“Yes, it has.” I shake his hand.
“Want a drink?” He motions to the selection of liquor behind his desk—good stuff too, obviously for clients.
“I’m good.” I hold up my hand and sit down. “Thank you, though. How are you adjusting to life in the city?”
“Busier than Penny Grove, but my wife likes it here.” He shrugs. “I’ve learned to keep her happy, especially now that she’s expecting.”
“Really?” A smile spreads across my face. “Congratulations, man.” My eyes drift to the picture of his son that sits on his desk. “Guess that’ll be rather interesting, two kids that far apart.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” He laughs. “I’d fill you in if we had more time, but I assume you didn’t come here to discuss my private life.”
“No, this is about mine.” I sigh. “Have you ever heard of a guy named Diaz? I don’t have a first name. He’s some sort of loan shark…”
“The name doesn’t ring a bell, but I can’t say I deal with many loan sharks. I could find out for you. Got a minute to wait?” Keaton picks up his cell phone.
“Yeah, take your time.” I nod.
Keaton leaves the room to make the call. I don’t know who he’s reaching out to, but I really don’t care who the source is if I get the information I need. I have to assume Diaz can’t be very high on the hierarchy in the city if he’s letting people pay their gambling debts on a payment plan. It’s good for Hudson’s sake, but most of the ones I’ve heard about aren’t that generous.
Being alone in Keaton’s office makes my thoughts drift back to Kiana. She’s probably angry at me. Furious. Maybe even a little hurt after I threatened her. Part of me wishes I could take it back, but another part of me realizes it was the one thing that made her stop fighting. If I can fix the problem, she’ll have to see I was on the right track from the beginning—even if she doesn’t like my involvement.
“Well…” Keaton walks back into his office and closes the door. “Miguel Diaz is his name. He’s small time. Barely a blip on anyone’s radar. He operates his business out of Pasqual’s Tavern. It’s neutral territory, so there aren’t any toes you can step on there.”
“Good to hear.” I give him a nod.
“Want to tell me what this is about?” Keaton sits down at his desk. “I thought you investor-types got your gambling kicks playing the stock market.”
“Yeah, I like to lose my money legally.” I look down and laugh. “I’m trying to handle a problem for a friend.”
More than a friend, I hope. If she’ll even talk to me after I unlock my bedroom and let her go.
“Want me to send one of my guys with you?” Keaton cocks his head inquisitively.
“Nah.” I hold up my hand to decline. “I can handle it myself; I just like to know who I’m messing with before I start trouble. Thank you for the information and your time.”
“No problem at all,”he says as he stands to shake my hand.
Keaton is a good man. I’m glad to have someone like him I can call when a problem pops up that is outside of my usual span of control.
Miguel Diaz—the jury is still out. I don’t know if he’s just trying to get paid, or if he’s taking advantage of the situation in front of him. I’ve never had a problem with bookies or loan sharks. They don’t force people to make bets or take money, and if something is owed, it needs to be paid. Hudson is the one who fucked up, so if there’s a way to handle this like a businessman, I will. I’m sure Lawson did the same thing—until he ran out of money to pay his son’s debts.
Now I have to foot the bill. Because I can’t stand the alternative.
I arrive at Pasqual’s Tavern about an hour after leaving Keaton’s office. It isn’t in the best part of town. I’d feel safer if I wasn’t walking in unarmed, but I have an idea if it’s the kind of place where they pat you down before you get through the door. I don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself.
“Who are you?” A man who looks as rugged as the place he’s standing in front of approaches me when I get close to the door.
“My name is Bram Ward. I’m here to see Mr. Diaz.” I give him a nod that is as friendly as possible.
“Mr. Diaz expecting you?” He puts his hand on the door.
“Nah, but he’ll want to talk to me. I want to talk to him about Hudson Brooks’ debt,” I reply and stop in front of him.
“Just a minute…” He steps into the tavern, and the door slams.
