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James shakes his head, still listening to Finn on the other line, his face twisting with fury.

He licks his teeth angrily and hisses while jabbing the table with one finger. “Are you serious, Finn?! What the fuck is wrong with you, little brother! You’re going to get us all fucking killed!”

My heart races at the unknown. James laughs, bitter and sharp. “So… not only did you blow up his warehouse…”

My eyes go wide. Oh Finn… you didn’t… you didn’t blow up one of Mr. Sinclair’s properties.

Then James adds, voice rising despite himself, “Who the fuck is Christopher? What?”

I watch every shift in James’s expression, trying to piece it together from his side of the conversation.

James growls through a whisper, “You kidnapped someone?! How the fuck… why?!”

He laughs, but there’s no humour in it. “You’ve lost the plot, brother. No, I’m not proud of you! You actually disguised yourself, stole a wheelchair, and followed them around a fucking mall?!”

I facepalm and groan, the sound low and miserable.

James finally hangs up, tossing the phone onto the sticky tabletop like it’s poisoned. He looks at me, eyes wide with disbelief and fear. “Mitch… fuck… he’s lost the fucking plot. What the fuck are we gonna do, man?”

We sit in silence for a long moment, the weight of it all pressing down on us like a physical thing. The bar noise fades into the background. I take a slow sip of my warm beer, trying to think clearly.

James leans forward, voice barely above a whisper. “First option… we get the fuck out of dodge. Pack what we can, bail tonight. Start fresh somewhere else. New city, new names, leave everything and everyone behind. With or without Finn.”

I nod slowly, turning the glass in my hands. “We could do that. We’ve got some savings stashed. Enough to disappear for a while. Find a new setup, keep our heads down.”

James runs a hand over his face again. “But we’ve got a whole client list relying on us. Regulars who pay good money for our product. We’ve got the garage too, even if we have to rebuild. We can buy a new place, start fresh on the legit side. The regulars will come to us. We stop doing the dodgy shit… no more trafficking, no more risky moves. Just keep to ourselves… stay low, stay out of Sinclair’s way.”

“Oh yeah?” I say, voice bitter. “You think he’s gonna let us stay in his city after the shit Finn’s pulled? Nah, James. You don’t get away with blowing up his shit and then… fuck… kidnapping one of his men.”

I wince at the word “kidnapping.” My stomach turns, but I keep going. “You know… ever since we let Finn join the business, he’s caused nothing but trouble, James.”

James nods, eyes distant. “I know… he should’ve stayed with our folk. We had a whole setup; we were doing so fucking good.”

We both fall quiet again. The weight of what we’re actually considering sits between us like a loaded gun on the table.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, the idea forming but not quite settling right. “So… we either leave everything behind… or we betray our brother.”

James closes his eyes for a long second, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe what we’re even thinking… I mean, if it were you, I wouldn’t even consider about it. But… he doesn’t care about us. What’s he ever done for us that actually benefited us? He doesn’t give a shit that Sinclair’s after us now. Meanwhile he’s hidden God knows where…”

I add quietly, “We may never see him again anyway.”

James opens his eyes and looks at me, the conflict clear on his face. “Maybe we can persuade Sinclair to let us stay.”

I frown. “How?”

James runs a hand through his hair, leaning in closer. “We give him everything we’ve got on where Finn could possibly be. Finn’s own bank statements, a list of every shitty property he’s ever bought with his cut… anything that might lead Sinclair to him.”

I stare at him. “So… you think if we give Finn to Sinclair, he might let us live? Let us stay?”

James nods slowly. “Yeah… I think it’s worth a shot. Look, man, we’re in our forties. I can’t be bothered moving to a whole new city where we don’t know the rules of the streets, where we don’t know anyone or who’s gonna be loyal. Here we’ve got everything and everyone we need. We just gotta rebuild.”

I let that sit for a long moment. The idea feels like betrayal, but it also feels like survival.

I nod, the decision settling heavy in my gut. “Fine… I can’t believe I’m saying this but… you’re right. Finn’s gotta go…”

Chapter Twenty

~ Unexpected Visitors ~