Page 87 of The Logic of Loyalty

“Sure, sure.” I wait as the call is transferred, likely to Joe’s office. I watch a group of women walk out, some of them laughing. A couple of them do not appear entertained.

“You got Joe.”

“Hey, brother, how’s it going? It’s Trevor.”

“Trevor! I’ve already heard that you decided to make a scene, what? Ten minutes ago? What do you want?”

One of the women is Patty. She looks up at me and raises a brow. I dip my chin, but something one of the others said pulls her attention away.

“You know that favor you owe me?”

Paul comes down the sidewalk, phone in hand, and eyes glued to the screen. His gait is a little wobbly when he nearly bowls over one of the women before turning into the bar.

“Oh, yeah, what about it? Oh, shit. Are you finally cashing in?”

Another burst of laughter, this time from inside the bar.

“Yep.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

TREVOR

“Look, man, I’m telling you, she is down to—Hey, what the fuck? Get your hands off me! Oomf.” Bobby’s back hits the wall, and I take the phone from his hand, hanging up on whatever suck-up he was talking to. “Trevor? What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I tighten my hand on the sleazy fuckhole’s shirt and shove him against the wall again. “First of all, you should be well aware that I am good friends with this bar owner, that shop owner, and a few guys owe me some favors.” I gesture to all the buildings that look into the alleyway I’ve shoved him into. “The wall you’re up against? I am the one who found Joe the loan to fix it up after insurance failed to do it for him. Those guys?” I jerk my thumb to the business on the other side. “Did you know that you offered them a blatant predatory loan they sniffed out and avoided, and they came to me to find them one that was affordable and wouldn’t put them or any of their assets in jeopardy?” His eyes follow where I point, and I watch as realization starts to set in.

“You poached my⁠—”

“Shh … I’m not done.” I wasn’t going to cash in any favors or look for any IOUs, but then Paige called. Joe sent me over the footage from the past few hours, and I had a good idea about the women who were gossiping and what this fucker did to her. The image of her small body going rigid in his dirty-ass hands. I shove him against the wall harder, making him grunt.

He’s not a small man, but I’m bigger.

Bobby raises his hand to either side of him, palms facing me like he’s some innocent bastard, rather than the snake he is. When he side-eyes the camera, pointing down this alleyway, his lips tilt just slightly on the edge. I recognize his false impression of protection. I move closer—close enough to smell the pretentious cologne wafting off of him. “You should be aware that the job you’re risking everything for? It’s already mine. That promotion you think you have a chance at from licking my father’s asshole? Mine.”

His grin falters for a breath before he scoffs. “It’ll be the work of minutes to take you out of the race, Trev.”

I pull my phone out and turn it to him. “Do you recognize this road? You might not. You were too busy breaking the law and fucking around on my sister to really take a look around.” He tries to snatch it out of my hand, but I hold up my finger. “Oh, no, no, no. Hold on, buddy. I already sent you your own copy. Just watch. It’s almost up to my favorite part.” We watch together—or more accurately, I watch his expression as my phone displays the moment he and Krista stumble out of the bar together on the Fourth of July. They eat each other’s faces on the sidewalk before making their way to my old car, now happily owned by an old man a few towns over. Turns out, Joe is buddies with the other bar guy and made great use of my time as I was waiting in the alleyway. I got everything I could want and more. “It’s pretty damning, and embarrassing really. A grown ass man fucking around on his boss’s daughter? And in public?” I suck on my teeth in an obnoxious as fuck way before tapping on his chest.

“Jesus, Trevor. Back the hell up.” He swats at my hand, then shoves me away from him. I decide that’s enough for part two of my plan.

My knuckles don’t sting as much as I expected them to with the first hit, but the second one sure fucking stings. Bobby swings back at me, but I dodge to the left and shove him back against the wall, my forearm across his neck.

“You know this isn’t going to end well for you,” Bobby sneers.

“Are you aware that there’s a camera in the bathroom hallway? I was amazed by how violent my imagination can get when I see another man put his hands on my wife.”

“Not bad, Trev.”

“Shut up, Billy.”

His deep chuckle echoes down the alleyway, where he steps out of the doorway. He thought I was losing my mind when I told him my plan earlier, but he showed up anyway.

“What?” Bobby spits out a wad of blood. “You’re going to sic your big, stupid friend on me?” Bobby laughs this time. “You both are so stupid. Do you know what year we live in? There are probably at least five cameras⁠—”

“Six.”

“You’ll be talking to my lawyer and meeting your new little baby through a glass window.”