Cole stood with a hole in his chest so deep he couldn't breathe past the suction it created in him. His mind wouldn't catch gears; it just spun with no intelligible thoughts. Things like, "it wasn't really her," and "she had a gun to her head," and "I can't believe this," would flash across his mind, but all the bases were covered. He could call Angie, but he knew what she would say. Nicole left on her own and went back to Gabriel to be a call girl. Her reasons were valid and her voice matter of fact.

 

Brian sensed something, because he came toward him, looking him over. But before he could ask, Jim's phone rang and Big Jim looked at the display and said, "What the fuck does this pimp think he's going to say now?"

Cole snapped out of it enough to walk past Brian, asking, "Is that Gabriel? Would you mind speaker phone?"

 

Jim looked at him and then looked harder at him, studying him, and then he said, "Yeah, all right. Everyone in this room is fully invested. Why not?" He set the phone on his desk and answered the call with the speaker, "What the fuck do you want?"

 

Gabriel laughed, "Well, I just thought I would call and tell you that it's over. I'm done. Back to business."

 

"What?" Jim bellowed.

 

"I said it’s done. You win. And that's how I'll tell it to anyone who inquires. I was far too impulsive and it was all for nothing, really. I've lost my two best enforcers for no reason at all. She came back all on her own. She’s going to see a client tonight. So, you win."

 

Jim snapped his eyes to Cole who looked slowly down at his phone still in his hand. Something black and angry came into Jim's eyes. "Well, that would be all nice and fuzzy if I gave a flying fuck about your call girl problems!"

 

"What?"

 

"I said I'm not interested in your girl coming back to you! You attacked my man! And I'm going to kill you for it. Do you understand me, you fucking twisted moron?"

 

"Oh," Gabriel said, "Oh, that. Right. Yes, I would be looking for your ball-sack as a change purse if you did that to me, as well. So, I agree. It was definitely out of bounds on every level. So, what do you want? How much?"

 

Cole could see he wanted to tell the man to fuck off, but that wouldn't be the best thing for the club. "Hold on," he said, and put the phone on mute. Turning to Cole, Jim told him, with a voice close to plea, "Give me something, Cole. Anything I can believe. Anything."

 

Cole looked at his phone, played the conversation back through his head, searching. Nothing. Not a damn fucking thing. Lifting his eyes back up to Jim, he slowly shook his head and felt the rest of his life draining out of him into that back hole.

 

Jim's shoulders sagged as he hit the button, "One million," he said into the speaker.

 

"Bullshit," Gabriel sneered. "That man is still alive! I'm the one who lost men! My best men! Half!"

 

Jim shook his head slowly and with the voice of death himself, he said very slowly and clearly, "No. One million by two o'clock today or I start dropping bombs. I swear to God, nothing will be left of that fucking house of yours but a big black, smoking, hole."

 

Silence.

 

"Hold on," Gabriel said.

 

Jim looked back to Cole, "She called you?"

 

Cole nodded but couldn't speak.

 

"She could have been forced," he offered.

 

His voice croaked when he tried to answer. He cleared it and tried again, "She went there on her own."

 

Gabriel came back on the line, "Fine. It's done. I've made the transfer using the normal methods. We can get back to business. I'll expect the drivers and guards to show up before five."

 

"No."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"I said, no. We're done. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you. We are done." Jim said and closed the connection. Jim looked around the room at his officers, "I felt that this man is too insane, clinically insane, to put our men at further risk during future actions he might create. However, if you feel differently, now is the time to convince me.”

 

"You were right before Jim," George, the List Master, told him. "We should have distanced ourselves near the first of the year.”

 

Bear, the Sargent and Arms, said, "It was perfect win Jim. You got a million, ended the war, and got us away from a psychopath. I declare victory."

 

A round of cheers and shouts went through the room. Jim stood looking at Cole, his face still as stone. When the noise level dropped he said softly, "Victory never felt so bad before. I'll be in my office." Then he lumbered out of the room.

 

Cole made it to the bar before his energy ran out. It was wrong; it was all fucking wrong. But she went there on her own! She went there on purpose, back to her life and her wealthy men. And she was right! This life wasn't for someone like her. What the hell did he have to offer her?

 

But she said…