Page 1 of Knuckles

Chapter One

Knuckles

“You tell that bitch I’m comin’ for her. She has a week at most to make her peace.” I’d never meant a statement more in my fucking life.

“I’m just puttin’ you in touch with her, Knuckles. Ain’t your errand boy. You want to negotiate, you go through her people.”

“Nothin’ to negotiate. When you confirm your job’s done, you tell her the only thing I want from her is her fuckin’ head on a pike.”

“You’re not gettin’ your daughter back until you talk with her, man. She made that very clear.”

“Too bad for her I already have my daughter.”

Finally, I got a reaction out of Wild Bill. Only a raised eyebrow, but way more than the man normally showed. He wasn’t a man I trusted exactly, but he held to a code and I respected that. “OK… That’s news.”

“Is it.” I didn’t phrase my words as a question.

“How long have you had her?”

“Since before they managed to sell Pippa,” I snapped. “I know Beth wants my supplier, and I know she worked for several months to undercut me, so I was prepared for somethin’. It never occurred to me she’d sell her own daughter for a drug deal, but it should have. I knew years ago there was somethin’ not right with Beth. Even before she brought Pippa to see me. I knew there was another shoe to drop but wasn’t expectin’ her to actually sell our daughter to get even with me.”

“Look. I got in touch with you as a favor to her. I can see I made an error in judgment.” Yeah, Wild Bill could see how pissed I was. “I’ll deliver your message to the bitch and go one better. I’ll give you a heads-up before she does anythin’ else to piss you off.”

“Now, why would you do that, Wild Bill?” I drawled out the question as I leaned against the bar and took a sip of my coffee. Wild Bill had met me just outside the Kiss of Death compound in Nashville. The area we’d purchased and walled off sat in the industrial outskirts of the city, but there were still a couple bars and a strip club in the area, which was where we were currently. Little club calledAfternoon Delytes. The music was loud, the girls had big tits, and the alcohol wasn’t watered down. A good place for an enemy to be distracted if he wasn’t cautious. Which was why I liked to meet here with men I didn’t fully trust.

“I know I live by a code, Knuckles. A line I won’t cross. If what you told me is true -- and your reputation says you know your shit before you speak -- that bitch obliterated my line. I ain’t above pimpin’ out girls willin’ to split the profits, but I don’t force women. For any reason. And I absolutely do not traffic. Beth broke both those hard and fast rules for me. I agreed to this in good faith with her mostly because I respect you. If it were my daughter, I’d kill anyone who knew what was goin’ on and didn’t tell me. But, honest to God, I thought Beth had the girl. Maybe in a gilded cage, or maybe it was an empty threat to you and there was no danger to your daughter at all.”

“I could be lying.”

Wild Bill shook his head. “Nope. That’s not your style. You’ve always given it to me straight. Whether or not it’s what I wanted to hear.” I had to admit, the man might have gone up a little in my estimation. I’d still verify any information he shared with me before acting on it. It might not tell the tale, but I’d be able to better see if Wild Bill subscribed to the “honor among thieves” mentality, or if it was every man for himself.

“You know where Beth is?” Even if he was lying, I wanted any information he doled out. If it was bogus, I’d act accordingly. Which would not end well for Wild Bill.

“Yep.” He took out an envelope. “I’ve had a guy on her for a couple months. She’s at the same place she’s always been. Way too rich for a nurse’s salary.” He handed me the envelope and I took it.

I stared at him a long time. Wild Bill held my gaze without flinching. “Few men surprise me, so I’m going to give you this one time to tell me your agenda. I won’t consider you an enemy and I’ll respect your territory, but only if you come clean now.”

“No agenda, Knuckles. No repayment expected. No favors later. This is because I agreed to help your ex without investigatin’ beyond the surface. Knowin’ the girl was her daughter? Yeah. Wasn’t expectin’ her to hurt her own kid.” He shook his head like he knew he’d fucked up royally. “I don’t question things beyond the job because the job speaks for itself, but with somethin’ like this, I should have dug a little deeper. Ain’t too proud to admit when I’m wrong.” The corner of his lips curled up in a self-deprecating smile. “I’d also prefer it if you didn’t see this as a betrayal of the fragile alliance we have.”

“OK, nowthatI believe.” I took a sip of coffee, never taking my eyes from Wild Bill.

“How’d you get out of a life sentence anyway?” Wild Bill took a healthy pull of his beer before signaling the bartender for another.

“Friends in high places.” I continued to study the other man. “I’d’ve been out years ago except I had to help a guy out.”

Wild Bill snorted. “Right. You went in on a triple murder the way I heard it. That ain’t somethin’ you get out of that easy.”

“I did confess to a triple murder. Yes.” The smile I gave him wasn’t genuine.

Wild Bill looked like he wasn’t sure whether or not to believe me. “Must have been some long, hard dick you sucked to get out of that kind of rap.”

“All you need to know is it’s none of your Goddamned business.” This was getting tiresome. “You can spread the word to anyone you want to live that I’m back.”

“Hear things are different around the club.” The little bastard just didn’t know when to shut up. He also knew how to stroke someone’s ego with all this shit about how he respected me. He was trying to get out of the shit he stepped in with his big fucking mouth. Except his big fucking mouth kept moving.

“They are.” He was fishing for news about the new president of Kiss of Death, and I wasn’t biting.

We stared at each other a long time. Wild Bill probably expected me to expound, spill all my secrets, or bitch and moan about my club being under new rule, but I meant it when I told him it wasn’t any of his Goddamned business.

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