Beautiful Beast (Gypsy Heroes)

Thirty-six

JAKE

I enter the smoky back room of the Chili Club, and Lenny is sitting behind his desk. I close the door and he rises and comes forward.

‘How are ya?’ he asks, pumps my hand and gestures to a chair. His friendliness doesn’t disarm me or take me off my guard. Lenny and I go back many years. I know him well. He is nicest before he sticks a knife in your back.

‘Good. You?’

He turns the corners of his mouth downwards. ‘Can’t complain.’

I sit, lean back, and watch him take his seat behind the desk. He opens a silver cigarette box and holds it out to me. Technically, I’ve stopped smoking. But I still indulge once in a while. I reach out and take one. He flips open a black lighter. I lean forward and wait for the tip of my cigarette to burn cherry bright.

‘Thanks,’ I say and leaning back, inhale deeply.

He lights his own cigarette and sits back, making his chair tip back. I watch him inhale and exhale. His eyes find mine through the haze of smoke.

‘Like old times, eh?’ he says.

‘Like old times,’ I repeat. My voice is easy.

‘What do you want, Jake?’ he asks slyly.

‘My brother came to see you?’

‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘We came to an agreement.’

I don’t show it, but deep inside I feel a flare of pride and joy. I came here thinking I’d have to bargain, threaten, and even murder if necessary, but Shane’s got it all covered. My baby brother’s grown up. He fought his own battle and won. How the fuck did he do it though?

I take a lungful of hot smoke. ‘Right. So we’re good.’

He jerks his head backwards as if even the thought of war between my family and him would never occur to him. ‘You know me. I don’t keep grudges.’

And I know why too. Because Lenny always settles the score until he’s satisfied that he has had his pound of flesh. ‘Yeah, you’re a straight guy, Lenny.’

‘I’d never harm your family, Jake.’

I fix him with a stare. ‘No, you’re too clever for that.’

He flicks ash into the ashtray. ‘War between us is good for no one. The Mafia learned that the hard way, eh?’

‘He’s young, I hope he didn’t give too much away,’ I say.

He barks out a laugh, short and sharp. ‘Too much? Shane? You don’t give him enough credit.’

I say nothing. I drag another lungful of smoke and exhale it slowly. Suddenly I feel worried. What has Shane got himself into? What could he possibly have done that Lenny is so pleased with himself. I expected to find him spitting blood.

I frown. ‘What exactly did you agree to with him?’

‘Relax, Jake. He’s a chip off the old block. He didn’t have to give too much away. It was no big deal. I was happy to give her up. She’s damaged goods. I was keeping her as an act of charity.’ He looks at me craftily. ‘He helped set me up with a juicy deal.’

He glances at his cigarette tip. ‘And the little punk introduced me to two of the best whores I’ve ever had. I’m flying them both over for this weekend. One of the fucking bitches is double-jointed. She can suck her own pussy.’

He stops to catch my gaze, and there is something chilling about his eyes. ‘They put up a good show. I could give you their phone numbers if you want?’

There is a sour taste in my mouth. Amazing to think this was my life for so long. It wasn’t me then, and it’s certainly not me now. I grind the cigarette butt in the ashtray on the table. ‘Thanks, but I’ll pass.’

Lenny watches me with his empty eyes. I know he is hiding something. That bullshit about keeping Snow as an act of charity, my four-year old daughter could see through that one. Shane has something on him, but I don’t need to know how far Shane has gone. Shane did what he had to do. All I need to know is that Lenny has not been left with a grudge. And I am satisfied that no retaliation is due. I stand up.