Read Online Big Daddy Sinatra: There Was a Ruthless Man (The Sinatras of Jericho County Book 1) by Mallory Monroe - Free Book Online Page B

it had to do
with the fact that he didn’t pay that mortgage for the past five months.
    “I
have a lot going on,” Mason said.   “You
can’t take my house!”
    “It’s
not your house.   It’s the bank’s house
until you pay for it.   You stopped paying
for it, Joe.”
    “Because
I took a hard hit!    Don’t you understand
that?   I sell feed.   Because of Clinton, business has been lousy
lately.   Nobody trust what he’s doing
with our country!   This country is going
to hell---”
    “In a
hand basket,” Charles finished for him.   “I heard already.   But I’m also
sure President Clinton has nothing to do with why you haven’t paid that
mortgage.   Or why Jerichodians aren’t buying
more feed.   Maybe, and I’m shooting in
the dark here, but maybe they aren’t buying more feed because three other feed
stores have opened in town in the past year and you’re no longer the only game
in town.   And you never cut your costs
and adjusted your lavish lifestyle to fit that reality.   Maybe that has more to do with your business
woes than President Clinton.   What do you
think?”
    Asshole right , Mason thought as he stared at Big
Daddy Sinatra.   Big Daddy his foot!   Everybody told him he was wasting his
time.   Everybody told him Big Daddy
thought mercy was a hospital and kindness was a horse.   He didn’t have a clue what either was, and
Mason was wasting his time if he thought he’d get either from a man like that.
    “What
can I do to make this right?” Mason asked.   “Can I get the loan restructured?”
    “It
was restructured eight months ago.   And
you paid for a couple months.   Then you
stopped again.   Loan restructuring is
out.”
    “Then
what am I supposed to do?” Mason asked with desperation in his voice.
    “Sell
that Mercedes, catch up your mortgage, and restructure your high-flying
lifestyle to reflect the realities on the ground.   That’s a start.”
    Charles
grabbed a pad and pen and began writing down a name and number.   “Call Ed, the manager at my dealership.   He’ll give you top dollar for that car and
pay off the remaining balance.   It should
be enough for you to catch up the loan.”
    “You’ll
allow that?   You’ll pull the
foreclosure?”
    “You have
until five pm today before that loan becomes due in full, as you already
understood in the countless warning letters you’ve received.   You sell that car or you don’t sell that car,
payment in full on that house will become due by five pm today.   If you catch up before then, it will be
pulled.   If you don’t, it won’t.   No ands, ifs, or buts about it.”
    Mason
wasn’t satisfied.   “I love my car,” he
said. “Why should I have to sell it?”
    “Don’t
sell it,” Charles suggested.   “Live in
it.   You and Agnes and all of the
children.”
    Mason
looked at Charles with an angry glare.   “Have you no pity for your fellow man?   What good is my old house to you?   The last thing you need is more property in this town!”
    “So
what are you saying?   Because I don’t
need your home, you shouldn’t have to pay for it?”
    “You
should forgive the back debt, and restructure that loan again.   That’s how you help people.   That’s how you can help me.”
    “I’m
not a social worker.   I’m not in business
to help people.   I’m in business to make
money.”
    “So
finally we hear the truth!” Mason proclaimed as if he had just unearthed
something major.   “The truth has come to
light!   That’s all it’s about for you.   Money.”
    Charles
didn’t respond to that because there was nothing to respond to.   Of course he was in business to make money!
    “At
least the truth is out,” Mason continued.   “At least now I know that all of those horror stories I heard about you
have been confirmed.   It’s all about
money with you.   Not love.   Not compassion.   Money.”
    “You
own a feed store?” Charles asked calmly.
    “You
know I