Chapter 3: Mancini

I hope for their sakes they weren't trying to screw me over, I pay top dollar for premium beer, because that's what the people who come into my places expect. If I find that my distributor was playing me that would mean finding another reputable one. This fucking recession was turning everyone into fucking criminals; I hate shoddy business dealings, fuck. But it's part of the world sadly; see that's why I can't stand people, fucking dishonest assholes.

"Sure anything else?"

"Nope, that's about it, the numbers are on the spreadsheet; I don't know if you want to deal with orders since you're here, otherwise I've got it covered."

"You do that; what about the floor, any problems in house?"

"Nah, we're cruising along just fine. We don't ever really have any problems there, except for when one of the newbies get a look at you and fall for your piercing eyes and your handsome self; then it takes a few months for them to get over the heartbreak when they realize you don't shit where you eat and never will."

"Go to work Star, I don't know how my brother puts up with that mouth of yours."

"He loves it." She grinned at me again, always full of piss and vinegar this one.

"Spare me please; one of you better call mama, she's on the warpath again, something about not seeing her grandkids lately and, you know the deal."

"Must be Jaxx and Sabra, Adrien and I were just over there like two nights ago, before he left town."

"Well you know how she is, she needs daily if not hourly contact; the woman is relentless. I'd appreciate it if the rest of you could keep her off my ass with this grand kids shit. You'd think after the fifty or so you and Adrien and Sabra and Jaxx gave her she'd be satisfied, but no."

"Uh huh, Mara not the motherly type?"

"Out!" She laughed her ass off as she left. I checked my watch; I still had a few hours left before my first meet. I got the books in order. I'll be able to pay the mortgage for the next little while at least. That was a running joke between me and the boys whenever we made another couple hundred grand or so. Shit, the way things were going; we might not be too far off the mark. Man has totally fucked shit up; we were headed for a collision course with imminent disaster, and still people didn't learn, didn't stop in their tracks and say, 'hey, what can I do to make this shit better'?

Glancing over at the security monitor, I caught sight of my brother Jaxxon entering the place; we didn't have any plans for today as far as I knew, so something must be up.

He came in and eyed me like I'd done something wrong, which wasn't anything new. My brothers were always giving me the gimlet eye; they claimed my line of work made their lives unnecessarily difficult. They wanted me to take it easy on their peers, but I refused to, I was having way too much fun keeping them on their toes.

"You gonna say something, or just stand there and give me the stink eye?"

Jaxx ran his hand through his shaggy, dark brown hair, which he wore to his shoulders these days. That'll last until mama got after him about his grooming habits as she calls it, and to please her, he'll lop most of it off.

"Well little brother, don't' you have criminals to catch? FBI having an off day or some shit?"

"Nice to see you too brother."

"What's up lil brother, I didn't know we had plans today, did I miss something?"

"Nah, I just wanted to come by and give you a heads up about something."

"Fuck, your boss on my ass again now too? I thought after the last time it'd take him at least another three months before he ventured back into the ring again."

"Very funny bro, you sure you don't want to retire early? Take that boat of yours on an around the world cruise or something?"

"Nah I'm having too much fun; so what is it this time?"

"Listen, seriously bro, they're putting someone new on you, of course I've not been privy to the details, but Adrien overheard something on his end and passed it on, so I could give you a heads up. He's still out of town or he would've told you himself, but no one can ever get ahold of you."

"Who is it this time another profiler, those fucks still profiling my ass?"

"Nah, I think they've pretty much figured out that you're mentally fucked already. It is a profiler, only I'm not sure what angle they're playing with this one."

"So...who is it, anyone I might know?"

"Nope, she's a newbie, Cierra Stone."

"A chick? They're putting a chick on me? What, did I come down on the most wanted list or some shit, who knocked me off?"

"Nah you still reign supreme, but she's supposedly the best mind they've seen in twenty years."

"At least that's something; I still warrant the best."

"You're sick you know that?"

"So what does she look like?"

"Dog I don't know, I just caught a glimpse of her freshman picture after Adrien mentioned it, she's young; still got that Quantico shine on her, fresh off the farm."

"What's Durant thinking putting a little dove like that on me? He knows I'll eat her ass for breakfast, unless they've upped their game; she got great legs?"

"I already told you jackass, I don't know what she looks like. She hasn't landed yet, sometime in the next day or two she'll be here. Anyway, that's all I've got so far, I'll keep you in the loop if I learn anything else. Right now I gotta go bro, I've got an asshole sneaking arms into my city from the Carolinas of all places. Why the fuck these states can't get together and have one governing law so jurisdiction bullshit does not apply, I'll never know. One fucking country and a hundred and ten differing laws, catch you later."

"Hey Jaxx...sorry." I didn't have to explain; he knew exactly what I was getting at.

"Don't start that shit again Hank." He turned back at the door.

"I can't, I know they're holding you back because of your association with me..."

"And I told you before I don't care about that."

"But if you severed ties..."

"Fuck it Hank no, not gonna happen, we may not share blood, but we're brothers in every way that counts and we're going to stay brothers."

"Yes, I understand, but it's holding you back." And that fucked with me, I had to do what I do, no doubt about it. It was one of those necessary evil type things, but the fact that it hindered my brothers in their chosen fields, was something I struggled with on occasion. It was the only way law enforcement has been able to get to me thus far.

"I'm not having this conversation with you bro, so just drop it; family's family, they don't like my family, fuck them."

"Speaking of which, how are my little sister and my niece and nephews?"

"The little terrors are running around driving us crazy, and Sabra's hanging in there. She did say you're a hard task master and the first chance she gets, she's breaking a foot off in your ass."

"Whatever, your wife and your sister in law loves to bitch about everything, then after they've implemented my ideas and see how much easier and smoother things run, they want to coo at me. Anyway, I have to come by, I got some new shit for the boys."

"Oh no you don't, you're not bringing over any new gifts until I vet them first."

"What, what'd I do?"

"What did you do, drum sets? You gave a three and a four-year-old drum sets, the fuck you think has been going on in my house?"

I laughed my ass off.

"Get outta here, I'll be by sometime this week, I think lil Jeff said he wanted a python."

"I'll fucking kill you you do that shit bro, I'll be doing the bureau a favor."

"I'll tell ma you said that shit."

"Mean, just dog mean."

"Later lil brother."

"Later bro."