CS: Blood Lines (Cont VII)

“There’s no such thing as a better tomorrow if you just hope for it. You gotta do something about it,” Reno said philisophically.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Max said honestly. He glanced down as the waitress brought him a thick bacon cheeseburger dripping with juices which would have flooded the plate if not for the amazing absorbance of the seasoned fries that were covered in what seemed to be liquid butter. Max glanced up as Reno ate it with relish.

“You think you’re the only one who brushes up,” Reno said, swallowing a large bite and sighing happily, “Although I have no information on you I saw how you ate your food this morning, with relish. That’s why I think you’ll appreciate the food here.”

“If I don’t have a heart attack while eating it.”

“Why…that was sarcasm,” Reno said with a mouthful of food.

“I’ve known to brandish rapier wit every so often.”

“So then, we can’t talk about why you were cut out but I’ll leave it as me not trusting you any further than I can throw you. Nevertheless, I’m going to lay out my plans.”

“Why?” Max bit into the burger and felt the thick juices fill his mouth, it was a delightfully cooked burger, he had to admit, and the bacon was crisp and juicy.

“Because I’m pretty sure that you can’t kill an entire crime syndicate by yourself, which means I’ve got numbers on my side. That’s besides the point. The fact of the matter is we can’t do this without you, and even with you it won’t be easy. But this is what I have to do.”

Max’s eyes narrowed, “You? And what about Tony?”

“Fuck Tony! Fuck my father! He doesn’t know his dick from his nose. He lead me into this life so whatever I do he should already be expecting. You want to know something, I love my father dearly, Max, but I’m not going to play the game his way, because that just won’t cut it. I want this all over with so that I can sleep at night and not worry about not waking up. We’re weak, far weaker than Tony will let you believe. I don’t know how many more nights I’m going to be able to stay awake before the day comes where those doors burst in and we all die. So fuck him and his waiting game. You want to stop something, you go for the heart, you don’t wait until it dies of exhaustion, you catch my meaning?”

“It’s crystal clear.”

“Now the fact is, you were hired by Tony and he’ll pay you no matter what you do as long as the results are favorable. So you’ll do what I say no matter what I say, but when it comes time, if Tony turns back, I want to know which side you’re going to camp on. I don’t need to know now. You can think about it. He may pay you now, but sooner or later, I’m going to inherit the family, and that means the money either stops or waits to flow. Your choice.” Reno leaned back in on his side of the booth and took another bite of his burger and stared out the window. “These streets are going to be filled with the casings of guns sooner or later. I’d like to put the bloodshed behind me as soon as possible, so I hope you don’t mind me pushing for sooner.”

Max nodded slowly, but remained silent.