Page 85 of Sling’s Awakening

“What do you want?” I ask, cutting straight to the point.

“What?”

Jesus, he can’t even keep up with this conversation.

“I asked what do you want,” I repeat slowly, enunciating each word as I’m unable to keep the asshole tone out of my voice.

I’m done with this guy. From how he acted when we came up here for Scar’s birthday to the weird ass phone call to now.

“Oh right. Right, right, right.” Russ rushes out as he looks over his shoulder, scanning the parking lot before turning his attention back to me and lowering his voice to a whisper. “When you run things through your, ah, business, how do you make the books look clean?”

What the fuck?

I tense, my body going rigid.

The air around us grows thick as my brothers close in, on alert from what just came out of Russ’s mouth.

“What did you just ask me?” I growl.

“When you run things through your business, how do you make the books look clean?” Russ repeats himself like the dumbass he is. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”

I advance on him. My hand darts out and wraps around Russ’s throat as I hold him in place. All it would take is for me to squeeze just a little harder and I would crush his airway.

Russ claws at my wrist as he chokes for air in a poor attempt to get me off him.

“I heard what you fucking said,” I hiss. “I want to know where you got the balls thinking you can ask me that in a goddamn parking lot for anyone to fucking hear?” I shake him by the neck. “Are you fucking stupid?”

Russ struggles to talk, his words sounding like a gurgle.

“What was that?” I ask as I let off the pressure on his neck slightly, but I don’t release him.

“I asked you for a meeting,” he chokes out. “You didn’t want to give it.”

“That doesn’t mean you take matters into your own hands and pull this shit. Do you know what it means to cross a man like me?”

Russ’s eyes grow wide, but he barrels on. “My employees are onto me. I need help hiding shit before it comes back to bite me in the ass.”

I study him through narrowed eyes.

Blake being stressed out about work comes back to my mind. I wonder if she’s who he thinks is onto him.

She has a right to be freaked out if this is how Russ is acting.

When a man gets desperate, there’s no telling what he will do to save his own ass.

The door to the club opens, and a group of drunk guys spill out, stumbling to their car.

Mountain nudges me, signaling to me that we need to get out of here.

He’s right. The last thing we need is Russ spewing more bullshit for everyone and their mom to hear.

“I’ll be in touch,” I tell Russ as I release him with a shove before pointing a finger at him. “And in the meantime, you better keep your mouth shut.”

Russ stumbles back, barely catching himself before he falls flat on his ass. He rights himself before running his hands down the front of his stained shirt as if he’s trying to smooth it out.

Like that’s going to make him any less of a fucking creep.

“I’ll be waiting for your call.” Russ nods as he walks backwards, stumbling with every step before turning around and making his way toward his car.