits would go to me. Maybe I could help with recruitment.” His face hardened. “But you wouldn’t treat me like one of your employees anymore. No more tests of loyalty. And you will never touch me again.”

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