by Zoey Parker
He only hoped he hadn't taken the rest of the Devils down with him.
Skull opened the door, revealing a short, sleek-looking man in his early sixties. He had olive skin and heavy eyelids, and his slicked-back hair was snow white. He wore an Armani suit with a silk shirt and tie, and a gold pinky ring with a large ruby in it.
Even though Skull had only met the man once before, he had no trouble remembering him. He was Don Benvolio “Benny” Altamura, the most powerful gangster in Louisiana.
And whenever he felt the need to show up in person, things generally didn't end well.
“Mr. Scofield,” Benny greeted him pleasantly. Although he'd moved to America as a young man, his voice still retained the faint lilt of his Italian accent. “It has been far too long since we have had occasion to converse. May I enter?”
“Certainly, Don Altamura,” Skull replied, forcing a smile. “Please, come in. You, uh, honor us with your presence.”
Skull felt like an awkward douchebag trying to frame his words so formally, but he knew that Benny took pride in being old-school when it came to showing respect, down to the smallest detail. The tiniest slip-up could be fatal for the whole MC.
But why? Skull thought, frustrated. There's no reason for him to even be here, is there? I thought of everything when I planned this job, I'm sure of it. I made sure he wasn't connected to this in any way. What could I have missed?
Benny stepped into the garage, the raised heels of his polished black loafers clicking on the grimy concrete floor. Even with the lifts in his shoes, he still only came up to Skull's shoulders.
But then, Benny Altamura was living proof that a person didn't need to be tall to be scary as hell.
Benny looked up at the truck with mild curiosity, as though he was thinking of buying one. “Ah, here it is. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in computer equipment. No doubt you have plans for that kind of money, yes? But since I did not hear about this theft from you, I am left to assume that those plans did not include giving me what I am owed.”
Skull felt the other Devils bristle around him. He couldn't blame them. This wasn't supposed to happen, damn it. This whole score was supposed to be theirs, free and clear.
“With respect, Don Altamura,” Skull began, trying to keep his voice calm and low, “we didn't realize you were, um...I mean, we did our, uh, due diligence when we planned this out. We made sure this trucking company wasn't affiliated with any of your, y'know, associates. We even asked around to, uh, make sure you had no plans to hijack this truck yourself. We'd never do anything to intentionally interfere with your business. So I think it's fair to say that we're...well, confused by all this, is what I'm getting at.”
Benny smiled, shaking his head. “I see. Then perhaps it will clarify things for you when I point out that even if the truck didn't belong to me, this city still does. When we first met and you requested permission to operate here, I told you that I would graciously allow you to ride around on your bikes and pull your small-time scores. Marijuana, guns, stolen cars. These things are beneath my interest. But stealing a quarter of a million dollars in merchandise without seeking my permission—or paying my tribute—is simply unacceptable.”
Skull swallowed hard. “Sure. I see your point. And I, uh, beg your forgiveness, and of course I'll be happy to give you a cut of this. A big one, just so you know this was a total misunderstanding and there's no hard feelings. Twenty-five percent, how about that?”
Benny's dark eyes drilled holes in Skull, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“Okay, fifty percent,” Skull said. “Just to show you we're committed to making this right.”
Benny stepped forward, putting his left hand up on Skull's shoulder and squeezing it. For a moment, Skull relaxed, believing they'd reached an accord. Sure, giving up half their take was a bummer, but at least the Devils would be left with a decent amount and they'd get out of this in one piece...
Suddenly, Skull felt a battering ram smash into his midsection. Benny's fist moved like lightning as it delivered another savage blow just under Skull's ribs. The air left Skull's lungs and he doubled over just as Benny pulled a handgun from a holster under his jacket, pistol-whipping him in the face.
Even through his doubled vision and the ringing in his ears, Skull saw the other Devils start forward menacingly. He held up a hand to stop them. “Don't,” he slurred, tasting blood. “Stay back.”
“Yes, listen to your president,” Benny told them. “I have twenty men outside with machine guns. If any of you put a hand on me, you will all be exterminated in less than two minutes.”
He put a hand around Skull's throat, leering down at the biker's bleeding face. “Perhaps if you had approached me beforehand, you would be in a position to negotiate. Since you chose not to, you have forfeited your rights to this truck and everything in it. These are the rules, and as men, we must live by them. You should be grateful that I do not simply murder you right here, along with the rest of this yellow trash you call an MC. But make no mistake—if you ever defy me in this manner again, I will end every last one of you. Do you understand me, Mr. Scofield?”
Skull's pride writhed and yowled in his gut like a wounded animal. He was a born street fighter who'd never backed down from a brawl in his life, and the humiliation of being forced to grovel and roll over like this made him wish he was dead.
But Benny wasn't known for making idle threats, and Skull knew that if he didn't go along, every member of the Devils would be slaughtered.
He nodded.
