Page 91 of Bourbon & Blood

“You best believe it,” he said, and I took some measure of comfort in that. An immense measure of comfort, actually.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

La Croix…

First thing I went to do was head back to the club. I trusted Hex had my little Alina in hand, but after hearin’ what ol’ Kenny Wells had to say about her bein’ on Bashaw’s people’s radar for raisin’ a stink over her best friend? Yeah, nah. I expected Bashaw’s people already knew about the body. Bet even more they was just seein’ if Alina was gon’ show up and make the ID. Now, she was goin’ back to the apartment that, by her own admission, belonged to Maya’sfamily.

I didn’t know if it was her daddy’s family, or her momma’s, but I weren’t about to take no risk.

So, with all that weighin’ heavy on my mind, I pulled up at the club.

No one was here, which didn’t much surprise my ass. It was in the week, and fellas had day jobs. I got off my bike and unlocked the gate, running it back and open so I could pull into the club’s courtyard.

I further unlocked the club’s door and disengaged the alarm before I headed on back to the office.

I made some calls an’ got a hold of the boys I could. Some were out there in the swamp. Not just Axe, but boys like Cypress who made their livin’ out that way.

It took a while, repeatin’ the story to get some of the boys mobilized. There was some bitchin, but despite it, they all left their jobs and headed on over to my girl’s. I didn’t think much of it had to do with a fear of me. Or, at least, I’d like to think it had more to do with them liking my girl now they’d had the chance to meet her.

The calls completed and messages left for the boys who couldn’t pick up, I got into the safe and pulled out two fat stacks of cash and stuffed them in my back pocket.

Time to grease some fuckin’ palms.

Back outside, I set and locked everything back up and strode out across the street and up to Alina’s old building. I buzzed the office, and the door buzzed and unlatched. I walked on in, past the stairs down on to the end of the hallway and up to the old door with its frosted and pebbled glass withOfficepainted on it.

I opened the door and an older big black woman stood up, alarmed, from behind the desk.

“Now what you want?” she demanded, and her tone was defensive. She must have buzzed me in without lookin’ at the camera first.

“The apartment up there on the third floor.” I pointed up. “3A. You rent it back out yet?” I demanded.

“No, got someone comin’ to look at it right now,” she said and crossed her arms. She was gonna be tough, I liked that.

“The girl who used to live there, you liked her as a tenant, right?” I demanded.

She eyed me suspiciously, and I repeated myself, “Alina Bouchard, you liked her as a tenant, no?”

“I liked Alina just fine,” she said, nodding.

I pulled out the two stacks of cash and said, “First, last, deposit – whatever the hell you want, and at least two years rent. You let it to her again?” I demanded and her eyes went wide.

“Alina?” she said. She nodded. “Mighty fine girl, was so glad she decided not to move out,” she said, sweeping the stacks off the desk.

I nodded. “The apartment fit?” I asked.

“Right as rain. My boys just got finished with it yesterday,” she said. “’Lina was fixin’ to leave it in mighty fine shape. I’m sho glad she changed her mind.”

I nodded to her and said, “Pleasure doin’ business with you.”

“Rent’s due at the first of the month,” she said with an arched eyebrow and I raised mine.

“Don’t get cute,” I said.

“You good for a year,” she said with a smile, and I raised my chin.

“You good for eighteen months,” she said, and she squared up.

“Eighteen months,” I finally agreed. “Rent’s due the first of the month…” I paused and did the math and rattled off the year and month payments would resume if we were still using the place.

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