Seven

Chapter 37

SEVEN'S POV

I watch the droplets of condensation roll down the side of my full glass. It falls the entirety of the glass before pooling onto the table from the rim. The coolness of my glass and the stack of ice in it have created the thin watery layer on the outside, the droplets of water catching the dim lights in the foggy establishment. Clouds of cigarette and cigar smoke fumigate the bar, a particular smell wafts through every now and then telling me someone is smoking pot in here too.

"Are you even listening, Sev?" Curby's voice questions next to me and I lift my head from my glass.

"No. What did you say?" I look over at him sitting next to me.

"Are your ears painted on, boy?" Grim asks from across the table.

"You'd think so by how selective his hearing has gotten." Curby answers Grim.

"He's been a little...distracted lately." Curby smirks and instantly I glare at him.

"Distracted?" Grimmy asks.

"No, I haven't. Curby is just talking shit because he doesn't like the fact I ignore him most of the time." I send him a warning glare to which he winks at me in reply.

Dick.

"What were you saying that was so important?" I ask him.

"Well I was talking about what happened over at the new farms Victor took from Sergey." Curby states.

"Mm. What about them?" I ask and take a drink from my glass. Spiced rum on the rocks, an old friend of mine.

"One of the farmers was hoarding some of the broken plants, thinking he could produce a little on the side for himself." Curby explains.

"And? They're broken plants, we'd just throw them out anyway why should we care if someone wants to be resourceful." I shrug and Grimmy shakes his head.

"What?" I ask him.

"It's like you don't know your uncle sometimes." He comments

"Why? What did Victor do about it?" I ask them both.

"Well Victor stated it was theft. That the farmer was stealing from him." Curby divulges.

"What did he do?" I ask although I think I already know.

"Killed him. Made his family watch him be tortured first though." Curby shrugs. I'm not surprised, I had assumed as much.

"When you say family...no kids right?" I ask to make sure. Both Grim's and Curby's silence speaks very loudly.

"No children, right?" I repeat, not wanting to believe what their silence has told me.

"The farmers eight year old daughter was a witness, yes." Grimmy finally answers and my fists clench in anger.

"What the fuck!" I stammer, my fist hitting against the wooden table and they both now stare down at their glasses. Knowing that Victor has yet again crossed the line of involving innocents. My nostrils flare in irritation at my uncles incompetence to keep to the laws of our world.

"Grim, is this the kind of shit my father would have done?" I ask and Grimmy's scarred face looks at me.

"Your father led very differently to how Victor does." He states.

"What do you mean?"

"Your uncle works on fear. He controls people through it, where as your father... Well your father was more equitable. Ivan was reasonable and charming. He didn't need to threaten people for them to follow or obey him, there was just something about him that people trusted." Grimmy explains, the collection of empty beer glasses on the table taking an influence on his speech.