War by Shannon Dianne Read Free Book Online

to the scene again.
                  “Jesus.” He turns around and waves for me to follow him to the security office. “What the hell did the poor sap do?” he asks as we walk through a door that says ‘The Pack Only’ and down a hallway with black and white photos of Sinatra, Dean, Sammy and the Rat Pack at a Vegas club. “Mac’s giving him the hammer. Shit. I haven’t seen that happen since he and Jacob got into that fight sophomore year.”
    “By the way, can you remember what the hell that was about?”
    “Something about Biggie and Lil’ Kim...I don’t know. But the best part of the fight wasn’t why it happened, it was the fact that it did happen.” He and I laugh as we walk into an office with the word ‘Gotcha’ on the door. Every inch of the walls are filled with cameras, shiny grey safes and a security system loaded with blinking red and blue buttons. Frank heads to the security system.
                  “That’s Jon St. James out there,” I say as I take a seat on a chair that sits in front of a wall of surveillance screens.
                  “Ah, Danielle’s ex. Comes in here often. The waitresses say he’s rude to the white ones, gives extra tips to the black ones. I said it was bullshit.” He opens up a compartment in the security system. “I mean, come on, he married Danielle Rouge, a woman with red hair and—what is it that Mac says?—eyes the color of bourbon?”
    “Rum.”
    “Rum…” He shakes his head and smiles. “He’s so fucking doped up over that woman, it’s unbelievable. Anyway, no way can Jon marry a black woman who looks like that and not like white women.” He takes out a tape. “Or at least a good Irish girl. Here.”
                  “Thanks.” I get up from the chair and take the tape from him.
                  “Now, can you get out there and stop Mac? I’m not trying to have a homicide at my place.”
                  “Will do.” I pat him on the back.
                  “We playing ball tomorrow?”
                  “Ten a.m. sharp.”
                  “I’m not on Mac’s team this time. He’ll be sore by tomorrow morning and will likely play like a pile of shit.”
    “Don’t try it. We draw straws, as usual. You know the drill.”
    “Yeah, whatever.” Frank slaps me on the back before he and I walk out of the security room, back through the hallway with The Rat Pack and out onto the bar floor. With fresh eyes, I can see the damage that’s been done while Mac and Jon are still going for blood. Frank leans against the hallway door, crossing his arms at his chest and his legs at the ankles. I guess I should go over there now and break this up. I start walking back to the mayhem.
                  “Send us the bill,” I say over my shoulder as I slide the tape into my pocket.
                  “Will do.”
     
     
     
     
     
     

JACOB
     
                  “I am done with you! Done ,” Danielle leans over and screams in Malcolm’s face.
                  “Ed can you—”
                  “Rolling it up now, Mr. Blair,” Ed, the chauffeur, says to Mac as he seals up the partition. Danielle waits until the black glass slides up and we all hear a muted thump. Her eyes focus back on Mac whose gaze is down on the ground.
    Danny, Nat, Mac and I are all cruising through the streets of Boston in the Mercedes E Class limo Mac got Danny. Nice. Very thoughtful. She has Ed, her faithful driver, pick her up when she makes plans for a night on the town with the girls. Right now, we’re headed for our condo building. And to say this ride is awkward as hell is an understatement. White headlights, green streetlights, red stoplights, blue cop lights, all flash and swirl, blink and gleam on us while Danielle’s lighting Mac’s ass up.
                  Nat saved Jon’s life five