“Last step,” Seth said when Liam hadn’t moved toward the nightclub after climbing out of the car. “It’ll all be over in a few minutes, and you’ll have your life back.”
Liam’s eyes snapped over to Seth’s face, but there was no hope or relief in his expression. There was something that Seth couldn’t quite put a name to, but it in no way was related to joy.
“We’re going to get through this together. I promise,” Seth continued.
“Yes, you’re right. We can do this.” He smirked at Seth. “I’m just a simple florist, standing here with a huge wad of cash in an envelope, waiting to meet some loan shark, while wondering if I’m going to get to those last anniversary arrangement orders that came in before closing. Yeah, if this is normal for Sven, he’s been leaving a hell of a lot out of his work stories.”
“Just think of how much you’re going to be able to share with your little bro when this is over,” Seth teased.
“I think it would have been easier if I just took up Frisbee golf,” Liam mumbled, mentioning one of Sven’s free-time activities.
But regardless of Liam’s obvious nerves, he started toward the club. There was no denying it. Liam was a fucking brave man, and Seth couldn’t help admiring him all the more.
As they reached the double doors, one of them was opened by a grim-faced Buzz. He looked over Liam and then down at Seth.
“Boss said you were to come alone,” Buzz growled.
“And I told your boss I was bringing my bodyguard,” Liam snapped. “If your boss wants his money, he has to let us both in.” Liam leaned in closer as he spoke, until his nose was only an inch from Buzz’s repeatedly broken nose. And to Seth’s great joy, Buzz flinched first.
Liam might be a kind-hearted florist, but the man was still nearly seven feet tall and loads of muscle. A fucking impressive sight.
Buzz made a low, growling noise before he stepped out of the doorway, motioning for them to step inside, where they were met by Georgie and another goon. As Seth had warned him, they were both searched for weapons. Liam wasn’t carrying anything. Seth’s knife was removed from the sheath on his belt as he’d anticipated. He’d had no intention of using the damn thing, but he knew it would have been more suspicious if he’d come to the meeting completely unarmed.
With Weiland’s safety well in hand and the newcomers rendered helpless, Buzz led the way deeper into the nightclub. The majority of the lights were on, stealing away the place’s usual dimly lit mystique. The walls were painted a dull, matte gray, and the decorative wall sconces looked cheap in the bright overhead glare. The floor was cracked and dirty under their feet while the scent of old booze and bleach teased Seth’s nose.
Seth had never been inside of The Tap Room before, but Weiland’s club was geared toward loud dance music and barely legal kids looking to get drunk, high, and laid. Not exactly Seth’s scene.
They stepped into the main room of the club, and Seth’s eyes quickly skimmed over the area, counting people. There were two men behind the bar, restocking for tonight’s guests. Another was mopping the dance floor.
Then there was the muscle.
Cornelius Weiland was sitting at a high-top table with a small stack of papers in front of him. Two large men were standing behind him, their hands hanging loose at their sides and eyes scanning the bar. Both were wearing leather rigs around their shoulders, putting their guns on open display for anyone who could see them.
For now, Seth was counting the regular employees of the club as a threat, which put the total at nine. Not impossible odds, but not good.
Very carefully, Seth made a clicking sound with his tongue. Anyone else might have taken it as someone just creating a little nervous noise, but Sven caught on quickly.
“Nine perps. Got it,” Sven said in a low voice in his ear. “We’re ready.”
Seth hummed his agreement softly, his eyes locked on Weiland as they drew closer to him.
They stopped several feet away from the table and silently waited for Weiland to look up. The man continued to flip through papers and make little notes, ignoring them in an attempt to make sure they understood that they were on his time and only as important as he made them. Seth nearly rolled his eyes at it. He dealt with plenty of this bullshit from his own clients. It wasn’t in the least surprising from this criminal.
When Cornelius looked up, he did a double take, his eyes darting from Liam to Seth to Liam again. Yeah, they were a strange combination. Maybe not as startling as Sven and the diminutive Geoffrey when they were standing next to each other, but in that case, Sven was the bodyguard, not Geoffrey.