11. Lars

11

LARS

I pull up to the secluded spot where we meet the Blackwood brothers. Tyson's already there, leaning against his classic Mustang with crossed arms. I nod to him as I kill my bike's engine, the rumble fading into the silence of the night.

Two more motorcycles approach, their headlights cutting through the darkness. Xavier and Knox Blackwood. I watch as they park their bikes and swagger toward us, all leather and attitude.

"Well, well, if it isn't the carnival boys," Knox drawls, smirking. "You got our goods?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Shut it, Knox."

Xavier steps forward, his expression serious. "Let's cut the bullshit. We need to up our supply. Double the usual amount."

Tyson raises an eyebrow. "Double? That's a tall order, Xavier. What's the occasion?"

Xavier's jaw tightens. "None of your fucking business. Can you handle it or not?"

I exchange a glance with Ty. We've never moved that much product before, but the Blackwood brothers are our biggest clients.

"400 pounds is a lot of weight," I say, keeping my voice even. "It's gonna cost you."

Knox laughs, the sound grating on my nerves. "You hear that, Xavier? The carnie thinks he can negotiate with us."

I take a step forward, my fists clenching at my sides. "Watch your mouth, Knox. You want the product. You pay the price. Simple as that."

Xavier holds up a hand, silencing his brother. "Name it."

I glance at Tyson and jerk my head, indicating we must talk privately. He nods, and we step away from the Blackwood brothers.

"400 pounds," I mutter under my breath. "That's a hell of a lot of product, Ty. We've never moved that much before."

Tyson runs a hand over his face, his expression grim. "I know, but we can't afford to lose their business."

"We're gonna have to up our price to cover logistics and risk. Double the product, one and half times the cost per kilo."

"You think they'll go for it?" Tyson asks, his eyes darting to where Xavier and Knox are waiting impatiently.

I shrug. "They don't have a choice. We're the only ones who can supply them with that much weight at such short notice. They'll pay, or they'll go without."

Tyson sighs heavily. "Alright, let's do it."

We turn back to the Blackwood brothers, our expressions serious. I step forward, my eyes locking with Xavier's.

"Alright, here's the deal. We can get you the 400 pounds, but it's gonna cost you one and a half times our usual kilo price. That's non-negotiable."

Xavier's eyes narrow. "Fine. But I want it by the end of the week. No excuses."

Ty nods. "You'll have it. But we want half the payment upfront. The other half upon delivery."

Knox scoffs, but Xavier silences him with a look. "Done. You'll have your money by tomorrow."

Ty and Xavier shake on it, sealing the deal. And then, without another word, Knox and Xavier turn and mount their bikes, riding off into the night.

I watch as their tail lights disappear into the darkness. The weight of the deal we just made settles heavily on my shoulders.

I turn to Ty, my mind already racing with the logistics of it all. "We're gonna need to bring in some extra muscle to handle the distribution," I say. "Nash and me ain't gonna cut it this time."

Tyson nods, his expression grim. "I'll talk to Phoenix and see if I can convince him to leave his trailer for once. As for the rest of the guys, we'll have to assess who's the most trustworthy."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the stress of the situation already taking its toll. "We're gonna have to be careful, Ty. Moving that much product is risky as hell. If the cops catch wind of it..."

Ty raises a hand, cutting me off. "I know the risks, Lars. But the Blackwoods are our best client, so we need to keep them happy."

I know he's right, but that doesn't make the situation less dangerous. We're walking a fine line here; one wrong move could bring down the whole operation.

"Alright," I say, my voice firm. "Let's get to work. We've got a lot of planning to do if we're gonna pull this off."

Ty claps me on the shoulder, a grim smile on his face. "That's the spirit, Lars. We've got this."

As I head back to my bikes, I can't shake the feeling that we're in over our heads. But there's no turning back now. We've made our bed, and now we must lie in it.

I just hope we don't end up regretting it.