DECLAN

 

If anybody saw Lin walking down the streets of Ivory, they would’ve known in an instant that he wasn’t from around here. It wasn’t because he was Chinese. It wasn’t because of his pale skin. It wasn’t even the expensive suit he wore or the way he slicked back his hair so perfectly that it looked fake. No, there was something else about the motherfucker. Lin carried himself like he was worth millions. It wasn’t just that though. There was a bit of arrogance to him. It was like he was too good to be associated with the people around him. I couldn’t blame the motherfucker. When you had an army of Triads at your disposal, you tended to get a little cocky.

I stood with Ghost by my side while Lin paced back and forth in front of me. The abandoned storage warehouse we were in was completely quiet. The two armed gangsters behind Lin could make it loud in a split-second if they wanted to.

“I told you before but I think it bears repeating. I don’t like Ivory. I don’t like the way it smells. I don’t like the way it looks. I don’t like the way it feels. Dealing with Ivory is an unfortunate cost of business.”

He stopped pacing right in front of me.

“You know I only talk to you directly when it’s important,” he continued.

“And this is important?” I said.

He gave me a nod and put his hands behind his back.

“The man you were dealing with. Cross. How did it go?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“How do you know about Cross?” I said.

“I do business in Ivory. I have eyes where they need to be. When one of the MCs I’m doing business with gets involved in violence, I like to know exactly what I’m dealing with. If you were to die, I’d need to know so I can talk to the other clubs.”

“I’m not dead. I can’t say the same for Cross.”

“And the rest of his club?”

“They’re a small group. They don’t have a place to call home. It was easy to make them disappear.”

“Good.”

Even though Lin had a stake in what happened, it was curious to hear him say that. There was a satisfied smirk on his face that only left me more confused.

“You spoke to me earlier,” he said. “You wanted to have a meeting with me but you canceled it. What was that about?”

“I had a change of heart.”

“A change of heart?”

“There was the possibility that I was gonna introduce you to Cross and his gang. I figure with as much business as you’re doing, you could use a few new bikes to move your shit.”

“I see… But you decided to kill him instead.”

“Change of plans.”

The thought of not having to worry about Cross put a smile on my face. I never reveled in the death of another man but the motherfucker was asking for it. This was all for Michelle.

“How fortunate for you,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“I never would have done business with a man like Cross.”

“He’s psychotic. I knew that right when I looked at him. Everybody’s better off without him in the picture.”

“Indeed. In your case especially.”

“You mind telling me what the fuck you’re getting at?”

Lin was speaking to me in riddles like there was something I didn’t know. He didn’t keep me waiting for long though.

“I told you,” he said. “I have eyes all over Ivory. I know what’s going on with your police force. I keep tabs on the feds. And I know when some random MC shows up in town. Don’t you think it’s curious that some club shows up to Ivory and suddenly takes issue with you?”

“He knew my wife. He knew that I had a good deal going with you.”

“And you still don’t see it. Such a convenient coincidence.”

“What the fuck are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is that if you didn’t kill Cross and you brought him to me, then I would’ve killed him myself.”

“What? Why—”

“Agent Lieberman is doing everything she can to try and get to me. That includes getting in contact with a man like Cross.”

I shook my head softly in disbelief. That shit sounded too outrageous.

“Lieberman is a fed,” I said. “She would never bring someone like Cross to Ivory.”

“She would do whatever it takes. You see, she doesn’t care about you or me or Cross. To her, the end justifies the means. I would never hold a meeting with her. But there was a chance that I would hold a meeting with another club. A club working for her.”

I turned to Ghost but he looked just as confused as I was.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Ghost said. “Why would Cross work for Lieberman?”

“Cross is not smart but he is crazy. Being crazy got him into a lot of trouble. If they didn’t execute him, they were going to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.”

“So he made a deal with Lieberman,” I said.

“Cross isn’t like you or any club president,” Lin continued. “I’m aware of the MCs and your unwritten codes, is it? You would never deal with the police. You would never rat out another club. Cross wasn’t above doing something like that if he could save himself.”

It made sense. Cross was a piece of shit, no matter how I looked at it. He shot my ride. He raped Michelle. Working for Lieberman to avoid prison time sounded like one of the more reasonable things he could do.

“All right,” I said with a nod. “Cross isn’t working for Lieberman. Not anymore.”

“Are you certain that Cross is dealt with?”

“You don’t have to worry about it. The Reapers have erased people before.”

“Lieberman will come looking for her informant.”

“She’ll ask questions but nobody will answer. The Vultures never existed. Gone without a trace.”

Lin exhaled a deep breath of relief through his nose and nodded.

“Good. Then business can proceed as usual.”

“There’s still the matter of Lieberman. If all of what you’re saying is true, having a woman like that around can’t be good for either one of us but especially for you.”

“I’m touched by your concern.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said with a smirk. “I don’t intend on taking the fall with you. And if you go, the money goes with you. This is a business arrangement. Nothing else.”

“I’m glad you have everything in perspective… Yes, Lieberman is a thorn in my side. Dealing with local police is much less stressful than dealing with a federal agent. But she’s not any closer to getting her hands on me. Follow my instructions and I don’t see how our business arrangement can’t continue to be beneficial for both of us.”

Ghost and I turned around to leave when Lin stopped me.

“Oh, one more thing, Cunningham,” he said to me.

He walked up to me and looked me right in the eye.

“Don’t ever think about bringing anybody else to the table. No other clubs. No other gangs. Not even your own family members.”

“I got it—”

“It’s fortunate for you that you dealt with Cross before he ever came in contact with me.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because after I killed him, I would’ve killed you.”

Lin wasn’t the kind of man to joke about something like that. The look in his eyes only confirmed what he was saying.

“To protect my investment, of course.”

A smile suddenly appeared on his face but that shit wasn’t sincere.

I looked him up and down then gave him a nod.

“Come on.”

I suddenly felt Ghost’s hand on my shoulder.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here already,” he said.

I gave Lin one last look before turning back to my VP.

“Let’s go home.”