Page 28 of Chill’s Chance

Puma tells them about the DEA agent and continues on with Alberto and the belief some have that the Demon Dawgs are hiding Standish and Dr. Chambers, along with their sons.

“What did Dante say?” I ask.

“He wants us to give Alberto a choice. He can either agree to return to his bosses with the info we want him to share or he can die. Either way, we’ll convince the Italians that we aren’t helping Standish and company, that they are our enemies, too.”

“Think they’ll believe it?” Dice asks.

“I think so, if we spin it right. And to do that, I have an idea.” Puma says before moving on to the next topic. “Spark, any progress on identifying those involved with Nicole Bryson’s murder?” Puma asks.

Spark shakes his head. “I found a camera that covers the front of the apartment building. I couldn’t get a visual on their faces, but one man was wearing a police uniform. Now, it’s possible that the uniform was a costume, I’m checking that angle. It’s possible the person rented one to pose as a cop to get his partner in the door.”

“Slade mentioned the cop hanging out at his school and watching him.” I add. “Any luck checking the school cameras?”

“Nothing that can help us.” Spark says. “We have a video of him, but not his face. I’ve asked Smoke to see if he and Maestro can find him on other cameras in the area.”

“What about loan sharks? Any luck narrowing down who we’re dealing with?” Dice asks.

Spark snorts. “Do you know how many loan sharks we have in Vegas? I’ve broken the list up so I can focus on those who have possible ties to human trafficking. If the guy was serious about taking Slade as payment, then I doubt it was a one off. If I find nothing, I’ll expand my search.”

“Ok. Anything else?” Puma asks the room and Rush, our Treasurer, raises his hand.

“Couple things. The seller for the property across the street accepted our offer.” We all cheer at the news.

“I’ve already mapped out the parcels and the roads. I’ll start the paperwork and submit it to the county. Should be able to break ground in less than two months if all goes well.” Spock adds.

“Excellent.” Puma agrees. “Anything else?”

“I looked into purchasing the apartment complex where Nicole lived. The owner isn’t interested in selling, but he promised to think about it.” Rush replies.

Puma nods. “Give him a week and then ask again. Keep me updated.”

“Why do you want to buy that place?” I ask him.

“Couple reasons. I think it would be an excellent investment for the club. The place needs some work. It’ll take some funds, but we have them. The location isn’t the best, but it’s not that bad either. We could do more to improve the neighborhood, especially if we had holdings there. And honestly, I liked Claudia, the woman who took in Slade. She’s tough and honest. I’d like to make the place more secure for her.”

“Why not just find her a new apartment?” Hawk asks.

“Because that’s her home. She lived there with her husband and brought up her son there. She doesn’t want to move.” Puma says. “At least that’s what she told Max when he went over to her house. I know it seems out of the blue and that we don’t owe her anything, but I liked her.” He shrugs.

“I’ll keep on it.” Rush assures him.

“Anything else?” When no one speaks, he ends the meeting.

I step into the common room to find Hunter eating breakfast with Slade, Elina, and Mal. I walk over to them to see what they’re eating. “French toast?” I ask, causing Elina to look up at me and nod.

“My favorite.” She says. “Mine, too.” Says both the boys as they watch Elina spear another piece and put it in her mouth. They follow her lead.

I roll my eyes and look at Hunter. He’s smirking as he watches his son mimic every move Elina makes. That girl is building her own harem, and she’s only five. She’s going to give every member of this club a run for their money.

“Want me to grab you some?” He asks me and I lay my hand on his shoulder to keep him from rising.

“I can get it.” I tell him.

He pushes up anyway. “I know you can, but I want to do it. Besides, I’m the prospect, remember? Isn’t it my job?”

I smirk as I take his seat and wait for him to bring me my breakfast.

“What are you three up to today?” I ask the kids.

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