Epilogue 1

EZRA

Two months later…

I didn’t need to spend any more time around Hunter to try and figure him out. The guy was a hustler. A fast-talker who always had to get the last word to make sure that he ended up on top. It might’ve been annoying if I wasn’t cool with him. Wearing the same patch as him just made it that much more amusing to me.

“I got an idea,” he said.

“Terrible,” Aden responded.

Aden, on the other hand, was just the opposite of the man sitting across from him. He was quiet. Always brooding like there was some shit on his mind. That’s just the way he was though. With Hunter always rambling, Aden had to be quiet.

“You haven’t even heard the idea yet,” Hunter said.

“It’s still terrible.”

Hunter kept rambling. Aden had no choice but to listen to him.

“You’re a fighter,” Hunter said.

“I was a fighter—”

“You can still fight. I’ve seen it for myself. You don’t care too much about actually stepping into a ring though. I can respect that. But what if… you came back.”

“They couldn’t pay me enough money to step back in the ring. It’s over, Joker. Let it go.”

“I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about me. Think about it. Mercy makes his return. Everybody beats the house on you. The odds swing in the other guy’s favor. Then you take a dive. Easiest money I’ll ever make.”

Hunter was smiling. I was, too, but not for the same reasons.

Aden looked at me like he was trying his best not to roll his eyes.

“Soul,” Aden said to me. “You’re gonna give this guy a job here when the place opens up.”

“I don’t need any handouts,” Hunter said. “I’m just trying to pitch some good ideas to you and the rest of the MC. Making ends meet is nice but some big bucks would be even better.”

“Big bucks,” I said. “I like the sound of that.”

“When’s the place gonna open anyway?” Aden said.

“Soon. Just have to get some things squared away. Don’t wanna open up until everything is perfect.”

“Shit looks perfect to me.”

“Close. But still not perfect…”

I got up from the table and patted Aden on the back. Hunter and Aden went back to enjoying their drinks.

The restaurant wasn’t open but it was a lot closer to it than a few months ago. Most of the construction was done. The furniture was set. The paint was dry.

I took a step near the entrance and looked over the place. Sebastian walked up next to me.

“You’re really doing it, huh?” he said.

“I’m really doing it.”

“It’ll be nice to have another business in Old Town. Business picks up here, business picks up at Hades. Hopefully your clientele is more than just Joker and Mercy.”

“They’ll come around. I know they will. With Lacey in the kitchen, I don’t see how things can go wrong. She’s the reason I gave my fortune away to the Rebels…”

“How are things with her?”

It’d been a few months and Lacey was adjusting to her pregnancy. It was a new experience for both me and her but we were ready to face it together.

“She’s resting,” I said. “ She works too hard. If there’s anything she needs to do, she can do it at home. The building itself is set.”

“And how is she adjusting to life as an old lady?”

“She knows it won’t be easy,” I sighed. “But nothing in her life has been easy. The only difference now is that she has a reason. We both do. I won’t let her down…”

I reached up and put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder.

“…I won’t let you down, brother.”

“I know you won’t.”

We stepped outside of the restaurant and looked out into the streets. They were just as barren as always but at night, there was a peacefulness you couldn’t find anywhere else. I almost regretted that it would be busy around here once the place opened up.

“I was waiting for you,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“I talked to Murph. He wanted to bring the MC back. It failed the first time because… We were just a bunch of cursed souls. Roman and I made it though. You’ll make it, too. You’re the grandson of a Devil. You’ve got that blood in you.”

“Life is Hell before you get to Heaven… I heard it before. Don’t remember where exactly. Makes sense though.”

“We’ve all been through some shit, Ezra. But you’ve got it.”

“I’ve got what?”

He poked his index finger into the patch on my chest.

“Soul… Wear it with pride.”

“No doubt.”

I gave him a nod.

“Come on,” he said as he put a hand on my shoulder. “Can’t leave Joker and Mercy alone while they’re drinking. It’s a volatile combination.”

Just before we headed back inside of the restaurant, I heard something in the distance. We both turned around and saw someone coming down the road. Even though it wasn’t very far, I could already tell what it was. Some overpriced luxury sedan. I’d lived in the city long enough and did business with the right people to have seen it before.

It pulled up right to us.

“Expecting someone?” Sebastian said to me.

I raised an eyebrow then turned back to the car, curious as to who it could be.

The driver opened the backseat up and a man in a suit stepped outside. Dark hair slick and combed perfectly on his head. Not a wrinkle on his suit or on his face. This was the kind of motherfucker who looked like he spent way too much time in front of a mirror.

He walked up on the curb and greeted us with a smile that showed off his pearly white teeth.

“Sebastian Cain,” the man said.

“…Emerson?” Sebastian replied.

“You know this guy?” I said.

“We’re… acquainted.”

“James Emerson,” the man said as he held his hand out to me.

“Ezra. Grant.”

I thought twice about shaking his hand but did it anyway.

That big smile still on his face, Emerson looked at the restaurant behind me and his grin grew even wider.

“I heard rumors,” he said. “Someone was opening up a restaurant in Old Town.”

“Rumors made it all the way to Golden Hills, eh?” Sebastian said.

“Every rumor gets to me. But this one… This was one I had to see for myself.”

Emerson nodded in approval as he examined the restaurant.

“This is a good spot,” he said. “Nice and clean. No competition. Give people a good reason to come out and they will. Even if the food is sub-par, the experience alone will be enough to get them to come back.”

“You didn’t come all the way out here to admire the scenery,” Sebastian said.

“No. No, I didn’t. I was actually wondering if you were looking for an investor.”

“An investor?” I said.

“Sure. A little more money in this place and it can be something really special.”

“No thanks,” I said without hesitating. “I’m the only investor I need.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say. I suppose there’s enough room in Old Town for another restaurant. Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, don’t you think?”

Emerson looked at me with a coy smile on his lips. Rich motherfuckers like him were all the same. Cocky. Arrogant. Walking around like you could have anything you want. You didn’t get to be a rich motherfucker by being any other way.

“This place is an inspiration,” Emerson said. “Old Town did always hold a special place in the hearts of the people of Ivory.”

“Come by when we open up,” I said. “I’ll get you a good table.”

“…Looking forward to it.”

Emerson got back into his car without so much as a glance at us. The luxury car headed back down the road.

“What the fuck was that?” I said.

“Emerson is like all of the other rich folks in Ivory. Most of them live in Golden Hills, so they’ve got better shit to do than fuck around in the common parts.”

“Sounds like he’s coming to Old Town.”

“Emerson’s got a hand in everything around here. And I mean everything.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows at me. I didn’t have to think long to know what he was getting at.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “This place will make a ton of money.”

“And if you ever need any help, you know the club has got your back. This will all be legitimate. Just like the first five were trying to do. At least, that’s what Murph told me…”

I didn’t give Emerson much thought.

The restaurant. The MC. Lacey and my unborn child. Those were the only things that mattered to me now. I had them with me, here in Ivory.

“Come on,” Sebastian said as he patted me on the back. “Roman should be showing up soon. Let’s have a few drinks and start dealing the cards.”

“You sure you wanna play cards with a guy like Hunter?”

“Playing with guys like Joker is the only way we’ll ever get any better. Besides, he never cheats when he’s playing the club.”

“Likely story…”

Sebastian and I shared a laugh as we headed back into the restaurant.

It was a quiet night in Old Town. I wouldn’t want it any other way.