bad feeling

A dozen times in the last few weeks he’d considered calling Ingrid to apologise for ever having wanted to be her equal. It would’ve been nothing like dealing on his own. Then he had made his own hours, had taken off for months, or years, at a time if he felt like it. Beholden to nobody, not even his clients – there were plenty of other sellers across the world if they really wanted to push matters – he had been a free agent. As captain of the ship, even if it was just in Ingrid’s stead, there would’ve been people clinging to his coat tails like snot faced toddler’s to their mother’s skirts. The club felt little better. How on earth did Hector cope with all of this?

When Hector had been put into the stone for his own protection it had felt like it would be a short term measure. The witch had been certain that there was a cure out there and Linc going into the stone with Hector just a few hours later had given her some real incentive to figure out how to undo the whole thing. In a few days they’d both be cured and he could go back to just visiting the club on occasion to see how his investment in the place was going. Rowan would stop squinting at him when he walked into the office, as though she thought he was betraying her idol somehow. If Ingrid suspected what he was doing, then she hadn’t decided to use it against him yet. He had left her once to strike out on his own as a weapons dealer, there would be no third chance for him if he decided to do just that again. She would cut her ties and probably make sure he was miserable for the rest of his long, long life. Although, if they didn’t get Hector out, he might just be that way anyway.

Luc propped his elbows on his desk and stared down at the two books in front of him. His fingers laced on top of his head, as though it would help lock in the information Magnus had reeled off about how Magnus conducted his business. Apparently those centuries the two of them had on him made all the difference in understanding this. Why they couldn’t have just caught up with the times was beyond him. Technology was there to make your life easier, not to sit there blankly when you fell back on ways that had vanished right along with the dinosaurs. Perhaps if he had allowed Manny and his people to take charge of that sort of thing with their deal he would have been doubly screwed with this. He had kept up with the times though.

An hour later he was finally shoving the books back into the safe in the corner of his office. Tomorrow, if he could spare the time, Magnus could pick over his workings, like a parent poring over their child’s homework. He settled back at his desk, reaching for the half full glass of whiskey. The ice had long since melted, muting the flavour, but he still sipped at it. When the bang rattled the door in its frame, he scowled over the top of it. His expression froze when Manny stomped in without any response from him. ”Another?” Luc asked on a sigh. The last time someone had stormed in like this, it was Hector. His desk had been splintered then, Hector turning a piece of it on him under the influence of the virus.

Leaning back in his seat, Luc felt the extra weight of a possible situation settle on his shoulders. ”You’re welcome to help yourself,” he told Manny dryly as his moved over to his makeshift liquor cabinet. Manners had certainly passed the man by. Luc grit his teeth, holding back any further comment, he really didn’t want to have to refurbish the whole place when Manny lost his temper. ”Our men…” Luc echoed, suppressing the fuck that wanted to tear out of him. ”Your people were arrested. Are they still in custody?” A quick release probably would have been a bad sign, the men sprung all the faster for reporting on their bosses.

Heat sizzled beneath Luc’s skin, misting up the glass before he set it down and shoved it away from himself. Just when it had seemed as though their plates were full of trouble, room had been made for another steaming pile of shit. Luc barked out incredulous laughter as he stared at Manny. ”You’re certain it wasn’t just your people screwing up? I’m all for getting rid of the problems, but I’d like proof before I start dropping bodies.” And this was why Hector had warned him about the business he’d been conducting right under his nose. Manny was a loose cannon and right now his fuse seemed to be smoking.

Tagged: MANOLO DE LA PEÑA * Word Count: 820

He would never have wished it upon Hector, but suddenly it felt as though dealing with his volcanic, virus driven moods had been good practice for dealing with Manny. From the start it had felt like entering into a relationship with a lit stick of dynamite. You knew that the fuse was burning down, but it was a guess as to when it would finally blow up and destroy some vital part of you. Luc resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. Hector had warned him and he’d seen for himself how volatile Manny was. Common sense and self-preservation had given way to the thought that he could keep a hand in when it came to his former business. A few deals on the side, just enough to prevent him from being entirely under Ingrid’s thumb again. Another bad move at a time when he couldn’t have afforded one.

”Nothing that involves you,” Luc warned, the moment Manny’s frown cut across his face. That probably wasn’t an explanation that would satisfy Manny, but what else could he do? Spell out every step Hector had taken towards ending up with a hunter’s stake in his chest? Hector wouldn’t appreciate his weakness, his mistakes, being spread through the town. That sort of thing left a permanent stain on your reputation, a target between your shoulder blades. ”It’s just something else dumped on my plate.” A steaming pile of shit that he should’ve smelt coming. This was too much, but scraping it off and getting rid of Manny would just be one job too many for now. When Hector was back and things were settled again, he’d revisit cutting his ties with the man who would surely just blow his world up eventually.

Alcohol wasn’t likely to settle Manny the same way some valium would (although he likely had too much of a cocktail of mood influencers in his system as it was), but Luc didn’t bother stopping him from raiding his liquor supply. He’d likely need an entire bottle himself to get through the revelation of this shit storm. ”The men you brought into the deal,” Luc argued back. If he’d spent more time vetting them, they might not have been in this situation. It had been easier to allow Manny to handle the logistics – and that had been the second mistake on his part. ”They wouldn’t the first to ignore the repercussions, thinking someone else will protect them.” As if Witness Protection was guaranteed. A new name, a new town, a new face perhaps. It was all just a cheap, thin veneer that could peel away at any time. ”Have you at least sent them a lawyer?” Luc’s eyes narrowed, his mouth pinching. He would’ve laid every cent in his bank account on Manny having people on retainer for situations like this.

As Manny reminded him, so sweetly, that this was a joint venture, Luc hissed out a breath. All traces of humour were gone now. If this went wrong, he’d be as on the hook for it as Manny was. ”Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he warned. His gaze snapped to the bottle in Manny’s hand, then back up to the man’s face. ”I’m not backing out now,” he said coolly. ”I wouldn’t have expected any different from you. If you’re suggesting that the mole is anybody I brought into this, you’re wrong. The people I work with know just as well how to keep their mouths shut.” Nobody at the security firm had a clue about his sideline and other than Hector, nobody at the club should’ve done either. ”The people that were sniffing around the club before, do you think they’ll have followed your trail from here?” There was a chance it hadn’t been a rat. Hector had mentioned the sheriff’s department sniffing around before, who was to say they hadn’t done that again, getting lucky with Manny’s people. Their people.

Tagged: MANOLO DE LA PEÑA * Word Count: 636