Pasqual’s doesn’t appear to be open to the public, especially strangers. That worries me a bit. It’s the kind of attention I didn’t really want to draw, and I don’t even have a way to protect myself if things go sideways. Hopefully they won’t. At the end of the day, Diaz wants his money. Kiana won’t be making anymore payments. This is the way he gets it.
“He’ll see you.” The man pushes the door open and motions for me to enter.
“Thank you.” I step into the tavern.
It looks better on the inside than it does on the outside. The place is clean, at least. There is a mixture of people who look like locals and guys wearing suits too expensive for this side of town—like me. They obviously work for Diaz.
“He’s in the back.” The man who let me in points and steps outside.
I feel like the center of attention as I walk through the tavern. Everyone is staring at me—their eyes say I don’t belong, and I agree with that. I’d rather be anywhere than here right now.
I spot the man I assume to be Diaz in the back of the tavern. His eyes are locked on me and narrow as I approach him. He looks like a thug in a suit with scars on his knuckles, one across his nose, and a face that would be terrifying if you ran into him on a dark night. I’ve seen worse, but I can see why someone would be afraid of him on sight alone. He motions for me to sit down when I get to his table.
“Not who I was expecting.” His voice is like gravel. “I thought I had met everyone who gives a fuck about Hudson Brooks by now.”
“I’m just here to discuss his debt.” I sit down.
“There is already a deal in place for what he owes.” Diaz leans forward. “I don’t take his bets anymore, so if he’s got another one, it isn’t with me.”
“Then this is a renegotiation.” I drop my hands into a pyramid and rest my chin against my fingers. Lawson used to call this my business stance. It’s a habit I’ve never tried to break.
“Wouldn’t we have to make a deal first if we were going to renegotiate the terms?” He tilts his head slightly. “I made my deal with Hudson’s sister.”
“She’s no longer handling his debt.” I shake my head. “I am.”
“If she’s not going to handle his debt, then things will get very ugly for Hudson.” Diaz’s eye twitches. Is that a tick? Is he annoyed? He’s not someone I want to annoy without some heat close enough to grab.
“You want to get paid; otherwise, you would’ve already done something to him.” It’s a bluff, but the facts add up. “I can make that happen a lot faster than his sister can.”
“Okay, I’m listening.” He nods.
I wish I could write a check and pay Hudson’s debt off in one fell swoop, but I’m not in a position to do that. The best I can do is make an offer that is enough to buy Hudson some time—just like Kiana did. Simple math tells me that Kiana could only afford a couple of grand every month, even if she got some generous tips—so I’ll shoot for a number higher than that.
“How about five grand a month until his debt is cleared?” I lean forward. “I know that’s more than his sister would’ve ever been able to pay.”
“His sister cried when she was sitting in that chair.” His expression sours. “I felt bad for her. My sympathy has worn off now. Twenty-five sounds a lot more reasonable.”
He’s testing me. I can’t blame him. He has no idea what I’m worth, and if I’m lowballing him or making a serious offer. He’s negotiating with me—that’s a good sign. Now we just have to walk away from the table with a n
umber that makes us both happy and doesn’t bankrupt me.
“I would pay that if I could. I’m just trying to help out my friend’s kid. How about seven? On the first of the month, every month.” I swallow as if I’m uncomfortable paying that much money—it’s not far from the truth.
“Seven from you and Kiana keeps making her payments as well. I see no reason for her to stop dancing at Max’s club.” A slight smile forms on the edge of his lips. “I kind of enjoy watching her when I can—a perk I’m not willing to give up for anything less than ten.”
He’s figured out that she’s the reason I’m here. He might be a thug in a suit, but he’s not stupid. I want to reach across the table and give him another scar for even suggesting it. I keep my composure—for my sake, and because we’re close to bringing these negotiations to a peaceful conclusion. Ten grand a month will be rough, but I can make it happen.
“Okay.” I nod. “Ten grand a month it is.”
