Read Online Cash Landing by James Grippando - Free Book Online

that—a joke. It must have been the alcohol. She’d put the Rolex back in the box before going to bed, and first thing in the morning she gave Ruban the order: “Take it back. Today.”
    What Savannah wants, Savannah gets.
    He drove to South Miami and talked to Sully, who actually seemed glad to see him. He invited Ruban inside and directed him to a seat on the couch, apparently smelling another sale.
    â€œDid you decide to buy the watch after all?” he asked.
    Ruban removed the box from his coat pocket and laid it on the table. “No. I ended up buying one that you sold to Jeffrey. My wife didn’t like it, so we have to return it.”
    Sully smiled with amusement. “This isn’t Nordstrom. I don’t do returns.”
    â€œI know this is a hassle, so keep a thousand for your trouble, give me twenty-four, and we’ll call it even.”
    â€œAre you not hearing me? I don’t do returns.”
    â€œI’m giving you a thousand dollars for nothing. Jeffrey paid you twenty-five grand.”
    â€œAll sales are final.”
    Ruban checked his anger, but his glare made the point. “You’re being unreasonable. That’s not smart.”
    Sully blinked, and the point seemed to have been made. He reached for the Rolex box and opened it. “I can’t take this back. It’s been worn.”
    â€œOne time. How can you even tell?”
    Sully sniffed the band. “I can smell the perfume on it.”
    â€œSo wipe it off.”
    â€œYou let your wife wear the watch, and then I’m supposed to take it back? Fuck no.”
    â€œAll right, I’ll take twenty grand.”
    â€œTake a hike.”
    â€œYou’re starting to piss me off,” said Ruban.
    Their eyes locked, but Ruban didn’t flinch, and he could feel Sully backing down.
    â€œFine,” said Sully. “Twenty. I’ll get the cash.”
    He went to the closet. It wasn’t the best deal Ruban had ever negotiated, but he’d told Savannah so many lies lately that he was having trouble keeping them straight. It was important to tell her the truth about something , and his return of the Rolex was a good place to start.
    â€œGet out,” said Sully. He was pointing a gun at Ruban from across the room. He hadn’t gone to the closet to retrieve cash.
    â€œWhoa. Relax, pal.”
    â€œDon’t tell me to relax. Your brother-in-law is cool. You’re not. Take the watch, and don’t let me see your face around here again.”
    â€œYou’re gonna shoot me over this? Really?”
    â€œOnly if you make me.”
    Ruban studied him. Sully didn’t look at all comfortable holding that pistol. Ruban wondered if he’d ever fired the thing.
    â€œWhat you got there?” asked Ruban. “Taurus nine-mil?”
    â€œWhat’s it to you?”
    Ruban rose from the couch. “Yeah, looks like a Taurus.”
    â€œTake the watch and walk straight to the door,” said Sully.
    Ruban left the watch on the table and started slowly away from the couch. “I used to own a Taurus,” he said.
    â€œWalk toward the door.” He pointed in that direction with the gun—only for a second, but it was long enough for Ruban to get a side view of the pistol.
    â€œTaurus makes a nice sidearm,” said Ruban. He was walking slowly, straight at Sully.
    â€œToward the door ,” said Sully.
    Ruban kept coming, his gaze locked on Sully like a laser. “I’m going to give you one last chance to take twenty thousand on the return.”
    The gun was beginning to shake, and Sully was starting to look like a man who wished he hadn’t injected it into the discussion. “No deal,” said Sully.
    Ruban took two more steps, not much farther to go.
    â€œStop right there!” said Sully.
    Ruban took another step, then the last.
    â€œStop, or—”
    Ruban grabbed the barrel of the gun and pointed it toward the floor.