Tough Guy: A Hero Club Novel by Jamie Schmidt (the reading list .TXT) 📗

Dee's mother. “Her name is Eleanor Brandon. But she went by the stage name Brandy.”

“What the fuck?” I said. Brandy hadn’t been around while I had been there. And Dee’s mom hadn’t mentioned that she had known my uncle.

“You can confirm my story with her. Her number is on the back of the picture. Anyway, at the last minute, your uncle got cold feet. Dieter and Konner were annoyed, but they were willing to stop it—as long as they got a cut of the insurance money.”

“If there was no fire, there would be no money.”

“Exactly. Your uncle didn't have it and he wasn't willing to go on a payment plan. They threatened Brandy. So he decided to take matters in his own hands, or at least that's what Dieter and Konner's story is going to be. Johnny tried to burn his own bar down and got caught in the blaze.”

“That didn't happen.”

“No, it didn't. Brandy convinced him to let Dieter and Konner go with the original plan. Your uncle reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Dieter and Konner made Brandy a better offer than Florida. High-priced escort who could hand select her clients and keep fifty percent. Brandy was no fool. She'd rather have her own money and retire after a few years than be Johnny Dalton's arm candy in Florida. Johnny got so mad that he went after Dieter and Konner. They killed him and left his body in the club.”

“Why would Brandy confirm this with me?”

“Because Dieter and Konner recently convinced her daughter to follow in her mother's footsteps and she's pissed. She wants revenge.”

That was news to me. I thought it had been Zeke that started Dee on being an escort. I kept my mouth shut because it was possible that Zeke was working with Dieter and Konner. Or they got wind of Dee's new job in Pahrump and decided to make her a nicer offer.

“How do you know all this?” I asked Leonidas, who was looking very pleased with himself.

“It's my business to know what happens in my territory. It's a business that would be very lucrative to you. I could keep tabs on all your staff. I knew all of this before you even had a clue. You had a line cook who decided to become a prostitute.” Leonidas counted off on his fingers. “Then there's your dishwasher who couldn't pay his loan shark on time, so he tried to run, but got caught and punished with a very generous warning.” He leaned in toward me. “I'd start looking for another dishwasher soon. If he misses another payment . . .” Leonidas drew a finger across his throat. “Let's see, what else? Oh, yes, your dancers. You fired one who was supplementing her income, but then you asked her to come back. Does your girlfriend know about that? Speaking of the lovely La Vie Bohème, did you know she went straight from your bed this morning and got on a plane to Carson City? She's looking for a burlesque job. You should have let her keep dancing in the club.”

I forced my fists to unclench when he mentioned Jackie. He was wrong about the second part so that meant all he knew was where she was and that she had auditioned somewhere. But he didn't know it had been at the Odyssey casino. I was glad for his overconfidence, but I hated that Jackie was on this douchebag's radar. I decided to play him a bit and see what else I could find out from. “That would be a valuable service, but aren't Konner and Dieter your clients? Are you going to roll over on me to an interested party one day?”

“That depends on you. Konner and Dieter are chafing at the money I charge because you're not paying me. They threatened to get some of their mob boys to muscle me and mine around like you did a few years ago. You're bad for business, Miles. I'm hoping by this show of faith, I can convince you that it's safer all around to pay me ten grand a month.”

“I told you, I can't be profitable and pay you.”

“We could work something out,” he said. “Ginny is very eager to be a major part of your business and mine.”

“Ginny is a fine dancer.”

“And a good salesgirl too.”

“What are you saying?” I needed him to spell it out.

“I'm saying either you let Ginny sell my drugs out of your club or I'm going to kidnap your girl and send her down to a group of friends of mine in Egypt, who'd pay nicely for a blond stripper slave girl. You'll never see La Vie Bohème again. Do we have an understanding?”

I slammed his face into my desk as soon as he finished speaking, putting all my weight into making sure that smarmy smile hit solid oak with extreme prejudice. “Red alert,” I said into my Bluetooth as I banged his head a few more times, making sure that his nose was spaghetti.

The goons tried to come at me, but I was behind the desk and their boss's body was stretched across it. I was pretty sure Leonidas was unconscious and missing a few teeth. “Put those knives down or you're going to be using them as suppositories,” I snarled.

My security team rushed in with nine millimeters. Highway was going to be pissed he’d missed all the action. “Call the cops,” I said. “These pieces of shit attacked me.”

“That's bullshit,” one of the goons said.

“Tell it to the judge.”

Jackie Mitchell

This had to be the world's most awkward chicken salad sandwich. Half of it nearly landed in my lap after my sister informed me she was now vegan. Parker was easily twice her age. He was a good-looking man with silver hair. Lisa had gushed to me in the bathroom that he was her silver fox. He seemed like a decent enough guy, though. The age difference gave me pause, but I was trying to keep an open mind.

“Have