Betsy’s husband had worked for Forrest. After his death, Forrest had taken Betsy and the boys to his home. And hadn’t let her leave. When she’d tried to escape with the twins, Forrest had sent the boys away as punishment.
“I wanted to take Forrest and his merry band of fuckers down,” Ink said in his usual way. “But why are we going after Senior? He’s no threat to us.”
“He could be if he finds out we have shit on him,” Spike said quietly, thinking it through. They’d stolen a file Forrest had on his father containing photos of him with a drug lord and a mob boss. Considering, the image he portrayed to the world was one of an upstanding citizen that wasn’t something he’d likely want leaking out. They’d used it as leverage to keep Betsy safe from Forrest.
“How would he know that?” Ink asked, but he was starting to look worried. “Forrest wouldn’t have told him.”
“Someone could have,” Reyes said.
“But we have no way of knowing that,” Duke added. “We really going to try and take on someone like Senior? It could be suicide.”
“He’s evil,” Reyes said. “He hides behind his money, but we know he’s involved with a cartel. He could be using his shipping company and warehouses to import drugs or girls or guns. Or he’s being paid to turn the other cheek. Are we going to let him get away with that?”
“We could go to the cops,” Ink said, looking doubtful even as he suggested it.
“And have him pay them off?” Reyes spat.
Ink dropped his head back. “Fuck.”
“How would we even take him on?” Duke asked. “There’s no way we could get close to him. He doesn’t even live here. And he’s bound to have plenty of security. We can’t get to him.”
“No, but the Fox could.”
They all gaped at Reyes.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Duke demanded, jumping to his feet.
Duke wasn’t given to outbursts. Not usually, anyway. But the Fox was a sore spot with Duke. He had a thing for Sunny, Duke’s woman. Spike didn’t think it was sexual. But the Fox was . . . different. An assassin for hire, it was clear he had few morals. Maybe he was even a psychopath, or was it sociopath? Spike didn’t know what the difference was. However, he cared about Sunny. Was protective of her. And he really enjoyed pissing Duke off.
Case in point, the pink motorcycle he’d sent Sunny for her birthday that Duke had yet to let her ride. Spike didn’t think he could hold out much longer. Not with Sunny begging him. Duke was fucking putty in her hands. One only had to look at the patch she’d sewn onto his cut that he was still wearing.
The glittery patch that had the words Property of Sunny on it and a picture of the sun.
Yeah, he couldn’t deny Sunny much.
Not that Spike blamed him. Sunny was a complete sweetheart and Duke loved her. But if she’d been Spike’s, she’d have been unable to sit for a week if she’d touched his cut.
Sometime soon, Sunny would be riding her pink motorcycle, wearing her pink riding gear that she’d covered in rhinestones.
Spike couldn’t wait.
“We’re not fucking hiring the Fox to assassinate Senior,” Duke practically hissed at Reyes. With his hands clenched into fists he leaned them on Reyes’ desk, getting right in his face. Duke was a good vice-president because he didn’t lose his head.
Right now, though, he looked like he’d happily rip Reyes’ head from his body.
Reyes looked up at him calmly. “Why not? It would be a quick way to take care of a problem and there would be zero risk to us.”
“What about how much the Fox would charge? How would we find the money for that?” Ink a
sked.
“He’d likely give us a discount,” Razor joked. “Especially if Duke invited him to Thanksgiving.”
“Fuck! This is not happening. We’re not dealing with the Fox,” Duke told them. “I already owe him for Sunny’s life. Ink owes him for Betsy’s. You don’t think that one day he’s going to want to cash in on those favors?”
Duke was likely right. Spike couldn’t see the Fox just forgiving or forgetting those debts.
“Look, none of this matters because we’re not hiring the Fox to assassinate Senior,” Duke told them. “Even if that was something I could stomach, we can’t afford his fee.”