The Love Of Money - S02 E196

Story 1 month ago

The Love Of Money - S02 E196

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 196

She stood, tossed back the last of her beer, then set the empty bottle on the couch. “I’m getting some shut-eye.”

As she turned, I called out, “Chloe?”

She paused and looked back.

“What would you do… if you were me?”

“I’d murder Ryo and Hiro. Then I’d make Sachiko one hell of an offer so she’d back off and stay away, and if she didn’t…” Chloe made her finger into a gun, pointed it at me, and mimed shooting it.

My stomach twisted. I had the resources to do exactly that. I just wasn’t sure I had the stomach for it.

“Just like that?” I asked.

“Yep.” There was no hesitation… no remorse.

She read the discomfort on my face. “I’m not a good person, Marcus. I’m a pragmatist.”

“How can I trust you if you’re not a good person? The money?”

“In part,” Chloe said. “But I’m not Henry Psalter. He’ll honor the contract until it’s up, then kill you the second it’s over if that’s the next job. It’s not just money for me.”

“What is it, then?”

“Loyalty. You take care of your own—really take care of them. You care what happens to people. That inspires people.”

I let a slow smile pull at my mouth. “Gosh, Chloe. Keep sweet-talking me like this and you’re gonna make me blush.”

“’Kay. Time for me to leave,” she muttered, and walked off into the rain.

I watched her disappear into the garden.

Well… that was an interesting conversation.

I stayed under the awning, letting the rain drown out the noise in my head. I thought about what Chloe had said—about doing whatever it took to take my life back. I’d come a long way since inheriting the money… but had I come far enough?

Was I really willing to do anything to keep it all?

Lightning flashed across the sky.

Maybe.

But if I were the kind of man who would do anything—at any cost—did I even deserve to hold onto it?

Did I want to be that man?

Ten minutes blurred into thirty as I sat there, lost in the storm and my own thoughts.

Killing Tanaka wouldn’t work anyway, would it? Some other monster would just fill the void he left. Eventually, someone else would pick up on my reluctance to get my hands dirty. And then what? Kill all over again?

Fuck that.

There had to be a better way than blood, the ruin of countless normal people, or me rolling over and taking it.

There had to be other options.

And then a hint of an idea began to take shape and form. A singularity spun up into an entire nexus of possibilities. Moment by moment, I started sifting through the raw ore of this… concept.

Surely it wouldn’t work. Would it?

There was only one person I knew

Chandler answered on the second ring. “Marcus? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” I said, leaning forward and getting comfortable. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Going into the office.” 

That earned half a smile from me. “Cancel that. I need to talk to you first thing in the morning. I have a thought, and I need that business brain of yours…”

***