Low Sided by A.J. Downey (best detective novels of all time txt) 📕

“So, what’s your next big move?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Keep looking for work in the field with which I’m actually fuckin’ good at and find a place.”

“You know,” he said casually. “Raven’s place isn’t a bad place, it just needs fixing up. It’d actually be hella convenient for you – being close to the club and all.”

“You been thinking about this,” I said, leaning on the shovel and looking him up and down.

“No offense, brother, but you deserve a hell of a lot better than my fuckin’ barn loft, and my couch when it’s too cold for that. As much as I appreciate the help around the farm, I can’t pay you for shit and this is a teenager’s work. Prospect’s work. You’re skilled labor and this ain’t skilled.”

I nodded. “As much as I love you, I do not enjoy shoveling goat shit,” I agreed. “But you gotta do what you gotta do and you’re keeping me in good with the parole board.”

“I honestly don’t think it would take much on that score after what your P.O. did,” he said. “I think you might be her class favorite.”

I chuckled and nodded. “I do what I’m supposed to when I’m supposed to do it. You’d be surprised at how many of these guys can’t seem to do even the bare minimum.”

“No, no I would not,” Fen said, shaking his head.

We both had a laugh at that.

“You really think it’d be worth fixing up Raven’s place?” I asked.

“Okay, you really think this was my idea?” Fen asked, giving me a look like “bitch, please” and I smiled wryly.

“Mav?” I asked.

“Yup. He just asked if I’d bring it up.”

“What’s he thinkin’?” I asked dryly.

“Cut a deal with the landlord, fix up Raven’s place for you and her, bring that shit up to code, fix up the other three units up there, pay the dude to keep his fuckin’ mouth shut and have a place for brothers to crash that’s not at the fuckin’ club. Off the radar of LEOs.”

“Not bad, not bad.” I nodded along, picturing things.

“Could definitely be some help if we’re going to start a war,” he said, and I raised an eyebrow.

“You really think this is going to be some kind of war?” I asked.

“A bunch of tweaker freaks?” Fen asked. “Shit no, it’s going to be a slaughter, but no telling how ugly it’s going to get. You know what I mean?”

I nodded. “That I do, bro. That I do.”

We liked to do things quiet like, as much as possible. Mass murder in one fell swoop wasn’t something you could pull off easily, but by the same token, doing shit quietly and in such a way that you kept your ass from getting caught? That left room for retaliatory maneuvers on their part. If they could fuckin’ even get it together to pull that shit off.

Dealing with a bunch of fuckin’ tweakers could make that complicated.

“Think while you shovel, dude. We got other shit to do.”

“Right, sorry.” I went through the rest of the day of chorin’ doing a whole lot of thinking.

“Hey!” Raven greeted me like she was startled to see me in her bar. I smiled and slipped up onto the same barstool, at least I think it was the same one, as the night we’d met. There was a whole lot about that night that was hazy, and a whole lot more that I wished I could forget, but watching her perfectly toned ass as she walked the length of her bar to serve other customers? Nope, I wanted that memory burned into my brain for-fucking-ever.

“Hey, baby,” I greeted her. “Gimme whatever’s on tap that’s good.”

She smiled and bit her bottom lip and pulled me a beer from the multitude of taps, bringing it over.

I slid a twenty at her and winked. She frowned and pushed it back and said, “Fuck that, no! On the house.” She leaned way over the bar, holding herself up on her arms and leaning forward to present her lips for a kiss. I kissed my girl to a rowdy compliment of cheers from a bunch of the asshole grizzled fuckin’ longshoremen littering up the joint.

A few shouted lewd suggestions later, but they settled down and smiling happily after rolling her eyes, Raven lowered herself back to the floor on the other side of the bar from me.

“What brings you in and so early at that?” she asked.

“Oh, just thought I’d swing by before church,” I declared, and she nodded.

“Meeting up about that thing with Tic?” she asked, and I didn’t say anything, I wasn’t supposed to, but she was turning into a keen ol’ lady and she knew how the street worked, so I just nodded.

“Be careful,” she cautioned and gave me a raised eyebrow in warning that I’d better watch my ass. I smiled and sipped my beer.

“As a virgin on her wedding night,” I declared, and she laughed.

“Be right back.” She wandered up the bar to a beckoning customer.

I loved it when she was “on” and her insecurities weren’t raging. It was like she stepped into this role, and it was hot. Likewise, though, I loved it when she was vulnerable with me. I may not always know what to do in the face of her vulnerability or insecurities, but goddamn did it make me feel like a man, like the only man for her, when I got it right.

She came back this way and wiping down the bar asked me, “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”

“Oh, now see, that just tells me that I don’t come and see my lady where she works nearly enough.”

“You’ve had some good reasons,” she said, letting me off easy.

“Not anymore I don’t,” I told her. “So, how’s about I walk you home tonight?” I asked.

“Staying over?” she asked, and her expression was hopeful.

“I’d stay with you forever if I could,” I said. “How would you feel about me maybe making that happen?”

She