Page 52 of Bullet

The next day at church, we discussed the lingering presence of the cartel in Laughlin. They hadn't made any moves against us, but two things bothered me from them being there; one, my prospect still hadn't been able to confirm if Dixyn was the redhead they were looking for, and two, I didn't want them trying to deal in my territory.

“We need to find out what they're doing here and get them the hell out of Laughlin. This is our town. We don't need cartel scum hanging around,” I said, annoyed we hadn't found out more information. “I want intel by tomorrow, and I want them out of here by next week. Am I clear?” I asked, locking eyes with each of my men around the table.

They all nodded.

“Good; glad that's settled. Now, we got a bounty job.” I opened the file folder given to me by the client and set it in the middle of the table. “Client wants this to be clean and quiet. The mark was last seen around Lake Mead. Will probably take a couple of days, maybe a week. The mark is an investment banker who stiffed the wrong bookie for over fifty grand.” I glanced up and stated, “Kojack and Hook, take Deuce and find this guy. Keep it clean and make sure no one finds the body.”

The three men nodded as Kojack replied, “Got it.”

I slid the file to Kojack, then went on to the next agenda item. “We got a decent order from the Kingsmen up in Vegas; about a dozen AR's and Glocks. AK, how's our stock looking?”

“We have enough to fill the order, but we'll need to restock after. I'll contact the Chinks for another shipment.”

We got our guns from the Chinese via the Long Beach port. “Good. Keep me updated. Anything else?” When no one else brought up any other business, I banged the gavel to end the meeting.

As the men filed out, I asked for Trey and Dead Man to hang back. Once everyone else had left and the door was closed, I asked, “What's the latest?”

Trey shook his head. “Nothin' new. They've mostly been speaking in Spanish to the Mexican locals, so I can't make out what they're talking about.”

“Dammit,” I cursed. My mind raced as I thought about our next move. “We're gonna have to grab one of them.”

Dead Man nodded. “I'll set it up. We've only seen three or four around, but they usually travel in pairs. Should be an easy snatch.”

“Keep it quiet,” I instructed. “Tonight. I want one of those wetbacks here by sunrise.”

“Got it, boss,” Dead Man said as he draped an arm around Trey's shoulders. “Let's go, kid.”

After they left, I lit a cigarette to ease my nerves. I was anxious because we hadn't found out more about the cartel's motives, and I wanted to get them the hell out of my city. I didn't like being in the dark; I typically knew everything happening in and around Laughlin, and I preferred to keep it that way.

I decided to head to Harlot's to have a few drinks and get my mind off our cartel issue. When I entered, I went straight to the bar where Dimes, Cowboy, and Ajax were already sitting. I nodded my head at them. “Hey.”

The bartender set down a cold tall boy in front of me, and I grinned. “You read my mind.” I took a long swig and set the glass down. “Ah.”

The guys and I started shooting the shit as Tammy came up to me, draping an arm around my shoulder. “Hey, Bullet.”

I barely gave her a second glance. She was hot, but all I could think about was Dixyn and her tight cunt and fat ass. “Hey, sweetheart.”

I went back to talking to the guys, but Tammy didn't take the hint. “I was thinking we could talk,” she said suggestively, running her perfectly manicured finger down the front of my cut.

I took another drink, then chuckled. “If you want to talk, then talk.”

My brothers laughed, and Tammy forced a smile. “In private.”

I knew what private things she wanted to “talk” about, but for the first time, I wasn't interested. Dixyn had kept me up all night and fully sated me, which was saying something. She'd milked every last drop and then some. I made eye contact, making sure Tammy knew I meant business. “I'm busy. Maybe later.”

I downed the rest of my beer as she spat, “You know, ever since that redhead slut came around, you've been a real asshole.”

All laughter and conversation stopped. My blood was boiling as I whipped my hand out and grabbed Tammy by the throat. “You watch your tongue, cunt.”

I could feel all eyes on us, but I knew no one would interfere. Everyone else knew their place, but obviously Tammy needed reminding. Her eyes were wide with fear as she gripped my forearm tightly. “No one asked for your opinion. The only thing you need to open your mouth for is to put my dick in it, and that's if I let you. Understand?”

She answered with a frantic nod.

“Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight.” I let her go, and she stumbled back before scurrying to the exit and out the door.

The guys laughed and conversation around the bar resumed as normal. I signaled the bartender for another beer, and she quickly poured it for me.

“Thanks, doll.”

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