Black
Jones, Lee, and I sat around a small table at Quirks and Perks the next morning. We all knew Quill wouldn’t be working, but one thing Jones had found out as he researched Ronald Sterling was that he came here every morning for his coffee. My guess, it was where he had caught Quill’s eye in the first place. I had no problem with how people met, who they fucked, or what made them happy, unless their happiness caused pain and suffering to another.
I made a lot of money inflicting pain and death. I made an equal amount protecting and securing. But nothing I or my people did was to undeserving people… mostly. Situations were weighed. Like in the instance where Bill and Mace had to draw Zagan out, innocent bystanders got killed. Some may argue it was avoidable. I’d tell them to shut the fuck up because they weren’t in it making the hard calls.
“Where is this donkey fucker?” Jones asked as he pushed his empty mug across the table.
“Maybe part of the terms of his bail was to stay away from Quill. Did you not even research that?” Lee spoke to Jones in a way I had never heard. Usually, Lee was calm, collected, and supportive of everything that man did. Hell, he had risked life and limb over a year ago when Jones had been implicated as a mole in my organization. He was tortured in a chair by Bill over Jones. Now, he was snapping and acting like…
“Fuck you, Lee, don’t get all dog ate my prime rib on me.”
“What the hell does that even mean? No one says that,” Lee interrupted, and suddenly, I realized I was in the middle of a lover’s quarrel.
“Knock it off,” the woman behind the counter, Melissa, shouted. “This isn’t Divorce Court, so take it outside.”
Lee and Jones zipped their mouths. Lee was the only one who seemed embarrassed by his actions. Jones never gave a shit about what people thought.
The bells chiming above the café door had all three of us turning. There was no question that was Ronald Sterling. Even if I hadn’t seen his picture, I’d know a dickless douchbag a mile away.
“Good morning, Melissa,” Ronald said to the woman who looked like she was going to jump the counter and beat him to death with to-go cups.
“You’re no longer allowed in here, Ronnie. As manager, I am banning you from Quirks and Perks. We have the right to refuse service. Now leave.” She pointed to the door, her face red as a tomato. I had to give it to her, she was likely terrified, but she stood her ground.
“I’ll have a French vanilla coffee, large, please.” He slapped his credit card on the counter, completely ignoring Melissa’s refusal of service.
“No. Get out or I’ll call the cops.”
“Don’t bother,” I said as I stood. I sauntered over, buttoning my jacket as I did. Ronald looked me up and down, and when I was only a foot from him, I experienced great joy when he had to look up to meet my eyes.
“Ronald Sterling, I’ve been waiting for you to arrive.” I shot Melissa a wink, which only made her scowl. “I promise to escort Mr. Sterling out as soon as I’m done here.”
I knew she wanted to say something, but when Lee and Jones joined me, she simply nodded and went back to doing whatever she had been doing before Ronald arrived.
“I don’t know who you are, who any of you are, and I’m not going to sit here or anywhere with you.” Ronald took a step back. “My father practically owns Haven Hart. I just have to say the word and Quirks and Perks crumbles. Or any of you do.” He stood as tall as he could; it was adorable how he thought of himself as intimidating to me.
I took a moment to really look at him. He wasn’t drop dead gorgeous, but there was a certain amount of appeal to his features. His suit was expensive and nicely put together. He overdid the cologne and I was getting tired of the scent. I noticed a lot of rich pricks all bought the same one.
He wasn’t taller or bigger than I was. But he wasn’t tiny, either. I could tell he had some muscles under his designer suit and there was no doubt, to Quill, Ronald Sterling was evil.
“I’m not asking you, Mr. Sterling, I’m demanding you sit with me. And I dare say, Mr. Hart would love it if your dear father told him that he owned his town.” Jones and Lee took the opportunity to stand behind Ronald. I was glad there wasn’t a lot of people here, and those that were, weren’t paying much attention. “I’d also like to add that any power your father may have isn’t yours. So shut up, sit down, and listen to what I have to say. Then when I’m done, you can fuck right off out that door, which I encourage you to do, and never come back.”