Benny released him, returning his gun to its holster and wiping his hands on a handkerchief with a faint grimace. “Good. Now give me the keys, please.”
Skull pulled the keys to the truck from the pocket of his jeans, handing them over. Benny took them and walked over to a button on the wall, pushing it. The huge main door of the garage rattled as it was pulled upward, letting in the humid bayou air. Benny's gangsters stood outside, holding compact machine pistols.
Benny gestured to one of his men, tossing the keys to him. The man caught them and climbed up into the cab of the truck. The engine came to life and the man slowly backed the truck out of the garage, driving off.
“Gentlemen,” Benny said, “enjoy the rest of your evening.” He walked off into the night, followed by his soldiers.
Bumper lunged forward, crouching down in front of Skull. “You okay, man? Anything broken?”
“That greaseball cocksucker,” Ash fumed. “He doesn't give a shit about the rules, he's just a greedy prick. We're not gonna let him get away with ripping us off like that, right?”
“We should firebomb his goddamn house,” Panda snarled. “And all his fucking businesses, too. We should shotgun everyone who works for him, and then grab him and cut his head off.”
“Yeah? How exactly are we supposed to do any of that shit and get away with it?” Bumper asked angrily. “They're the fucking Mafia, in case you haven't noticed. They've got more guys, they've got more guns. We start an all-out war with them, they'll mop the floor with us, guaranteed.”
“So we're just supposed to bend over and take it?” Ash retorted hotly. “Is that why we joined a fucking MC? So we could let some asswipe in a fancy suit walk in and piss on us whenever he feels like it?”
“Ash is right,” Skull said quietly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. “We're Voodoo Devils. The day we start acting like pussies and pushovers is the day we may as well hang up our cuts.”
“Fucking suicide run,” Bumper grunted.
“You're right too,” Skull continued. “We go head-to-head with the Altamura, we'll end up at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain with cement blocks tied to our ankles.”
“So what are you saying?” Panda asked, frowning.
“He's talking nonsense,” Bumper said. “His head must have taken a harder hit than we thought.”
Skull shook his head stubbornly. “No. I'm saying we need to get some fucking payback, and I'm saying we won't be able to
get it by fighting like we usually would. We'll need to come up with something else. Something smarter.”
The Devils traded uncertain looks.
“Like what?” asked Ash.
“I don't know,” said Skull, smiling slowly. “But I think I know someone who can help.”
Chapter 1
Bax
Bax Barton poured himself more champagne, admiring how the golden bubbles seemed to dance and twirl in his glass like high-priced strippers. The familiar thrill of victory radiated through every cell in his body like warm sunlight. He leaned over his lunch of caviar and prime rib and toasted David Choi, the smiling, baby-faced Chinese-American man sitting across the table from him.
“Here's to another successful score,” David said, beaming. “I still can't believe we managed to pull off the Beijing Tea House scam in fucking Houston.”
“Hey, if I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times,” Bax replied, sipping his champagne. “You can run any con, anywhere, with absolutely anyone. All you have to do—”
“—is know how to sell it,” David finished with him, laughing.
They were sitting in the Longhorn Supper Club, surrounded by polished mahogany paneling and sparkling gold fixtures. This was one of the most extravagant restaurants in Texas, where senators made deals with oil billionaires and paid more for their meals than most families spent on food in a week.
Later, when they hit the road on their motorcycles, Bax and David would don the well-worn riding gear they were more comfortable in—jeans, t-shirts, cowboy boots, and sleeveless leather vests with faded patches that told stories of where they'd been and which MCs they'd previously been affiliated with. But for now, they were clean-cut and wore expensive suits and ties, as though they'd just stepped out of a board meeting at a Fortune 500 company.
In Bax's experience, it was important to make both of these looks work. Either one was capable of comforting or intimidating, depending on the mark and the situation.
“I still say you almost pooched the deal, though,” David chided him, stealing a bite of scalloped potatoes from Bax's plate. “Making goo-goo eyes at the guy's wife, I mean.”
“I was just trying to be charming,” Bax insisted.
“Bullshit,” David snickered. “You wanted a piece so you went for it, like you always do. And if I hadn't been able to distract the husband, he'd have kicked you in the balls and the whole damn thing would have gone out the window.”
“I wasn't worried for a moment,” said Bax. “A slick, talented operator like you? I knew how easy it would be for you to keep him busy.”
David rolled his eyes. “I appreciate the handjob, Bax, but I'm being serious here. You're the most gifted con artist I've ever worked with, and you're smarter than I am by a country mile. Hell, you might even be one of the best hustlers in the world right now. But if you can't learn a little self-control and keep it in your pants when it counts, you'll end up dead somewhere with your dick cut off and a mud hole stomped in your ass, and you'll have flushed all that potential down the toilet.”
“But what's the point of living the romantic life of a wandering outlaw without the romance?” Bax asked playfully.
