Page 123 of Thug

“I want you to be here when I get here.”

“Huh?”

“What do you think about moving in?” he asked. “With me? Especially with your new hours, I think it’ll be good for us both. It’ll let us focus on ‘us’ more.”

My heart raced. “Move in? Here?”

He nodded. “It worked well for my parents.”

“I think it’s insane,” I blurted. “Not the idea that’s not what I meant I came up with the very same idea That’s nuts I mean I want to but I don’t want to move in and then have you say that it’s not what you were thinking and then I’ve got another deposit on another place and I have to move all my stuff again and all of that crap with utilities and deposits I mean if I say yes I want it to be for all the right reasons is this what you really want?”

“Jesus.” He laughed. “You didn’t take a breath.”

“I was thinking and talking at the same time. I do that when I’m nervous. I just. I don’t want to say yes, and then have you change your mind after a little while. I’d rather not do it than do it and have you decide later that it didn’t work.”

He began pacing in front of the table. “Some knucklehead asks his girlfriend to move in because that’s what he thinks he wants. Later, he finds out what he thought and what he felt are two totally different things. So, he tells her it just isn’t working out.” He paused and looked right at me. “What our minds think and what our hearts feel aren’t always the same. I’m asking you to do this because it’s what my heart feels. That’s what matters.”

I couldn’t argue with his logic.

So, I didn’t.

I grinned. “Let’s do it.”

32

Price

Brisco sat on the far side of my office, picking at his fingernails. Halfway through my third jelly filled, I was ready. I tossed what remained into the trash. “You ready?”

He looked up. “Been ready.”

“Gray’s going to be moving in with me,” I said.

He stared for a minute with a blank look on his face. “You called me in here to tell me that?”

I scowled. “No, motherfucker. I called you in here for several things. I’m just trying to make conversation right now.”

“Oh.” He scratched his head. “Guess that’s a good thing. I mean, as long as you’re okay with it.”

“Well, it wasn’t her fucking idea.”

He nodded. “Hope everything works out. I know how you are.”

“What’s that mean?”

“You’re just a prick when it comes to shit. Don’t touch this, don’t move that. Just hope it ain’t one of those deals that ends up pissin’ you off.”

“She’s respectful,” I said. “Been staying at my place on and off for a month or so. It works out really well. For both of us.”

“Like I said. I hope it works out.” He began picking at his nails, again. “What else you got?”

He accepted Gray moving in better than I expected. I hoped the other men did the same. I stood. “When a man fucks up, like those three Stallions did, there’s a price that needs to be paid. You agree?”

His brows pinched together. “I took care of those three fuckers. Is there a problem?”

“No,” I said. “I’m just asking a question. When a man fucks up, he’s got to pay for what he’s done. Agreed?”

“God damned right.”