Chapter 12

Remy

The whole house bustled with life. He sat on the old couch, still comfortable as hell, the sound of the TV blended with kids yelling around playing and talking and laughing.

He couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Son," his mom said, coming out of the kitchen, "are you okay?"

He looked at her and gave her a big smile.

"Sure, why?"

"You haven't said ten words since you came in."

"Oh, sorry, I went to bed super-late and you know…"

He looked around. People coming and going, the kitchen completely busy, football playing on TV.

His older brother, Conner, arrived at the house, bringing a casserole with even more food. The last time they gathered there was so much of it left he took home more than he’d brought.

"Holy shit, Remy," he said, "what happened to you?"

He didn't want to explain how he almost got killed by one of their enemies so he just shrugged.

"Nothing man, just a bad decision."

"He got you good. Did you win?"

Remy rolled his eyes. No he hadn't won. Thanks for reminding me.

His stomach tightened. If the fight hadn’t taken place, Julie wouldn't have been eager to take him to the hospital, and they wouldn't have kissed.

He needed to see her. He needed to taste her again. His cock stiffened but he moved to the side to hide it. Who ever thought losing a fight against five idiots was really good luck in disguise?

He smiled.

"That's cool, bro. I can imagine how the other guy ended up."

Conner reached his own conclusion; he wasn't going to argue with him. It was easier this way.

"Where do I put this, mom?"

"Just set it right…"

Remy tuned everything out. He didn't even know who was playing. It didn't matter.

He changed the channel, then again, then again.

I'm a fucking idiot.

He hadn't asked for her number. Everything happened too fast. But she had his. The ball was on her court now. He left an old show on, volume was too low to understand anything.

This was peace. When his father arrived, it would be a whole different story.

***

The kitchen's table was full. No else asked about his wounds, it was probably his mom's work, right there. She understood him, and probably told everyone not to ask any questions.

The kids finished eating, grown ups now gathered at the big table.

"Amazing, just amazing," his father said, taking another bite of the lasagna his mom prepared.

"Thank you dear," she replied.

His father sat at one end of the table, Conner on the other. Kat, his sister-in-law on one side, his mom and him on the other.

"I heard another shipment got delayed, Conner."

"Here we go again," his older brother said.

"What? Can't I ask about it?"

"We're eating, Ed," his mom said, patting his hand, "don't—"

"Listen," he said, raising his fork and pointing it at Conner, "that makes us look weak. Do you want us to look weak?"

"Weather delay, dad."

Ed slammed his fist on the table, "that's your excuse this time? Do you think our enemies care? Those animals want our heads on a pike."

"Not an excuse. It's the second delay in the year."

"Second delay? Back in my day we had zero delays—"

"We're shipping ten times the quantity," Remy interrupted, "it's a bit harder today."

Ed and Conner looked at him in silence, Remy fucked up. You usually let the old man speak and after he was done everything would go back to normal.

But the way he spoke about their enemies. He called them animals.

Shit. For some reason, he felt insulted, too.

"You shut your mouth, kid. I'm talking business here."

"Me too," Remy replied, "this isn't the old days. We have to be more careful, unless you want the DEA knocking at our door."

"You're going to tell my how to run my business?"

"I know how things are."

"Just be quiet Remy," his brother warned.

"Our enemies are much more sophisticated than they used to. We have the territory but—"

"Get the hell out of here with your ten dollar words, son. You're smart, but we deal with the operation, you just—"

"If I launder the money for you I have to say it straight. We need to change our methods."

"Hey, hey," Conner said, "logistics is fine, thank you very much, stick to—"

"No, you dumbass, I'm not gonna stick to the numbers while you two screw everything up just because you're too afraid of change."

Everyone was silent. His mother didn't even comment, and she was usually the mediator.

"You said it yourself last time, Conner, you've seen the Crawford's move into our territory."

"They're under control."

"Are you sure? I've heard they're expanding, and their money is fucking flowing, while our year-to-year growth is declining."

"Is that true?" Ed asked, "Who told you that?"

"A guy. He wanted intel on us. We exchanged some."

"You what?"

"It's fake, dad, the guy's on our side. Just a goon with his eyes open. We control the situation."

"You can't control anything if they're getting our money," Ed said, his voice hard and controlled, like an executioner before dropping down the axe.

"Delayed shipments, loss of territory, sooner or later they're going to make a move."

"I got it under control," Conner replied, "we need to hit them where it hurts."

"Take our fucking money back,"

"Ed!" Yelled Claire, his wife, "Stop cussing at the table. Calm down."

Ed sighed, then prompted them to go on.

"We can't go on an all-out war with them," Conner said, "do you really want to risk that?"

"Those animals don't care about it, right? They killed my brother Richie back when you were little, now they're testing the waters again!"

Remy closed his fist.

"Shut the hell up," Remy said, "both of you."

Ed turned to him, his face shocked and red with anger.

"How dare you—"

"I got it," Remy said.

"What—"

"Leave this to me."

"That's it, leave it to you?" Conner said.

Ed cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

"You stick to what—"

"Let him speak," Ed said, "Remy, what do you have in mind."

Remy didn't want an all out war. They had to cripple the enemy by hitting them where it hurt the most. The money.

"I think I know how they're getting their money clean so quickly. I'll have to—"

"Good. Do whatever it takes. Keep us informed."

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He took a brief look at it.

A message from an unknown number.

"Hey! Julie here. How are you feeling?"

His heart started racing. Hearing from her again made him happy for a moment.

Then a sickening sensation washed over him. He just promised he'd bring her family down.

This was going to be worse than he expected.