Page 12 of Brick

Seven

Same day…

Brick felta sense of déjà vu as he watched the two combatants circle each other, arguing and cussing. It was only a matter of time before one of them lunged and the real fight would be on. He glanced over at the other side of the room where Raul Ochoa stood in his suit and tie with three heavily armed bodyguards. Brick didn’t know him, but he had heard the name from Jesse. He was the money guy for the cartel the club had been running for all these years. He was here to collect, and from the look on his face, he wasn’t happy. Brick was a little surprised the man hadn’t ordered his goons to open fire and kill everyone. Instead, he was content to let Jesse handle this confrontation

“Where’s the money, asshole?” Jesse spat, keeping his eyes trained on Blackjack.

“I know where it ain’t.”

“I know either you or one of your boys took it.”

“You ain’t got no proof it was me or either of my boys.”

Brick could taste the tension in the room. Blackjack, Spade, Moth, and two younger prospects faced off with Jesse, Bear, Taz, Walrus, and him. Bugs and Scottie stood neutral, torn between the two fighting sides. Raul watched with a bored expression on his face.

Bear spoke up. “I saw your boy, Blackjack. He was loadin’ something in his saddlebags. I asked him what it was, and he told me to fuck off. Brother or no brother, that little shit ain’t gonna talk to me that way. ’Specially ’bout club business.”

“Ain’t none of your business what my boy does.”

“If it’s club business, I got a right to know. So does every other brother here since it affects us all. Your boy’s fucked up too many times. We got the cartel people sittin’ right here, breathin’ down our necks for the money that’s supposed to be in that safe. We’re lucky they ain’t killed us all. Yet.”

Brick agreed but kept his mouth shut and his eyes open.

Blackjack sneered at the man. “What are you, Bear? A fuckin’ coward? We survived in Korea. You think that fucker over there can compete with that? Find your balls.”

“We were lucky, motherfucker. Plenty of people done left pieces of themselves over there, and I’d just as soon not have that shit follow me home,” Bear raged. “I’ve got another grandson or granddaughter on the way, and I wanna be alive to see ’em grow up. Where’s the goddamn money?”

“I got one on the way too. Spade knocked up some girl in Dillsboro. Don’t mean I’m gonna roll over and play jolly ol’ fuckin’ grandpa. This is the life. We make our own rules and fuck all the rest. That includes the fuckin’ cartel.”

“You should think before you speak, sir.” Raul’s soft accent drew everyone’s attention. “Someone will pay today, with money or with blood. Maybe both.”

Walrus spoke up. “Ratchet is sitting in jail and won’t be gettin’ out anytime soon. Isaac died from a bullet to the head. I’ve lost both my woman and my boy to this life. Now I’m sittin’ here watchin’ brother fight brother with the goddamn drug man watchin’. This ain’t what the life is supposed to be. This ain’t my club.”

The clubhouse door flew open. Deuce swaggered in followed by Bagman, the newest prospect.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Jesse turned on him. “What the fuck is right. Where did you hide the money, you little shit?”

Deuce grinned and crossed his arms. “What money, Uncle Jesse?” He spotted Raul and laughed. “Who the fuck is this clown?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Where is it?”

“You must be gettin’ senile, Uncle Jesse. No one saw me take anything.”

“Bear saw you load up your saddlebags with something, and now the safe is empty. Where did you hide the money?”

Deuce cocked his head to the side; his glassy eyes moved from Raul and focused on the raging man. “Well now, did Bear actually see me put money into my saddlebags? Maybe I was loading something else.”

“You look like you’ve been loading all damn day. How much blow did you skim from your last run?”

“Enough for me to deal with this bullshit. Maybe you should look for your money closer to home there, Jesse. Might be right under your nose or better yet, right under… the… closest… Brick.”

Deuce leaned over and jutted his chin to where Brick stood, arms rigid at his side.

“That’s a fuckin’ lie and you know it, Deuce.”

Deuce threw up his hands and danced in a circle. “Yuppers, that’s me. The fuckin’ bullshit liar. Tell me something, Brick? Would I be lying if I said I was bangin’ your girlfriend an hour ago? I had her singing sweet baby Jesus as I was stickin’ my cock in that sweet pussy of hers.”

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