Page 20 of Memphis

“Yeah, so you wanna do what I pay you to do? Get Montana on the phone.”

Minutes later, I was listening to the young genius chatter on about the good senator’s tech, or lack thereof, outside a couple cell phones, laptops, and tablets.

“I checked Murray’s financials. Found the foreign accounts. The Senator has ties to that family in the UK that’s deep into trafficking,” Montana was saying.

“Well, that confirms my research and the info from the client,” I mused.

“I bet the client is someone on their staff instead of a family member this time. Just a feeling I have. Anyway, I can also confirm that Murray is currently alone at the house in Mexico. The much younger spouse and small kids—there’s like a twenty-year age gap, which is unsettling—are here in the states visiting family. So, this should be easy. There’s no staff at the house. No chef or housekeeper,” Montana rambled. This girl was a talker. She was also brilliant and loved guessing who our clients were.

“Yeah, logistically, this job is almosttooeasy. That bothers the shit out of me,” Jerryn cut in. “This feels like a setup.”

I frowned. “Then make sure it’s not.”

Jerryn nodded, a sober look on his face. He was younger than me, but you couldn’t tell by looking at him. He was something past light skinned as of late. He was pale and getting skinnier by the year. I wondered if it was the job or just life in general.

For me, it was both.

12

Iwas dizzy again, so dizzy I couldn’t make myself leave the parking lot of my apartment building, although I knew I needed to. I needed to get back to Bo’s place before he tried to kill Jerryn or something, but the inside of my vehicle would not stop spinning. Hence, I rested my head on the steering wheel hoping that I’d feel good enough to drive soon. My forehead hadjust rested on the leather when a knock on my window startled the hell out of me. My eyes popped open to see a frail figure standing next to my car in the waning sunlight.

Sighing, I lowered the window. “I’m not in the mood for you today, old lady.”

Bo’s hag of a mother smiled, displaying perfectly straight teeth that my labor probably paid for. “Oh, you know I don’t care about your moods, honey. We need to talk. You seem to have a short memory.”

“Go talk to your son. I’m just a mere employee. He’s running the show.”

“Memphis, you are well aware of the power you have, theholdyou have, on my son.”

“Mrs. Pierce, leave me the fuck alone.”

As she began to speak, I started my car and drove my dizzy ass off the lot. I hoped I ran over her foot or something because I could not stand her.

Never could.

“You better putyour mother on a fucking leash! I didn’t sign up to have to deal with her!” Memphis shrieked the moment she stepped in my house that night.

To be honest, she startled the shit out of me, and that wasn’t easy to do. So, it took me a minute to reply, and that was a minute too long. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, she continued her rant.

“You said things would be different. That was part of our agreement, too! You fucking promised I wouldn’t have to see or talk to your mother and the bitch shows up at my place harassing me! I’ma shoot her ass next time!”

The fuck?

My mother had started fucking with Memphis now? It took everything in me not to go to her house right that moment, but I had to exercise some restraint. I had to calm my lady down. I had to make sure she was good. Nothing was more important than that, thanher.

I abandoned the stool I was occupying and moved closer to where she stood in the doorway of my kitchen, placing my hand on her soft cheek. Of course, she swatted it away.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” she growled, her full lips trembling. Her flawless brown skin was flushed, her round eyes narrowed. “You are enough to deal with! I can barely breathe around you. I’m dealing with all these mixed emotions and shit because you’re an asshole?—”

“An asshole who loves you,” I cut in.

Before I could blink, her fist met my nose.

“Fuck!” I yelled, holding my damn nose. The motherfucker started bleeding.

“Don’t you say that to me! I told you to never say that to me again and I meant that shit!”

“Got damn, King! I think you broke my nose! Idolov?—”

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