Is he watching me right now? Could he really have popped me at any time?
I already know the answer to that isyes. Moses didn’t get to the top of the Biloxi crew without being clever and ruthless.
Underestimating him won’t happen again.
I park in the alley and head inside the club, thinking about how we’re going to have to hire more security for Scarlett and Curated. Someone will have to take turns with Hal, because the old boxer won’t be able to stay awake around the clock for much longer. I need to figure out where the money’s going to come from, but that’s less of a concern. We don’t have a choice.
I shoot Hal a text to ask if he has anyone he would trust with his life who could trade shifts with him.
Hal: Let me ask my brother. He’s between jobs. Only man I’d trust with my life.
Legend: Thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.
Hal: We both know I owe you big. Consider this a long overdue repayment, and if you try to slip me cash, I’ll consider it an insult.
I stare down at my phone.Well, shit, at least I won’t have to come up with the money to pay Hal.One problem solved off my long list. I’ll fucking take it.
Next up, to figure out if the cameras caught any footage of Moses inside Legend.
Eleven
Legend
Q isin his office when I make it inside, and he’s already got camera feeds up on both of his monitors.
“You see anything?”
“Not yet, but I only vaguely remember what he looks like from that picture you showed me years ago. Fuck, now I feel like I should’ve had it framed on my desk so I was ready.”
I shake my head. “I’m so fucking sorry, man. I brought this to our door—”
Q waves me off. “Stop. I’ve known since the beginning that tying myself to you could mean that I’d find myself in this situation. I know what I signed up for, Gabe.”
I pull one of the extra chairs around the side of his desk and sit down beside him. “Regardless, it’s eating at me. I should’ve handled my shit all those years ago.”
Q turns, and his dark gaze pierces mine. “You were a scared-as-fuck kid back then, and it doesn’t make you less of a man to admit it. I wouldn’t have gone after him either, if I’d been in your shoes.”
“So, what do we do now?”
Q releases a long breath. “I don’t know. Because if this fight really comes together and you win ... we’re still fucked.”
“I will win. Losing isn’t an option.”
“So we find out where the fuck Moses is holed up and take him out ahead of time.” Q leans back in his chair. “Or get a million and a half from someone who isn’t your girlfriend.”
I shake my head. “No one is giving me that kind of cash to pay off a gangster from Biloxi. I hate to break it to you, but I don’t have a fairy godfather.”
Q grunts out a laugh. “No shit. Because we wouldn’t be in this position if you did. He’d be turning piles of dog shit into stacks of hundreds instead of pumpkins into carriages.”
“You’ve been watching cartoons with your nieces again, haven’t you?” I ask him.
He points at me. “So what if I did? You going to judge me for it, after going to a gala with the richest assholes in town?”
“No judgment.” I raise my hands in surrender. “But I’m still going to give you shit about it.”
“Whatever. Back to Moses. Even if we spend hours going through security footage, it’s not going to help us find him now. You got any idea where he’d go?”
I shake my head. “None whatsoever. Could that PI buddy of yours take a look?”