Page 1 of Joker's Ghost
CHAPTER 1
Two DaysBefore Halloween
JOKER
Cobra taps his watch. “Tick-tock, brother. Whatever it is you’re looking for, it ain’t here.”
I pull down another box, knowing I can only ignore my prez for so long. “Daisy said she stored shit down here from last year’s Halloween party, but damned if I can find it.”
The basement under The Gold Mine was unfinished and used for storage. A fact Daisy took full advantage of. My wife is sharp, funny and hot as fuck, but she’s a bit of a hoarder—of course, you didn’t hear that from me. I like my balls exactly where they are, thank you.
Cobra’s lips twist in a smirky grin. “I guess I can mark this down as the day my hard-ass VP is officially pussy-whipped.”
I toss the box onto the floor. “Says the guy who searched all over Vegas until he found his wife an authentic New York bagel.”
“Different story, brother. Sheena’s two months pregnant, and it’s the only thing she can keep down. You try denying a woman who’s puking her guts up while carrying your kid.”
“Believe me, I get it. Why do you think I’m down here lugging boxes around?”
“Daisy’s got two more months yet, right?”
I wipe the sweat off my forehead with my bandana. “Yeah, but after the last time, I wanna make sure everything goes good right up to the end.”
Cobra twists his lips. “Different times, brother. The Serpents have a solid rep in Vegas, and no one would fuck with the VP’s woman.”
“That’s what I thought the last time, but . . .”
“The last time you weren’t officially a Serpent yet, and even then, we made sure that guy paid big-time.”
I nod, but the memory of that crazy fucker kidnapping my pregnant wife never left me. The vision of her locked in the sweltering cabin of a houseboat on Lake Mead still sent a chill up my spine.
Daisy lay curled in the fetal position, eyes closed tight. He cradled her head and pressed his forehead to hers, willing her to open her eyes.
“Daisy, baby, can you hear me?” Her pale, sallow skin burned his palms, clammy yet hot at the same time, and when his eyes skimmed down her body, he saw … blood staining the sheets.
Cobra claps his hand on my shoulder. “Like I said, nothing like that is gonna happen this time around, and right now I need my VP with his head in the game.”
I heave one of the boxes onto my shoulder and look around the dark, damp space. “Never like coming down here. Always feel like I’m not alone.”
“Ohhhhh.” Cobra waves his arms around. “My VP’s not only pussy-whipped, he’s afraid of ghosts.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I barrel past him and head for the stairs.
“Hey, you know, the guy we bought this place from said it was Bugsy Siegel’s hangout back in the day.”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard the story.” I trudge up the concrete staircase.
“Maybe his spirit never left.” Cobra makes eerie sounds. “Maybe after they took him out, his ghost came back to his favorite hangout.”
We reach the top of the stairs, and I hoist the box onto a table at the rear of the bar. “Maybe my prez is a pain in the ass.”
I undo the flaps of the box, and Cobra and I survey the contents. Plastic pumpkins, skeletons, orange and black crepe paper. Cobra holds one of the masks up to his face. “Daisy really expects us to dress up for this party of hers?”
“Yup, and just like your wife, when they get something on their mind, there’s no changing them.”
“True, brother, but that’s what we love about them, right?”
“The good news is the theme is Outlaws Past and Present, so at least we don’t have to dress up as something stupid like a Smurf or some shit.”