“Interesting…” He seems to be studying me, but after a couple of seconds he extends his hand. I shake it. “But my deal is with you—which means Hudson’s debt is now yours. If you miss a payment…”
“Got it.” I match the firmness of his handshake until he lets go.
He doesn’t have to finish his sentence. I know exactly what I’ve gotten myself into and the repercussions of not holding up my end of the deal. Was my decision rash? Maybe. I would have helped either one of Lawson’s kids had they showed up at my door begging for it. Kiana didn’t beg. Not for my help, at least.
I have no idea if Kiana will be appreciative or still upset with me for intervening in a situation that she thought she had under control. I know she didn’t. Not really. She put a band-aid on something that needed a lot more than that to close the wound. I’ve closed that wound and opened a new one. I’ll suffer financially until the debt is paid, but at least Kiana will never have to step foot on a fucking stage again.
After I leave Pasqual’s Tavern, I head to the office. I still have some work to do, and I need to look at my expenses. There was a time when I could have wiped my ass with ten grand a month and never missed it. Lawson could have done the same. I can’t even fathom how many of Hudson’s debts he had to pay off in order to bring himself to financial ruin.
Maybe I should reach out to him…
“Mr. Ward.” Joanna pushes my door open. “Dan needs some help. Jack’s here.”
“He is?” I blink in surprise. “Okay, where are they?”
“The conference room next to Dan’s office.” She motions in that direction.
Jack should be sleeping off a hangover in The Hamptons—or whatever it is people his age with that kind of money do. The deal was already made, and it’s too soon to check in on his investment.
I hurry down the hallway to find Jack leaning over the table and Dan furiously shuffling through paperwork. Not a good sign.
“Jack!” I put a smile on my face and some cheer in my voice when I walk into the conference room. “I didn’t know you were going to be stopping by today.”
“Bro!” Jack turns toward me. “I was talking with my friend, and he told me about this really awesome company I need to invest in!”
“Oh?” I glance at Dan who has a disheveled look on his face.
“Yeah.” Jack nods. “They’re about to launch a new energy drink that’s going to put Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar out of business, bro! My friend got in on the ground floor, and I don’t want to miss out!”
“This company…” Dan sighs. “Hendy Beverage?”
“That’s the one!” Jack nods furiously.
“They haven’t turned a profit in years.” Dan blinks a couple of times.
“That’s about to change. I’m telling you. I want all my money in that!” Jack taps the financial report Dan is holding.
I can tell from the look on Dan’s face that this is a bad idea, but it’s Jack’s money. If he wants to waste it, we can’t exactly tell him no.
“He’s the boss.” I keep the smile on my face and motion to Jack. “Make it happen, Dan.”
“Sir?” Dan sighs. “Yes, sir.”
I’m making a strategic move. I need Jack’s money to be invested in companies that can actually make money, but if we piss him off, he can always take it to another firm. Hopefully, he’ll lose a little bit with this foolish investment, and we can persuade him to trust us when he realizes it isn’t the gold mine his friend told him it is. Then he might leave investment decisions to the experts. Either way, I’m not going to let anything ruin my mood right now.
I’ve fixed Kiana’s problem.
It’s something to be celebrated.
I just hope she feels the same way…
Chapter Fifteen
Kiana
I’m distraught, angry, and frustrated.
No, I’m just furious.
Furious at Bram for locking me in his bedroom, and furious at myself for getting into his car to begin with. I trusted him, and that was a mistake. I’ve known all along that I can’t trust or depend on other people. Why did I think he would be any different?
My parents always told me I was a disappointment, but I tried to hold my head as high as I could. Now I feel like I’ve finally proved them right. I had everything under control on my own. I swallowed my fears, walked into Pasqual’s Tavern, and pleaded for my brother’s life. Mr. Diaz terrified me, but he showed compassion. He agreed to let Hudson live if I made regular payments—then he told me how to make the money I would eventually put in his hand.
