Page 94 of Stella
“We need you to make a list of any or all potential threats to the club,” Willow says. “Even someone disgruntled at the Grill, or the Vault.”
The club owns many businesses around town; the two main money earners are the Whiskey Bar and Grill on Bourbon Street, and the Vault strip club.
“I need to talk to my guys.” Cash picks up the phone again, this time he says; “H, we got a problem. I’m callin’ church in twenty, get everyone.”
We watch as this man single-handedly re-organizes his day after we dropped a bombshell, and he hasn’t even moved out of his seat.
A few moments later, Stella knocks on the door. “Prez?” she says, lingering in the doorway. “You need me?”
Cash turns to look at her. “Get over to the house with Manny and wait for me to get there. Don’t let D leave, or go into the garden or fuckin’ anywhere until I get home.”
Stella frowns, her eyes flicking to mine.
“How about I go with her?” Willow offers. “I can explain the situation.”
“I’ll be the one explainin’,” Cash barks. “She will hear it from me and only me.”
“Cash?” Stella moves toward the table. “What’s wrong? What can I do?”
He’s stony-faced when he says; “Your job. Go protect my wife and child until I’m done here. Do not leave. Do not answer your phone unless it’s me callin’, and make sure she stays inside away from the windows. That’s an order.”
“Got it,” she says, confusion and worry written all over her face.
“Now,” Cash says once Stella disappears back out the door. “This is the part where you give me a list of all the people I need to take the fuck down and eliminate before somebody really gets hurt.”
I frown. “Cash, if we knew who this was, we wouldn’t be hiding it from you.”
“No?” He laughs without humor. “I’m sure you’d just give me everythin’ I need to know without even worryin’ about police protocol.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “Thanks all the same, but we can handle it from here.”
That stubborn son of a bitch.
“Think about it,” I say as we stand to leave. “Any small thing you can think of might help.”
He runs both hands through his hair as he stares down at the photos. This man loves his family more than anything in the world. I see the worry etched on his face. I see how he puts them first, and he’ll stop at nothing to protect them.
I may not like the man, but I respect him for it. Until he comes around, we’ve gotta find out who is behind this before it’s too late.
21
STELLA
Deanna spentmost of the afternoon pacing the living room when I told her I’d been sent here to make sure she doesn’t leave. Of course, I didn’t come out with it right away; she had to pry the information from me and I folded pretty quickly, not that I knew anything, just that something was going on and Cale and Willow were in the meeting room with Cash.
Like a good ol’ lady, Deanna didn’t rush out of the house to demand answers, and that was a lot for someone like her. She’s always had a spirit about her I admire. Deanna speaks her mind, says and does what she thinks, and she would do anything for anyone at the drop of a hat. But protecting her daughter is absolutely her number one priority.
“Tell me again his exact words.” She stops her pacing to face me.
“Well, what I said before; he told me to come here until he was done to protect you, not to leave, don’t answer my phone unless it’s him, and make sure we stay inside away from all the windows,” I say, my eyes sliding sideways to Manny.
“He’s insane,” she says.
“No, he’s doing what’s right,” Manny corrects. “Clearly something serious is going on, and until he gets here, we need to do as he says.”
Deanna gives him a menacing look. “Does it look like I’m going anywhere?” she huffs.
Manny waves his hands at her in a pleading gesture. “Just saying, don’t get yourself all twisty over it until he gets here and explains. There’s a rational explanation.”
Manny is always the peacemaker.
