He arches a brow in response. I’m not sure what he wants from me here. I’m not going to give him James, and I’m not going to agree to a fucking thing where his club is concerned. With a blank expression on my face, I tilt my head to the side and wait for him to come up with something.
“Concession,” he states. “We’re both losers here, at least when it comes to the Dark Horse and the Southern Mafia.”
I almost laugh because the only ones losing right now are them, but I’m willing to hear him out before I go home and fuck my woman again. He shifts forward in his seat, his elbows resting on the table.
“Ceasefire, and I’ll forget James ever had a contract. I’ll also ensure that the price on her head goes away.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tilt my chin down slightly as I look into his eyes. “You want me to call off my men, and if they choose to listen to me, what is in it for them? I have to offer them something. They don’t give enough of a fuck about my woman for that to be the only perk.”
Gil clears his throat. I can tell he’s thinking hard, but then again, to even come to this point, he probably already had something planned. There is no fucking way he came here with no planB. He’s an asshole, but he’s not fucking stupid.
Lifting my hands in front of my face, I press my fingers together in front of my mouth. My eyes are focused on him, though, and nowhere else. He leans back in his chair, his lips curved up in a small smile.
“We’ll stay out of Texas and the South in general. It’s yours to do with what you will. But in that same vein, you don’t come north.”
Intriguing.
“I’ll have to get approval from Atomic at the original charter,” I murmur.
He extends his hand, waiting for a shake. My gaze flicks down to his palm. Then, slowly, I lift my eyes to meet his. “I can’t shake on something that I have no final decision-making power over.”
Gil chuckles. “You’re one of the good ones, Nashville,” he murmurs.
My lips twitch into a smirk. “I’d kill you right here at this table if I thought it would end this shit or if you even looked at James the wrong way.”
“Touché.” I watch as Gil stands to his feet, dipping his chin slightly. “I look forward to hearing from you. I expect an answer tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I ask.
He smiles, clearing his throat slightly. “I’m ready to get the fuck out of this goddamn heat. I don’t know how you people do it down here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Without another word, he turns around. I watch as he walks through the restaurant and out the front door. The minute he’s gone, and so is the threat that Gil’s presence brings, I realize that James has been in the bathroom for far too long.
The waitress appears and asks if I’m ready to order. I’ve been putting her off for a while, trying to finish that shit with Gil. No way in fuck was I going to share a meal with that fucking asshole.
“My woman went to the bathroom a while ago. Could you check for me and see if she’s still in there?”
The waitress gives me a small smile then agrees. I watch as she hurries toward the hallway. She’s not gone for very long, just a few seconds, before she’s hurrying back over to me, a slightly panicked look on her face.
I’m not sure if the panic is for me or her.
Holding my breath, I wait for her to approach.
“There’s nobody in the bathroom, sir.”
My heart slams against my chest at her words. Standing, I dig into my pocket and pull out three twenties. Tossing them on the table, I figure that should cover two drinks and her time. Then I run toward the hallway where I last saw James going.
Stopping as soon as I step into the hall, I turn my head left and notice that the bathrooms are at the end. The right is another ballgame because there is a door with a lit sign above it that reads EXIT.
Fuck.
Heading straight for that bright-red sign, I push the door open and step into an alleyway. It’s empty. And not just empty—it’s still. I’m not sure what to do, what to say, so I look around for a long moment, up and down, to the left and then the right in hopes of seeing something, any kind of sign of her.
But there is nothing.
Fucking hell.
I don’t know if she’s run or been taken. I don’t know a single fucking thing. Except she’s gone.