Ronald opened his mouth to speak, but the nudge Jones gave him shut him up. We decided to take the far booth in the back, away from the few patrons that were here. Jones pushed Ronald into the booth and quickly sat beside him so he couldn’t bolt. Lee sat across from him, and I was on the end. It was a perfect set up.
“I don’t know who you are or why I’m being treated this way. Like you said, my father’s power is his own, not mine. So if he’s angered you, take it up with him.” Ronald’s eyes darted between the three of us, and the fine sheen of sweat across his forehead confirmed his nervousness.
“This has nothing to do with your father and everything to do with you and your actions against one of my men.” Even though Quill only did deliveries, just like with the landlord, putting Quill under my umbrella of protection worked well.
“I just said I didn’t know you, how the hell—” Ronald didn’t get further in his sentence. Jones smacked him so hard in the back of the head, he almost slammed his nose against the table.
“Respect,” Jones demanded in his gravely timbre.
“How about you shut your mouth for a minute and hear what Mr. Black is trying to tell you?” Lee said softly but firmly.
When Ronald just nodded, I continued. “Quill Almeida.” I let the name hang in the air for a minute. When Ronald’s eyes widened, I expected him to be terrified, but instead, he looked livid.
“That little punk ass—” Again, Jones hit him.
“I’ll do this all day if I have to.” Jones chuckled darkly.
“Quill Almeida works for me and whatever the two of you had at one point is over. This isn’t a question, Mr. Sterling, it’s an order. Maybe in your case, a warning. I didn’t enjoy taking him home from the hospital after you went a few rounds on him.” I reached into my jacket pocket, amused when Ronald flinched, likely thinking I was about to take out a gun. Instead, I took out a business card and slid it over to him.
“Red Rose Securities?” He flipped it over, and I knew what he was reading there. My name. Black didn’t hold water for people like the Sterlings. Terrance Blackrose did, however. “You own Red Rose Securities?”
“I do. So you understand my reach, Mr. Sterling. Now, I don’t want to have to bring this to your father, but I will. Quill will be pressing charges. You will take whatever punishment is dealt to you.” As best I could, I leaned across the table. “If it were up to me, you’d be laying in an alleyway with a bullet between your eyes. But that’s not how this works and I dare say, Quill wouldn’t like that.” I didn’t honestly care what Quill thought if I decided to do that, but in this instance, I wanted Ronald to think Quill mattered to me and my business. What better way to do that than to make power hungry fools think someone else had power over them.
Ronald was silent for a few seconds before Jones smacked him in the back of the head again.
“Have you gone stupid?” Jones asked.
“No.” Ronald rubbed the back of his head, only causing Jones to laugh. “I get it.” He looked at me with a flicker of determination. “What makes you think Quill will press charges?” He scoffed, “He wouldn’t press charges against his brother or his last two exes, and they weren’t half as powerful as my family. I think you don’t know your guy as well as you think you do.”
This time when Jones went to hit him, he ducked.
“This is your one and only warning. You let me deal with Quill. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t know him very well.” I wouldn’t let on that Ronald’s words had upset me. Who were all these people in Quill’s life that felt like he was a punching bag and why had he done nothing about it?
I had no love for the authorities, but I had my own reasons for that. I couldn’t help as the curiosity that was Quill began to niggle at my mind.
This conversation was over, so I got out and began walking toward the door. Jones and Lee made sure Ronald followed right behind me.
“You never step foot in there again,” I said as my car drove up to the curb.
Ronald didn’t say anything further, just walked toward what I assumed was his Mustang.
“You want me watching him?” Jones asked.
“Absolutely.” I got in my car and as it drove off, I was on the phone with Lana, asking her to make arrangements for Quill to meet me in the office the next morning.