Page 63 of Flint
Deuce is standing there with one arm held out in front of Jules. His face is bruised, his lip is split, and his eye is half-shut.
Daniel staggers over to her, looking over her property cut. “Who are you? I mean, I recognize you from the beltline, but who are you really?”
“I’m friends with your twin brother’s daughter. Her name is Lauren.”
“I have a niece?”
“Yeah, but it’s a long story. We probably need to sit down and hash it all out.”
Jasper yanks Anthony up and slams him down into the chair they had Daniel tied to. The old man speaks up. “I already told you, Daniel. The Allens didn’t want you. They didn’t want you when you were born, and they don’t want you now. Why won’t you believe me?”
Before anyone can say anything, Jules turns on the older man. “Probably because you’re lying. Mr. Allen is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I can’t believe his parents would have given away a child.”
“What do you know about it, bitch?” he spits out.
I take two steps closer to Anthony Terrance and backhand him across the face. “Don’t let your mouth and ego write checks your broken down body can’t cash.”
“Do you know who you’re messing with? You just signed your own death warrant.”
My head swivels around to look at Daniel. “Is he always so dramatic?”
“Most of the time. I’d appreciate it if you stopped hitting him.”
“I’d appreciate it if he stopped insulting my old lady, but we don’t always get what we want.”
Jasper clears his throat. “That’s enough smacking the hostage around. We need to save the beating for when it counts.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” the older man asks.
I bend down so I can look him in the eye. “It means that we have questions, and you’re gonna answer them. Based on your answers, we’re either gonna call a truce or give you a dirt nap.”
“Who made you judge, jury, and executioner?”
Drawing my thumb to point back at Anthony Terrance, I ask Daniel, “Is your old man for real?”
“Look, I think there has been a big misunderstanding,” Daniel replies.
Jules speaks up. “No. There’s no misunderstanding. I saw you beaten and bloody on the beltline. These men stuffed you in their trunk and tried to run me off the road because I saw it. Then they sent men to look for me and Flint. Then they put money in my account from a bank robbery trying to frame me. Exactly how is any of that a misunderstanding?”
“It’s not,” Anthony spits out. “You were interfering with my family, so I did what I had to in order to make you stop.”
I put one finger on Anthony’s forehead and push his head back. Staring down at him, I tell him, “I’m not gonna let any of that go. You know that, right?”
“Yes, you will. I apparently have information that you want to know. Release me, and I will tell you what you want.”
All I want in the whole world is to punch this arrogant prick right in the face, but I don’t because I still have a bit of self-control.
Jasper reaches down with both hands and pulls the older man up by his suit jacket. When he lets him go, he smooths his jacket back out with one hand. “Look, old man. I’m pretty fuckin’ sick of dealing with you, and we just got here. We’re gonna ask questions, and you’re gonna answer them. If you don’t talk then you ain’t walking out of here today. So, it’s either tell the truth or die. You got it?”
“I’ve got it, but here’s what you need to understand. Threatening me is a no-win situation. You’re already a dead man walking for that alone.”
Jasper frowns at him. “Look, I’ve got an old man who likes to say crazy shit like that too. But this isn’t the time or place. I know you mobsters like to think you’re badasses, but I can raise a thousand men with real-life fighting experience. Ones that don’t wear fuckin’ suits and like to fight dirty. If you want to keep it up, we can go there.”
When the old man opens his mouth, Daniel interjects, “Just answer their questions.”
Before the old man can object, Slate asks, “Start with the birth. How do identical twins end up with two different sets of names on their birth certificates?”
“My wife was pregnant in 1968. We had three sons by that time. Her dream was always to have four.”
