“Where are you?” Allister lacked tact. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Just tell me where I can find Ellie.”
“That may be a problem. See, what you want is what I want.”
Allister stiffened. He glared at his brothers, unable to see then, unable to breathe. “Who are you?” Of course he knew. He was simply buying time.
“Come on, McCall. We both know you already know exactly who I am. What you really want to ask is why I want Ellie. What could a killer possibly want with a country girl from Tennessee, a woman who shares her be
d with several men? Why would I want someone like that?”
Every bone in his body was rigid. Every muscle tightened. Allister might have lost it if his brothers hadn’t been standing there to support him. They grounded him, kept him centered and focused.
“You must want something,” Allister said calmly, wanting him to ask for what he needed, what he most wanted from him right in that very moment. He wouldn’t have called if he didn’t want to negotiate.
“We’re discussing options,” Seth said. “This is somewhat new to me. I typically send my acquaintances home to their family members. To date, I haven’t asked any of them to meet me.”
“You want to meet?”
“I haven’t decided,” Seth said. “But rest assured, when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Tell me something, Seth.” Allister’s voice was quiet, controlled. “How do you see this playing out?”
“You’ve obviously had some help. By now, you’ve done your homework. You and I both know how it ends.”
Allister set the phone on the hood of his car and threw his hands above his head, resting the heels of his hands on his forehead as he paced right in front of the vehicle. The thought of never seeing Ellie again ripped at his gut, gnawed at his stomach like a cancer with the will to kill.
Mac grabbed his forearm and jerked him around. “Get it together.”
Draegan mouthed, “Keep him talking.”
Allister slowly released his held breath, pushing aside thoughts of Ellie and drawing from an inner strength that was only stronger because of his love for one woman. “There’s a lot to be said about guys like us.”
“Oh? What’s that, Allister?”
“We’re creative motherfuckers with enough imagination to carry us to our own version of a happy ending.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I didn’t come to Miami to die. And if only one man is left standing at the end of this thing, then you’re in a real bad spot because I’m standing with my brothers and every last one of Trouble’s founding fathers. For your information, Mr. Jones or whoever you are, when you ain’t standing with us, you’re fighting against us. And that’s a real bad place to be.”
“One way or another, I’ll look forward to seeing you at the end, Mr. McCall.”
The phone went dead. Allister drew his strength from the very fact that Seth Parkinson had made a critical error, a mistake that would work out in their favor. He’d underestimated his opponents and had gone against his normal routine, which meant he could be stopped because he wasn’t following what must’ve previously been his normal formula for success.
Focusing on his family and friends, Allister said, “All right then. If the only thing that matters is the ending, what do you say we make it a happy one? Let’s go find this guy and put him out of his misery.”
Chapter Ten
“Oh shit!” The stoner from the airport turned to run as soon as he spotted Markie. He bumped right into Allister and Mac. “Oh fuck me!”
“That would be a proposition for me, doll,” Markie drawled, strutting toward the young man.
Allister blocked his path. “Running from me or them?” He pointed at Draegan and Harley, now on Markie’s heels.
“Dude, I told ya these guys were trouble!” Stoner’s sidekick was jittery as hell.
Allister lifted the punk off the floor, gripping him by his collar. “We’re not here to hurt you. We need your help.”
“Why…couldn’t you just ask for it at the airport?” The punk’s legs dangled.