Page 13 of Tito

“Tito, do you want to research his place of business and see what we’re going to have to do to get around his security system?” Baker asked.

I nodded. “Sure.”

Baker glanced at Reno. “Take a look at Ramona in general, and see if there’s something we can do to create a diversion, if need be. Might not be a bad idea to get that small police force at one end of the city while we’re at the other. The outskirts of town run all the way to the mountains, so we may even be able to get the police out to one of those rural ranches while we’re doing this deal.”

“Got it, Boss,” Reno replied. “I’ll head up there today and nose around.”

“This deal couldn’t come at a better time,” Cash said. “I’m needing some money to finish the remodel on my house.”

Ally gave Cash a look of disbelief. She shook her head slowly. “How can you spend so much money? You get the same amount as the rest of us, and you’re always broke. It amazes me.”

“What I do with my money isn’t any of your business,” Cash snapped. He looked Ally up and down. “Don’t worry about me. Worry about you.”

“You’ll never be a worry of mine,” Ally responded with a dismissive laugh. “I was just curious. You defy all logic.”

Ally was correct. Cash defied logic, especially when it came to finances. Despite the millions he’d been paid, he was always broke. Feeling defeated for the moment, Cash waved the back of his hand in Ally’s direction and turned away.

The members of the club were all different when it came to the income they received from our jobs. Reno gambled it away. Baker, on the other hand, gave most of his to the less fortunate. Goose and Ally were both frugal with their earnings, retaining most of it for their later years in life.

I’d invested most of the money earned throughout my criminal career. My modest way of living required no financial support beyond the wages I earned at my legitimate job.

Unlike most of the men, the lure of financial reward wasn’t what drove me to be a criminal. Each job had its own challenges. Determining the specific obstacles, conquering them, and then emerging the victor was my incentive. The more complex the job, the higher my desire to succeed. Succeeding was my reward. Receiving payment for my knowledge and participation was a bonus.

Easy jobs no longer interested me. They weren’t worth the risk associated with attempting to pull them off. Luckily, there hadn’t been a simple job in over a decade. If one presented itself, I feared I’d refuse to participate in the operation. If that day came, the backlash from the club would be endless.

Anxiously, I waited for the meeting to adjourn. Short of Cash and his unpredictable behavior, the club operated like a well-oiled machine. Rehearsing every detail once a week wasn’t necessary.

Baker’s voice faded and then diminished to nearly nothing.

“Tito!” Baker barked.

I looked up.

“You alright, Brother?” he asked.

“I’m good.”

He nodded toward the arm of the chair where I was seated. “Something’s bothering you.”

Naturally, I glanced in that direction. Flakes of varnish littered the floor beneath my hand. The chair’s ornate wooden arm had been picked of its finish, leaving a strip of discolored wood as proof.

I brushed the palm of my hand across the surface as if I had expectation of erasing the damage.

“You’ve been a little off lately,” he said. “You sure everything’s okay?”

I wiped my hands against the thighs of my jeans and met his gaze with a reassuring look. “Just upset about the hat, I suppose.”

“There’s not more to it than that?” he asked.

“Nope.”

He stroked his beard. “You sure?”

“I’m good,” I said. “Really.”

“We can’t do this without you, Brother,” he said. “Hell, we can’t do anything without you. I need you on your game. I know that hat was part of your daily routine, but it was a hat. Five years ago, you were getting along fine without it.”

“Ten.”

His face washed with confusion. “Ten what?”

“Ten years. That’s how long I had it.”

“Okay, ten.” He stood from his seat. “Even if it was twenty. It’s an article of clothing. Pull it together, Brother.”

I wished it was that easy.