Read Online Gin and Toxic (Swan Song) by Audrey Cole - Free Book Online
Authors: Audrey Cole
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motives are monetary instead of territorial, it won’t change the outcome. I’d still be stuck.
I thought I was so careful, so clever trying all these years to keep free of these thugs but it’s impossible. You dance with the Devil, you’re gonna get burned.
“Miss Adrian?” Elishia calls quietly.
I snap to, looking up at the stage where the girls wait for my direction. I don’t have any. I don’t even know what number they just did.
“Yeah, it’s great. Take a break, alright?”
They all look at each other unsure for a moment but they disperse. I rub my hands over my face and groan, trying to pull myself together. When I take my hands down, Elishia is there, silently waiting.
“What do you need?” I ask not too kindly.
“I was wondering if you’re okay? You seem distracted.”
I look up into her pretty young face and remember when I was that age. That pretty. That sweet, eager and naïve. I’ve wanted this girl out of this club since day one but who was I saving her from? The mobsters? Or me?
“Aces.” I say with a stage smile that I’m sure she can recognize. “Tired is all. How about you? How are you doing? Do you still like it here?”
Her face falls, a frown creasing her forehead. “It’s fine. The money is good. It really helps out at home.”
“Are the boys being good to you?”
“Yeah, they’re fine.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Not too good, right? They aren’t being overly friendly?”
She chuckles lightly, shaking her head. “No, ma’am. Especially not with my daddy back.”
I grin. “I imagine he keeps a close eye on you.”
“He does. When he can.” She shuffles on her feet, glancing at the bar where some of the boys are sitting and drinking. “Mickey’s been real nice.” she mutters.
“Has he?”
Elishia looks at me suddenly, realizing what she’s said. “Not like that. He’s been very respectful.”
“In what way then?”
“Well, he…” She purses her lips, thinking. “He hel—“
“You gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!”
Elishia jumps as Hal comes bursting into the room, his words bouncing off the walls and closing in on us. I stand up beside her, putting her a little behind me, my body between her and the men. It’s a reflex, nothing more. Something I picked up from years being close to Tommy. I don’t believe any of the boys would hurt her, but better safe than sorry.
“What’s the matter with you?” Mickey asks.
“Reggie, pull out all the bottles. All the gin.” Hal calls out to th e bartender. He turns to Mickey. “Damn Canadians pulled one over on us.”
“What? When?”
“With the shipment after Halloween. All the stink we made about the bourbon and the trade off they gave us?”
“Yeah, the gin they gave up for free as repayment. I orchestrated that deal. What’s wrong with it?”
Reggie produces three bottles of gin, lining them up on the bar. Hal snags the one he’s looking for and pulls the cap. He gives it a sniff but comes away frowning.
“It don’t smell no different.” he grumbles.
“Different than what?”
He slams the bottle down on the bar causing some of the liquid to geyser out the top.
“Than shit that kills ya!”
“What are you talking about? Speak English.” Mickey demands.
The hairs on my arms stand up straight and I take several steps toward the bar, eager to hear this.
“I just got a call from Tommy. He heard some stories from Duke and his boys about people in New York getting sick in some of the clubs , sick like some people have been ‘round here. Some people ended up in the hospital, two died. They traced it back to the booze. Bathtub gin brewed all wrong that was making people sick. They found out it came from some Canadians. Fake shit mixed in with the good stuff. Ralph sent Tommy to New York to ask around, find out which Canadians it came from. You’ll never guess who.”
Mickey’s face is dark, angry. “The Tremblays.”
“All sixes.”
“What are the symptoms?” I ask
I thought I was so careful, so clever trying all these years to keep free of these thugs but it’s impossible. You dance with the Devil, you’re gonna get burned.
“Miss Adrian?” Elishia calls quietly.
I snap to, looking up at the stage where the girls wait for my direction. I don’t have any. I don’t even know what number they just did.
“Yeah, it’s great. Take a break, alright?”
They all look at each other unsure for a moment but they disperse. I rub my hands over my face and groan, trying to pull myself together. When I take my hands down, Elishia is there, silently waiting.
“What do you need?” I ask not too kindly.
“I was wondering if you’re okay? You seem distracted.”
I look up into her pretty young face and remember when I was that age. That pretty. That sweet, eager and naïve. I’ve wanted this girl out of this club since day one but who was I saving her from? The mobsters? Or me?
“Aces.” I say with a stage smile that I’m sure she can recognize. “Tired is all. How about you? How are you doing? Do you still like it here?”
Her face falls, a frown creasing her forehead. “It’s fine. The money is good. It really helps out at home.”
“Are the boys being good to you?”
“Yeah, they’re fine.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Not too good, right? They aren’t being overly friendly?”
She chuckles lightly, shaking her head. “No, ma’am. Especially not with my daddy back.”
I grin. “I imagine he keeps a close eye on you.”
“He does. When he can.” She shuffles on her feet, glancing at the bar where some of the boys are sitting and drinking. “Mickey’s been real nice.” she mutters.
“Has he?”
Elishia looks at me suddenly, realizing what she’s said. “Not like that. He’s been very respectful.”
“In what way then?”
“Well, he…” She purses her lips, thinking. “He hel—“
“You gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!”
Elishia jumps as Hal comes bursting into the room, his words bouncing off the walls and closing in on us. I stand up beside her, putting her a little behind me, my body between her and the men. It’s a reflex, nothing more. Something I picked up from years being close to Tommy. I don’t believe any of the boys would hurt her, but better safe than sorry.
“What’s the matter with you?” Mickey asks.
“Reggie, pull out all the bottles. All the gin.” Hal calls out to th e bartender. He turns to Mickey. “Damn Canadians pulled one over on us.”
“What? When?”
“With the shipment after Halloween. All the stink we made about the bourbon and the trade off they gave us?”
“Yeah, the gin they gave up for free as repayment. I orchestrated that deal. What’s wrong with it?”
Reggie produces three bottles of gin, lining them up on the bar. Hal snags the one he’s looking for and pulls the cap. He gives it a sniff but comes away frowning.
“It don’t smell no different.” he grumbles.
“Different than what?”
He slams the bottle down on the bar causing some of the liquid to geyser out the top.
“Than shit that kills ya!”
“What are you talking about? Speak English.” Mickey demands.
The hairs on my arms stand up straight and I take several steps toward the bar, eager to hear this.
“I just got a call from Tommy. He heard some stories from Duke and his boys about people in New York getting sick in some of the clubs , sick like some people have been ‘round here. Some people ended up in the hospital, two died. They traced it back to the booze. Bathtub gin brewed all wrong that was making people sick. They found out it came from some Canadians. Fake shit mixed in with the good stuff. Ralph sent Tommy to New York to ask around, find out which Canadians it came from. You’ll never guess who.”
Mickey’s face is dark, angry. “The Tremblays.”
“All sixes.”
“What are the symptoms?” I ask
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