Chapter 137 - The Offer (1/2)

”Says here you're at a B rank,” Leo inquired.

”No idea what that means, but sure.” Laz was being a bit cold for a reason. No matter what kind of people these actually were, he knew that being friendly and cheerful was not a way to make friends in this business. So he took on the attitude of a rather stony individual.

”It means that you have been vouched for by the person on the card and it means that you have killed for them. That's not something that comes around here,” Leo answered, trying to probe Laz a bit.

”Ah yes, that,” was all Laz said. He remembered he had been with Tony when they took out Joey and saved that girl. He was technically the one who killed him, despite the massive number of bullets Tony pumped into him. Apparently that had earned him this B ranking Leo was talking about.

”So... what are you looking for here?” Leo finally asked after seeing Laz's indifference. The card was a guarantee that the can only be given by a member of the family in a high position. Even Leo didn't have that ability. When it came to members of the Hearn family, despite being a named member of the family, he wasn't anything special. The only reason he was even a named member was because of his father. If Leo didn't do enough to contribute to the family, then if he ever had any kids, they could only take on the last name of their mother. If, however, Leo made great achievements, then not only would his kids be able to carry on the name, but he would also be able to move up in the organization. That was why he decided to try opening this nightclub. For him, it was the first step on his way to power within the family.

”I need some work. Money is a bit tight and I need some cash to live on.” Laz looked over at Leo and just laid it out clearly. He needed work and wanted to be paid for it. Although he didn't know what kinds of things he would be doing, he knew that it paid better than a 9 to 5 somewhere else. In addition, based on the type of people who he had seen so far, he didn't think he was going to be used as a contract hitman or anything. Other than that, Laz's felt his moral bar was pretty low when he was broke. He might be a bit ashamed to admit it, but he wasn't the type of person who wanted to fight for justice and die hungry. He felt that as long as his bottom line wasn't crossed, anything else was up for argument. That's just the way it was when you needed to look for your next meal.

”Really? You? Looking for work out here?” Leo was a bit shocked by Laz's objective.

”That a problem?” Laz asked, sensing Leo's amazement and confusion.

”No, no, no. But...”

”But?”

”Why here? I mean, based on your rating, you could get a pretty high paying job within one of the main companies. But here? In this shit hole? Brother... I can't pay you what you're worth.” Leo laid it out for him as best he could. He really needed a guy like Laz right now, but he couldn't afford him.

”How much could you afford? And what would be the work?” Laz figured he might as well ask since he had no idea what he was worth.

”Uh,” Leo edged in closer, as though he wanted to avoid speaking too loud. Laz could only assume he didn't want the others to hear him.

”Honestly, I need a body guard of sorts. I can afford about 1.5 K a week.” With that, Leo sat back and gave Laz a moment to think about it, although his face seemed a bit red. As far as he knew, thanks to his dad, B ranked body guards usually got in the area of around 4 K a week. He felt a bit embarrassed to only be able to offer him so little.

In contrast to Leo, Laz was stunned.

'Since when did 1.5 k equal a little. Wait a second. How much does that mean I am suppose to be worth. Did Tony actually set this up?' Laz had several questions he wanted to ask, but no one to ask them to. He didn't want Leo thinking he was an amateur, even though that's exactly what he was.

Laz faked thinking it over, but he was already going to agree. That kind of money was just what he needed right about now. Seeing him hesitate, Leo tried to sweeten the deal.

”Actually, there is a chance of bonuses too,” he said, this time loud enough for everyone to hear. It was obvious that this was something that everyone was in on, so it wasn't a secret.

”Bonuses?” Laz asked, his interest peaked.

”You can drink for free. Ah... you'll get VIP treatment since you'll be in my entourage. And when we land deals, everyone gets a small cut. There are a few other small things, but we can talk about that later.” If anything, Laz felt like Leo was actually just making stuff up to make it seem more impressive. Although his goons seemed to liven up when he talked about bonus, after he listed them off, they all sort of deflated. It seemed like there was something that wasn't being said.

Despite that, Laz decided that it sounded like ok work. Things might get dirty, but he wasn't getting a evil vibe from Leo. If anything, Leo seemed a little too nice for this kind of work. When compared to the vibe he got from Tony, it was like comparing a kitten to a lion.

”Yeah. Alright. I will be around for the next few months, maybe a year or two. That good?” Laz asked, making sure to not make his plans known. Laz was waiting on some information that was taking a while to come back. Before he got it though, he wasn't going anywhere.

”Yes. Yeah. Perfect.” Leo's eyes seemed to light up as though having a big weight lifted off his shoulders. For some reason, Laz couldn't help but feel that the hidden story was getting bigger and bigger. But then again, that was just the kind of work this was.

”Ahem.” The middle aged bartender cleared his throat, apparently trying to get Leo's attention.

”What?” Leo turned to look at the bartender who just stared straight back, while indicating the three goons with his eyes. Leo quickly looked over at them and saw they each had a sour look on their faces while looking at Laz. Turning back to Laz, Leo seemed to have a helpless expression on his face.

”Alright, Lazzo...”

”Laz,” Laz interrupted.

”Laz. My crew is small. Just me, old max here who used to work for my dad and these guys; Arnold, Anthony and Andrew.