“Shit, the money we just made? You can buy all the romance you want,” David said.
“Paying for it's just not the same, man. It's that look in their eyes when they want you, you know? There's nothing in the world like it. And no one can fake it, either, no matter how much you pay them...or at least, they can't fake it well enough to fool me.”
“I give up,” sighed David. “You're fucking hopeless. So where should we go next?”
“I don't know. Miami? Boston? Mexico City?” Bax suggested. “Wherever the money's green.”
“Is Mexican money green?” David asked, frowning.
Bax shrugged. “One way to find out, right?”
Bax's cell phone trilled and he took it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID. It was a Louisiana number he hadn't seen or thought about in years. His eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth slowly pulled back into a grin.
Holy shit, Bax thought. It's Skull. But why would he be calling after such a long time? We used to be close, sure, but Skull was never the kind of guy who'd call someone just to aimlessly shoot the shit.
Maybe he's in trouble.
“Give me a minute,” Bax said, getting up from the table.
“Fine,” David retorted. “But I'm taking the rest of your prime rib.”
As Bax walked over to the window, memories of Skull flooded his mind. They'd grown up together in Grosse Tete—or “Gross Tits,” as they'd called it—just outside of Baton Rouge. As teens, they shared a fascination with motorcycles and decided to form a gang with a few of their friends. Back then, they were just a pack of bored and reckless punks—racing their bikes, vandalizing property, and terrorizing the more conservative locals with their long hair and loud music. Bax was the one who'd come up with the name The Voodoo Devils. But as they got older, Bax decided it was time to hit the open road and find new adventures.
Well, perhaps “decided to find new adventures” wasn't entirely accurate. Perhaps “got caught with his dick in the sheriff's daughter and had to leave town in a hurry” was a little more on the nose.
Damn, maybe David's got a point, Bax mused. This has been kind of an ongoing theme in my life.
Before Bax could take the call, a waiter appeared by his side, eyeing the phone apprehensively. “Excuse me, sir? I'm afraid we don't allow our patrons to talk on their cellular phones here. It's impolite, and it upsets the other diners.”
“Oh, you mean this?” Bax asked, indicating the phone. “I know it looks like a cell phone, but it's not.”
The waiter raised an eyebrow. “Sir?”
“Yeah, this is actually a combination shaving razor, potato peeler, and pocket watch,” Bax continued. “Benjamin Franklin invented it back in 1754. Here, I'll let him tell you about it himself.” He pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to the waiter, who pocketed it and promptly vanished without another word.
Bax answered the phone. “Jesus, Skull, is that you?”
“None other,” Skull answered. “How's it hanging, Bax?”
Bax was happy to hear his old friend's voice, but he couldn't help but notice that it sounded blunted somehow, as though Skull's lips were swollen.
“Hanging, hell. Most of the time, it stands up and dances the Hokey Pokey. Hey, Skull, is something wrong? Your voice is funny.”
“Yeah, I took a mother of a beating about an hour ago,” Skull said.
“That's a normal Tuesday night for you, though, right?” teased Bax. “Anyway, I hope whoever it was, he's currently wondering how he'll wipe his ass with two broken arms.”
“It was Benny Altamura.”
“There's another Benny Altamura?” Bax asked.
“No,” Skull responded flatly. “There ain't.”
Bax let out a low whistle. “Then you're lucky to be alive. That little psycho usually doesn't do beatings, just executions. What the fuck did you do to piss him off?”
Skull told him what happened with the truck and the quarter million. As he did, Bax pulled a notepad and pencil from his breast pocket, jotting down notes and names.
“We can't let this stand, man,” Skull finished.
“No, you certainly can't,” Bax agreed. “But if you take a shot at Benny and miss—or even if you don't miss—then everyone wearing a Devils patch is going to end up with a hell of a case of lead poisoning. I'm guessing that's why you're calling me?”
“You always were the man with the plan, Bax,” Skull said. “If anyone can figure out a way to take this cocksucker down without starting a war, it's you. We need that quarter mil back.”
Bax snorted derisively. “Skull, by the time I'm done with this pasta-munching motherfucker, a quarter mil is going to seem like loose change to you.”
“You mean that?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” said Bax. “Here, hang
on for a second.”
He walked over to his table again, just in time to watch David shove the last few bites of prime rib and potatoes into his mouth.
“Change of plans. We're heading to Louisiana to run a classic Spanish Prisoner con.” He handed the notepad to David. “These are the guys we'll need to pull it off. Go grab them, and don't take no for an answer. Let them know this is going to be a massive payday. I'm talking high six figures for each person involved.”
David looked at the list dubiously. “Should I tell them you're the one running this thing?”
“Sure,” Bax said. He thought for a moment, then added, “Well, you can tell Millie, anyway. Maybe it'd be best if Harry didn't know I was involved, at least not right away.”
