Chapter 20

Pepe was visibly startled to see V together with Leo and Jackie. He tried hard to act casual.

"How'd you all end up together? Where'd you run into each other?" he asked.

Jackie crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't play dumb, Pepe. I already know what's going on."

Pepe, alarmed, looked at V. "You told Jackie everything?"

V spread her hands. "Not exactly. I just explained briefly why I was working for Kirk."

Jackie, furious, snapped, "What's your deal, Pepe? How could you deal with Kirk? Everyone in Heywood—hell, even the stool pigeons—knows he's a lousy piece of trash!"

Pepe sighed. "My brother just got out of lockup. I had to celebrate somehow."

"Fine, so you needed money. Then why didn't you come to me? Do I even matter to you as a friend?"

"Damn it, Jackie! Your mom already gave me a job so I wouldn't be like the others, rummaging through garbage or joining a gang. I couldn't bring myself to ask for more from you on top of that."

After letting out his frustration, Pepe calmed down and bowed his head. "I know I messed up."

"Long as you know," Jackie grunted. "Next time you're strapped for cash, just ask. That mouth on your face is there so you can speak up when you need help."

He thumped a hand on his chest. "All right, leave Kirk to me. I'll handle him."

…

That night, Kirk walked into the El Coyote and noticed that the person behind the bar wasn't Pepe—it was a young man he hadn't seen before. Kirk narrowed his eyes, suspicious.

"Hey, you. Where's the bartender who was here before?"

Leo shook his head. "No idea. It's my first day, and I don't know anyone else here."

Kirk understood immediately. Pepe must have been hiding. He had told V that if she delivered the supercar, he would cancel Pepe's debt. But the car was still sitting pretty in the Embers Club parking garage, which meant V had failed. So Pepe's debt remained, now with added interest.

Kirk wasn't worried. Pepe couldn't survive out in the world for long. Born and raised in Heywood, he was too timid to hurt anybody, no matter how big he looked. Eventually, he would come crawling back, and that was when Kirk would demand the principal plus interest.

Leo barely listened, his mind on something else.

"The system gave him personal points for killing, but how did it decide the value?"

He had assumed it was based purely on strength—the tougher the opponent, the better the reward. But was that really it? Did status play a role too? Would a fixer like Kirk be worth more than some random street thug?

Interesting thought. Something to keep in mind.

His gaze settled on Kirk, still keeping his smile.

Kirk's smirk twitched. He was used to people fearing him, but this bartender? He just stared—calm, unreadable, like he was weighing a slab of meat.

The silence stretched a second too long.

Then Leo smirked and grabbed a liquor from behind the counter. "Enjoy your drink."

Kirk exhaled and quickly turned away.

Leo went back to cleaning a glass, amusement flickering in his eyes.

...

...

.

Kirk climbed to the second floor, only to see two people sitting by the window in his usual spot. They were faces he knew—clearly waiting for him.

Kirk acted nonchalantly. "V, huh? Didn't get the supercar, did you? Ended up stirring up a citywide mess instead?"

V scowled and tossed the unlock device Kirk had given her onto the table. It had unlocked the Rayfield's door by bypassing its ID system, but it had also tripped the alarm and summoned the NCPD. They had nearly gotten killed.

"All thanks to your worthless junk," she said. "It nearly got me killed."

Kirk refused to take the blame. "Must've been your error. Don't pin it on me. We had a deal: bring me the supercar, and I'd wipe Pepe's debt. But the car's still parked at Embers, so…"

Jackie, who had been sitting beside her, let out a heavy snort. Kirk acted as though he had only just noticed him.

"Well, if it isn't the pride of Heywood, the prince of the El Coyote —Jackie Welles. What wind blew you in?"

Jackie rolled his eyes. If not for Pepe, he wouldn't have bothered with Kirk at all. A guy like Kirk was a walking disaster; no one knew how he'd survived this long.

He got straight to the point. "Drop Pepe's interest. I'll pay back the principal myself. If you just want money, I can settle it right now. Deal?"

Jackie felt sure Pepe's principal couldn't be much. The problem was Kirk's loans were all usurious, with interest compounding relentlessly. If no one paid, it could spiral out of control, costing more than a kidney was worth.

Kirk grinned. "Do I look like a charity worker, or a priest? I'm a businessman. You borrow money, you pay it back—with interest, however high. That's how it works. He broke the rules, so why should I lose profit?"

V interjected, "You really want to talk about rules when you're running a predatory loan racket? Why not discuss world peace while you're at it?"

Kirk's face darkened. "If you two can't talk like normal people, get lost!"

Jackie lurched to his feet, rage boiling over. "I know Pepe fell for your lies, but you won't fool me. There's no gang backing you. I'm from the Valentinos—I asked around, and nobody's heard of you."

Getting called out didn't rattle Kirk. He only shrugged, as though it didn't matter. "Sure, I lied to Pepe. Big deal. Someone needed cash, so I gave it to them. Did I do something wrong? If you think about it, I'm practically a good Samaritan. The city ought to give me a medal."

Veins bulged at Jackie's temple. "So you're not backing down no matter what?"

Kirk lit a cigarette, blew out a cloud of smoke, then flicked the ashes. He watched Jackie edge closer, ready to grab him by the collar. Only then did Kirk finally speak.

"I'll consider it," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jackie asked.

"If you two do something for me, I'll be willing to forget Pepe's debt entirely," Kirk explained.

V scoffed. "Don't tell me you want us back at Embers. I'm telling you now, Kirk—forget it. I'm not doing that job again. Your so-called 'gadget' is worthless, and it just calls the NCPD on us!"

"Relax. I'm Slick Kirk, not Brain-Dead Kirk," he said, tapping more ash from his cigarette. "Right now I don't have anything specific in mind. But I can promise not to hassle Pepe for the time being. The catch is, you both have to be on call—if I contact you, you'd better not blow me off or screw up again. Once you get the job done, Pepe's debt is gone. How's that? Pretty generous, right?"

Jackie didn't agree right away. He stalked off a few steps, looking frustrated, then spun around and roared at Kirk.

"You know he's flat broke—how the hell was he supposed to pay you back, asshole?!"

Kirk calmly took off his tinted glasses and wiped away Jackie's spittle. "Let me put it this way, Jackie: if he wasn't dirt poor, why would he come to me for a loan in the first place? The city sure isn't handing out free money."

He watched Jackie and V storm downstairs, his face smug and self-satisfied. Two capable mercs had basically fallen into his lap, ready to be used at his discretion. Jackie hadn't agreed yet, but Kirk was sure he'd cave eventually. He knew Jackie well enough: the guy was loyal to his friends, the type to take a bullet for them. So, in the end, Jackie would bend.

---

Leo, who had been stationed behind the bar, noticed how gloomy Jackie and V looked coming down from the second floor. From the way they trudged along like defeated roosters, Leo guessed they hadn't managed to strike a deal.

They took seats at the bar. Though Mrs. Welles had asked everyone to limit Jackie's drinking, it had been a rough day. Leo poured him a full glass anyway.

"What about you, V? Want something?" he asked.

"A tequila, please," V replied.

Leo poured drinks for them both before asking, "All right, mind telling me what happened?"

Jackie stayed silent. V sipped her drink, grimacing, and explained the conversation they'd just had with Kirk.

"So he wants you two to work for him? Did you say yes?" Leo asked, unfamiliar with Kirk.