Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 122609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Billy’s nostril flared and his brows rutted.
“I’ve never felt the need to check on you until your current strange behavior. So, let’s cut right to the chase. You’ve been changin’ out of your school clothes and having playdates with Bannon… been enjoyin’ yourself? Y’all play Pickleball and dominoes then drink lemonade and eat bologna sandwiches with mustard?”
“It wasn’t… It wasn’t what you think, or what you might imagine. I’m undercover, Archer. It was my way of tryna fix our relationship, get this bastard out of the way. He’s caused so much damn trouble, I figured you’d be happy once I offed him. You have to believe me.”
“Oh, dear Billy… silly, silly Billy… This ain’t got shit to do with beliefs, but everything to do with what I know. I don’t believe shit about you. I don’t believe shit that comes out of your mouth. But I know everything, and then some.”
“This is crazy! I’ve still been comin’ to work, Archer, doing what you wanted. I just talked to him is all. Asked him not to get in our way, as a favor to you. I was gonna handle him once and for all! All the shit he’s done. Hell yeah. It was time. Anything you heard was just an act! I must’ve been convincing, because you believed that I, of all people, would betray you.”
“Billy now, let’s not go insulting my intelligence. You know that’s a pet peeve of mine. When motherfuckers play dumb, they forever go numb….” Archer ran his hand—the one holding the weapon—over his knee. “The only reason why I didn’t fire you after you made a scene at my house and spit on my fucking handmade kitchen table is because I wanted to wait and see what you’d do after that little stunt. I figured you might lead me to something important. And lo and behold, you did. People show who they really are in the dark, when they think no one can see them. You’ve never been good with keeping your emotions in check, and that’s been your downfall. For the past couple of years, you’ve tried to take over here and there.”
“You’re paranoid. I told you that wasn’t true. I was only trying to—”
“Shut up. You’ve tried to tell me how to run my company. You wanted to be a partner, an equal on paper, but I don’t split anything I created from the ground up. I used the seed money that my father left me, to start my box business. I then used the profits from that business, to do what we do. My father died for that money! I was there by my fucking self, setting up those routes years beforehand. It was me, taking the little money I had to invest in this fucking company. It was me, trying to find a way to employ convicts while also running a legitimate business so my sister and mother, and grandmother at the time while she was still living, would never struggle or want for anything—and they’d have somethin’ to fall back on should I get killed in this business. At least my box company would still be there, and they could run it. Irish needed a job, something for her and my nephew. Keep it in the family.
“That’s why you could never be partner. That was my sister’s spot, and it would be hers as long as she got her gamblin’ under control. I told you that early on, that I wanted to leave a legacy, and even though I wouldn’t make you partner, I treated you like a partner all the same.”
“You could’ve split it three ways!”
“You’re ungrateful and greedy. You got millions of dollars for years, not excluding the perks of free cigars, premium liquor, fine beers, and cigarettes. You took it all for granted. You threw it in my face. Now, you and I both know that you talked to Bannon about my plans, told him my business strategies… but I took it one step further.”
“Further in what?”
“I did something I hate doing in order to get the truth. I started to lie, to see if those lies would pop back up in mysterious ways, and they did. For instance, I made sure you overheard me talking to Edger about some stock trading that an insider let me in on. Only the three of us were in that area of the warehouse. I was giving him some pointers about investing. I later told him not to do it, but I didn’t warn you…”
Suddenly, Billy looked as if he’d swallowed something sharp and jagged. Something that tore him up from the inside out.
“All of a sudden, a bunch of shares were purchased using your company computer—from the very company I encouraged him to invest in. I made mention of some small assets I partook in, too. Same outcome. It was all bullshit, lies, and you fell for the bait. I wanted to see if you were truly paying attention to me while pretending not to. Showing a sneaky hand. Then, I created several fake documents detailing my routes. I had them postdated, as if they’d been written months and years prior, just like the originals. Mixed everything up. Bannon has wanted my route information for years. My ability to keep the crew out of the hands of the cops is truly my greatest achievement in our business.”