Taking the stage was hard, but I didn’t have a choice. I saw Mr. Diaz in the club a couple of times checking up on me, making sure I was following his instructions. I did exactly what he said. Until now. Tonight, I won’t show up for work. Max will have no idea where I am. If Mr. Diaz decides to stop by, I won’t be there. I don’t even want to think about what that could mean for my brother.
All because I gave in to a fantasy…
I watch the clock on the wall, and the minutes tick away my fate—my brother’s fate. A feeling of hopelessness settles into my soul until I finally hear Bram arrive home. There’s still time. I could make it to the strip club before I’m supposed to take the stage. That requires Bram to be reasonable. He certainly wasn’t this morning. Maybe he’s had time to come to his senses; maybe that’s why he’s here.
Rather than rushing him as soon as I hear footsteps outside the door, I take a seat on the bed. I already tried to fight. It didn’t go very well for me. I’ve had time to reflect on his threat, and while I’m not happy about it, I do feel bad that I left a cut on his face. I’ll apologize on my way out the door. I watch it open and slowly lift my head when he steps into the room. The anger is still there, but I’m somewhat conflicted. I still care about Bram, despite everything that happened between us earlier this morning.
“You don’t have to worry about your brother’s debt to Diaz.” He walks in and closes the door. “It’s been handled.”
“What do you mean?” I feel a nervous twinge in my stomach. “You went to see him?”
“Yes, and he’s a man who wants to get paid. He doesn’t care where the money comes from.” Bram nods and sits down on the bed next to me.
“He’s not going to hurt Hudson?” The nervous feeling continues.
“Your brother is safe.” He nods again. “So are you. There’s no reason for you to go back to that club, or ever dance on a stage again—it’s over.”
I’m silent for a moment, just trying to process what he said. I didn’t expect Mr. Diaz to let me off the hook so easy, nor did I expect him to strike a new deal with Bram after the one I made. He explicitly told me that the terms could never be renegotiated, which I thought was a good thing at the time, because it meant my brother was safe. Maybe he was just trying to scare me.
“Thank you, Bram,” I finally say. “You really didn’t have to do that. I know how much my brother owed Mr. Diaz, and I will pay you back. I promise.”
“You don’t have to pay
me back.” He shakes his head. “But maybe we can put this behind us now?”
I will pay him back, even if I have to scrimp and save for the rest of my life. Now isn’t the time to push the issue. It’s best to put this whole thing to rest and try to move on. He obviously wants to, and I’m ready to do the same.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Sorry about this morning … and that cut on your face.”
“It’s okay.” He puts an arm around me. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have threatened you. I let my emotions get the best of me.”
“I forgive you.” I lean my head against his shoulder and sigh.
Emotions were high on both fronts earlier today. Bram was just trying to do what was best. I fought him at every turn, even to the point of getting physical. I probably deserved more than a threat, but I don’t think Bram is the kind of guy who would ever hurt me. He just took care of my brother’s debt so I wouldn’t have to keep dancing for strangers. That’s more kindness than anyone has ever shown me.
“How about dinner?” He presses his lips to my forehead. “I’m sure you’re hungry after being stuck in here all day.”
“Yeah.” I nod, and a smile creeps along the edge of my lips. “Luckily, I had a big breakfast to hold me over.”
The world feels right for the first time since everything started falling apart around me. I know it isn’t perfect, but it is the biggest step in the right direction I’ve had recently. With my brother’s debt no longer holding my life hostage, I can try to resume it. College. A job. All of the things I would have done had I not been completely derailed.
I’ll probably have to overcome my fears of owing money and take on some student loans. Otherwise, I’ll never be in a position to get the kind of job that will allow me to pay Bram back. Maybe Hudson will be able to help, if he was serious about turning his life around. He promised he would after the debt nearly put him in an early grave when our father wasn’t able to bail him out.
Daddy's Possessive Friend (Once Upon a Daddy Book 12) Page 9