“It does seem like you got unlucky.” I take a step forward. I like this Mickey guy, even though his brother still looks like he wants to kill me. “I appreciate that you’re being up front and not sniveling like so many men in your position might. You’re aware of what could happen here, but you showed up, and that’s a point in your favor. And since you’re being honest, I’ll make you a deal, and I’ll make it better than I originally planned. I can forget about the guns if you’re willing to sell me the club. I’ll give you a good price, and I’ll even buy out your weapons stock to save you the trouble of having to move them. You can walk away from this, free and clear, with money lining your pockets. How’s that sound?”
Mickey nods to himself like he’s sizing me up and trying to decide if he believes what I’m saying. I glance to the side, checking to make sure there’s nobody nearby. Weeds sprout in plumes between the cracks, and the theater’s like a mountain. But nothing moves, nothing breathes.
“I’ve got an alternative proposition for you.” Mickey crosses his arms, squinting, the cheeky little bastard. “The way I see it, you want our property for a reason. A man like you doesn’t come along personally offering lots of money and saying he’ll turn a blind eye to a transgression for no reason. I suspect this is important.”
“Careful,” I say, staring him down, not happy about where this is going. “I told your brother and I’ll tell you. I’m willing to do this the fast and easy way, but the long and hard way isn’t off the table.”
Mickey holds up his hands. “I understand that, Don Bruno. I’m willing to sell. Only, I want one more thing before we go forward. See, I have charges pending against me, the sort of charges that might send me away for a while. I’m currently out on bail, and I was visiting my parole officer when you had a very civil conversation with my brother here yesterday. What I’d like is if you could contact the DA and get those charges dropped or at least downgraded as much as you possibly can. I know you have connections, and I know you have money. If you can do anything for us, that’s what we want.”
I let that sink in. He’s not asking for a small favor here—getting charges dropped by the DA is a serious use of my power. Even in a corrupt town like Phoenix, the DA’s got to have the appearance of being clean and free of any undue influence from a guy like me. Which means cashing in a lot of accrued goodwill, the sort of goodwill that might be better spent on my own people. Joey’s shifting from foot to foot, looking like he’d rather watch his brother do hard time than play ball with me, but Mickey’s completely still, totally at ease.
He’s a clever man. He’s smart enough to see that I want his place very desperately, and he’s using that to his advantage. It’s frustrating, but it’s also impressive, and if it weren’t my face he’s holding over the fire, I might actually like him for it.
“I could be able to make it happen,” I say slowly, and glance at Nico for confirmation. He only shrugs. “You’re right that I have connections. But what you don’t understand is that those connections only go so far. If your charges are the type that the DA’s not willing to be flexible on, I can’t help. In that case, I’ll have to go the hard route.”
“Understood, Don Bruno. All I ask is that you try. If you can do that, I’d be happy to sell and I’d be glad to continue doing business together if that’s something you’d want.” He nods once, like he said his piece and he’s done.
I smile slightly and nudge Nico. “What do you think?”
“I think these little shits are practically begging for a bullet between the eyes.” Nico shows his teeth, perfectly terrifying. Joey stops glaring and looks down at the ground real fast, and I notice he doesn’t spit this time. That asshole can learn some manners, it seems. “But it might be worth trying.”
“Okay then. You have yourself a deal. Give me a few days to see what I can do about your charges, and from there we’ll buy out your property at a slightly discounted rate, along with your weapons stock. Beyond that, if I decide we’ll work together, I’ll be in touch.”
“That works for me. Thank you, Don Bruno.” Mickey jabs a finger into Joey’s arm.
“Thank you, Don Bruno,” Joey mumbles, turns, and strides back to the truck. He climbs in like a sullen teenager.
“Don’t mind my brother. He’s not used to getting his ass kicked.”