Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
I could tell by his expression that Cotton had little desire to sit and chat with Mr. Bruton, but he did as Bruton requested. I walked over and sat down in the chair next to him, then waited for Bruton to finally tell us why we were there. He took a sip of his coffee, then turned his attention to me. “I’ve been looking forward to finally meeting you. You’ve been a true asset to your ah... club. I’ve been quite impressed with the work you’ve done.”
“What work are you referring to?”
“All of it. You’re an exceptional hacker. You’ve done things my people couldn’t begin to do, and that’s just the beginning. The success you’ve had playing the stock market has been extraordinary.” Bruton looked to Cotton as he said, “You got lucky the day Stitch stumbled upon him.”
“We get it,” Cotton snarled. “You’ve done your research. And we’ve done ours.”
“Of course you have. I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Bruton studied Cotton for a moment, then said, “And on that note, I would like to personally apologize for what occurred with your brothers, Q and Rooster. Orders were not followed, and the men responsible have been dealt with.”
“They were dealt with? Is that supposed to fix things?” Cotton growled. “You’ve gotta be out of your goddamn mind! You not only got intel on my boys, but you got it on my wife and my kids. What the fuck is that!”
“I had to know who I would be going into business with.” Bruton’s face was void of expression. “I’m sure you can understand that.”
“What does my daughters’ class schedule tell you about me and my club?” I could feel the anger radiating off of him as he roared, “They have nothing to do with any of this!”
“What can I say? I’m thorough.” Bruton glanced over at me as he added, “I have no doubt that your intel on me is equally as thorough.”
“And what about your stunt yesterday? Was torching my clubhouse part of your thoroughness?”
“I had to send that message. My grandson’s life was in jeopardy.”
“And what makes you think yours is not?” Cotton’s voice was low and menacing as he snarled, “I could kill you right here and now.”
“You could, but I’m just a cog in the machine.” He shrugged. “You end me, and it’ll only be a matter of time before someone steps up to take my place. And when they do, they’ll come for you. But let’s not dwell on the what-ifs. Let’s discuss possibilities. My intent wasn’t to go to war with you boys. I want to go into business with you.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me!”
“No, I’m quite serious... I believe we could make a great deal of money together.”
“Oh, yeah?” Cotton scoffed. “And how would we do that?”
“You’re aware of my connections, are you not?”
“I am very aware, but I don’t see what they have to do with us.”
“I’ve recently lost one of my best hackers, and as a result, there’s been a disruption in my line of distribution. I would like you boys to help me settle that disruption.”
“So, what is it that you want from us?” Cotton crossed his arms and cocked his brow. “Our guns?”
“That’s exactly what I want.” I was stunned. I’d come to Bruton’s thinking that he intended to go to war with the club, only to learn that he wanted to go into business with us. The whole thing seemed surreal. Cotton seemed equally as flabbergasted when he asked, “And why in the hell would we ever tie up with you?”
“Because I don’t play favorites. I don’t take sides. I deal with the highest bidder, and I learned a long time ago it’s typically not a neighbor.” Cotton sat back in his chair as he listened to Bruton say, “My shipments go abroad where they can afford to pay, and trust me when I say, they pay, and they pay well.”
“We have our own distributor.”
The club had worked with Nitro for as long as I could remember. We got him the goods, and he got them in the hands of our buyers—whoever they might be.
We never knew where the guns went. There was a peace in not knowing. We didn’t have to think about the kid down the street or gangs in the city using our goods to kill one another. We simply got our cash and went about our way. If we worked with Bruton, we would know our weapons were going overseas to the highest bidder, and they would be used on their land—not ours.
Bruton seemed unfazed by Cotton’s declaration when he replied, “Maybe so, but I can more than triple your profits. But let me be clear, it’s not just your weapons that I’m interested in. I want Bones.”
“Come again?”
“I want Bones on my team. I need his expertise to ensure that things with the venture continue to run smoothly.”