PULSE

PART X - The Hunt

Author's Note:

There are some BIG reveals in this chapter. Things are starting to heat up. Hope you're enjoying - buckle up :)

Reconciling his feelings for Elle was a difficult task. He cared and every time they fucked he wanted more. He'd always needed a certain amount of space and she felt like the perfect intersection between his wants and needs. But he'd never been good at partnership or cared enough to go out of his way for anyone.

He'd let emotion cloud his curiosity for too long, now it was time for answers.

Tre sat in his car for twenty minutes contemplating his meeting. The Italians on the other side of town ran the casinos and a couple of strip clubs. Definitely a place a chump like Kell could get hustled but as far as he knew that kind of violence wasn't their style. He'd toed the line expertly between the two worlds never getting in to deep to keep outsiders out. His grandmother's best friend was an underbosses wife. He'd grown up adjacent to some shot callers. It's how he got his liquor license for the club, equipment to start it up wholesale and an extra line of defence in case anyone tried to fuck him up.

"Tre?" Sal says once he walks in looking tired and unshaven. They were close in age - Sal being a few years older.

"What's up Sal? Had some things on my mind wanted to know if you had some time?" He asks making note of his surroundings. Sal nods heading into the back while his people watch Tre closely. They sit in the upscale office cutting cigars to have a smoke as custom before getting started.

"Things got a little out of control" Tre speaks.

"I heard a story what's yours?" Sal asks getting comfortable.

"Lawyers husband gets shot up during museum event. We hear he has a debt. I'm not asking it's just not what I'm used to"

"What's your dog in this fight?" Sal smiles, he'd known Tre forever and the whole world could be falling down - Tre wouldn't bat an eye unless it was affecting his business or causing attention from the cops.

"Black I've known you since we were kids, you don't put your neck out on the line for no one. You've never come around unless it's business. You only spent an hour at my wedding" he lists curiously making black swallow. It was all true. Sal had tried to be there for his friend. His mother and father had extended their home to him when his grandmother died but he didn't want hand outs. He just wanted to be alone.

"Alan Clarke"

"Ahh, crooked politician" Sal smiles. "What? He doesn't know the town is impossible to take over?" Sal laughs.

"Kell is his in law, the family is good for money. I just don't see how he'd run up a debt. I don't see how it makes sense." Tre explains.

"I don't know nothing about it" Sal tells Tre earnestly. "Sounds like I should look into it. Debt gets thrown around and people start looking to us" he swallows.

"It smells bad"

"I agree, it stinks" Sal nods looking Tre over. He admired him. Especially for being mostly on his own. "Alan Clarke" Sal repeats taking a long pull. "He's good forever and we take care of family"

"Trusting a politician, I've always heard the opposite is the smartest course of action"

"It is usually, no one trusts him. The fuck is a coward but he cares about career. He fucked his own daughter over for the family" Sal swallows putting the cigar down.

"Step daughter" Tre corrects.

"You've done your research, nice piece of ass" Sal smiles making Tre uncomfortable. He and Elle weren't together but he wanted nothing more than to check Sal.