Moses. Moses. Who is Moses? And what is this?
“She’s nice. You can’t hurt her.”
Bump’s plea brings the burn of tears behind my eyes. Sweet fucking Bump—except for that one time he kidnapped me.
If I weren’t paralyzed with fear, I’d be tempted to laugh at how much things have changed since the first time I was brought into this office. But, right now, I’m more worried about getting out alive.
“Shut the fuck up.” Moses jabs the gun harder against Bump’s temple, and the hair stands up on the back of my neck.
“Please, don’t hurt him. He’s—”
“Scarlett, get out of here,” Gabriel says, cutting me off.
“Shut the fucking door, Scarlett. You’re not going anywhere.” A cruel smile bends the man’s lips.
“She’s got nothing to do with this, Moses. Not a fucking thing. Let her and Bump go. You can do whatever the fuck you want to me. But just let them walk the fuck out of here.”
From beside me, I can practically feel the burning rage radiating off Gabriel. It’s hot enough to blister my skin. I glance down at him—the top of his slicked-back dark blonde hair—and I hate seeing him on his knees. I don’t know who Moses is, but I despise him for that alone.
“She ain’t going nowhere until I say so.”
“My security will be up here any minute. You’re gonna be fucked, Moses. So say what you came to say, and do what you came to do, unless you want to find yourself in a goddamned hostage situation. NYPD ain’t the same as the Biloxi PD. They’ll take you out in a fucking heartbeat. You got no one on your payroll to save your ass.”
I don’t know where Gabriel finds the composure to speak so rationally. Thank God one of us can.
But Moses doesn’t look concerned by Gabriel’s words. He throws back his head and laughs.
“Boy, you don’t know shit about shit. You never did. You think I just rolled up in the city today and let myself into your office? Fuck no. I’ve had my eye on you. For a man with a price on his head, you’ve done a piss-poor job of staying under the radar. I could’ve popped you so many fucking times, but what fun would that be? You wouldn’t even see it comin’. When I put a bullet between someone’s eyes, they always gotta know it was me.”
What? Oh. My. God. This crazy man has been watching Gabriel? Jesus Christ.
“Then what the fuck do you want?” Gabriel demands, and Moses grins forbiddingly.
“You owe me a hundred grand, plus fifteen years of interest. I’m here to collect.”
Three
Legend
The last place I want to be is on my knees, in my office, unarmed, with Scarlett beside me and Moses Buford Gaspard holding a gun to Bump’s head.
And yet, here I am.
My brain screams for Scarlett to fucking run, but she’s frozen like a statue beside me.
Of course this is how it would happen. I’m not even sure why I’m surprised. I’ve known for years that every move I make is a risk, but I didn’t realize Moses would lie in wait. That doesn’t seem like his style.
Then again, fifteen years ago, he was a gangster with a crew that followed his ballsy leadership without question. Why should I be shocked that he’s changed? I sure as hell have.
Except there’s one thing that’s always remained. I can’t outrun my past.
Now it’s time to face it and pay the consequences, but I won’t allow this to hurt Scarlett. I’ll take every fucking bullet while I stand in front of her like a human shield first.
Moses lifts his chin, and the words he spoke finally penetrate the chaos of my head.
“You owe me a hundred grand, plus fifteen years of interest.”
“You got your numbers wrong, Moses. I sold your shit for fifty grand.”
Those fucking creepy eyes flash with humor before they narrow on me. “Ain’t my fault you were a terrible gangster. The cargo in that truck you jacked was worth a hundred K. You only got fifty? We’ll call the other fifty a penalty for taking what wasn’t yours. And that interest rate? Yeah, it’s gonna be about a hundred percent.”
He taps his finger alongside the trigger of the gun resting against the side of Bump’s trembling head. “We’ll call it a million and a half, because I like round numbers. Now, I want my money, Gabe.”
Fucking. Christ.
A lead anchor sinks to the pit of my stomach. “If you’ve been watching me, then you know I don’t have that kind of cash.”
Scarlett shifts beside me. “I do. I can get it for you, but it’ll take a few days. Just . . . leave us alone, and you’ll get your money.”
Fuck. I jerk my head up to look at Scarlett, not sure whether I should hug her or shake her right now.
On one hand, I’d do anything to save Bump, but I don’t want Scarlett mixed up in this. And letting Moses know she has that kind of cash? Bad fucking idea.
Before I can say anything, Moses leers like a fucking coyote smelling fresh blood in the air.
“Oh, Gabe. You really fucking leveled up with this bitch, didn’t you? Solid choice.”
When he shifts his attention to Scarlett, I want to shove her behind me so he can’t look at her.
“Noble shit you’re trying to do there, cher. But I don’t want your money. It ain’t no good with Moses. I want this motherfucker to pay, even if it means I take it out in blood. Did you know he stole from me? He tell you that? Gabriel Legend—nice fucking new last name, brother—jacked my truck of electronics, sold the shit, and planned to skip town like a little bitch.”
“She doesn’t need to know,” I manage to get out from between clenched teeth, my jaw aching with tension. “She isn’t part of this.”
Moses purses his lips. “Oh, she’s part of it, all right. Every single person in your life is subject to forfeit until you give me my due.”
“I told you—I don’t have the fucking money.”
“That’s why I’m here, Gabe. Because I heard you got yourself one hell of a fine opportunity on the table. You’re going back to fighting, aren’t you? And ain’t that fight against Bodhi Black? They’re already talking about the odds.”
My brain stutters to a halt. “Wait. You fucking come out of the woodwork now because of this fight?”
That grin flashes across Moses’s face again. “Yeah. You see, I’m betting a fuck ton on Black, and you’re gonna take a dive to make sure I get paid. That is, unless you got that one point five mil handy right now.”
Scarlett sucks in a breath beside me, but thankfully, she says nothing.
“No. Gabe is gonna win. Gabe won’t lose.” Poor Bump looks like he’s going to blow a gasket, and I pray that he doesn’t move or run his mouth any more.
Moses jabs him with the barrel. “What part of shut the fuck up don’t you understand, kid? You must have nine fucking lives.”
The reminder that Moses’s crew is the reason Bump is the way he is ignites an inferno inside me. Keep it together. I lock down my rage and stare at Moses, mentally crushing him with my bare hands.
“If I lose that fight, I lose everything.”