Part 10 ************************************************************************ Nick walked in last, looking wearily around the table. He took the empty seat next to Brian and slouched down, "Why are we here Richardson?" he asked, the disdain evident in his voice Kevin glared at Nick briefly, "I think its time we talked...seriously." "Whoa talk seriously? Never done that before Kev." AJ said, lighting up a cigarette. Howie snatched the pack out of J's hand. "J just shut up and listen okay?" AJ glared at D but leaned back in his seat, "Fine oh great one, speak." "I know before we were all rather reluctant to talk about what he's got on us that made us quit but...look according to Alec we're all going crazy. The wives are talking to each other guys, their worried...and so am I...I saw Jenn J the night she called us over...I've heard about you leaving Nick..." He cut in, "I'm now kicked out thank you." he smiled sweetly and rolled his eyes. Brian put his hand on Nick's shoulder, "Nick come on...maybe if we talk we'll find a way out of this...at least stop the hate we've got going on." AJ shook his head, "I ain't ever gonna forgive him for this one, once a money hungry bastard always a money hungry bastard." "Not Lou J, each other." Kevin said, setting his envelope on the table. "Did everyone bring theirs?" A series of nods circled the table while envelops were tossed down. "Do we just want to go through them?" Brian asked nervously, he wondered what Lou had on the other guys. They certainly weren't angels but he was curious nonetheless. "Might as well." J said pulling an envelope out of the bunch while the rest followed suit. The next couple hours were filled with silence, the only sound being the occasionnal shuffle of papers and passing of envelopes. Finally Nick set the last envelope down and looked at everyone. Brian was looking through the pictures of Nick, glancing over at him everyone few minute with a questioning face. Nick finally leaned over, "I don't remember any of that B...the woman, the hotel room, nothing." he whispered. "Its okay Frack..." He shook his head, "No its not...damnit B look what I did...Maybe I did that more then I know about, what if everytime I had a couple beers on the road I ended up with another woman." Kevin cleared his throat. "Everyone done?" "Pretty much." AJ said tossing down the picture of Kevin's supposed child. "So let me get this straight, Brian's still married to Cassie; D's laundering money for the mafia; Nick's screwed around on Lis; Kev you've got a child hidden away probably in the Kentucky wilderness and I'm a drug addict alcoholic who has vicious rampages of destruction. What's true?" Kevin ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know, honestly...I mean timewise the kid could be mine but..." he shrugged. "I'm going to Puerto Rico to check with Paul on the money we've had invested lately." AJ settled his gaze on Nick, "Nicky boy?? You get caught with your pants down?" Nick's eyes filled with anger, "Go to hell J, we all know you've practically been an alcoholic the last four years. And heroin nice choice there Bone." "Fellas attacking each other isn't gonna help us." D said, turning into the peacemaker. "Look first of all we gotta find someone trustworthy and who can keep their mouth shut to look into all of this. I mean Lou had to do some serious digging to find all this...if he did find all this." "You saying its fake D?" Nick asked. "I don't know but I sure as hell aren't gonna trust Lou as far as I could throw him." Shan picked at her food, glancing at the empty spot across the table. "Where's Lis Alec?" Alec took a drink before answering, "She's not feeling that well. Didn't want to pass it around I guess." Shan frowned, "She was fine yesterday." "Could be a twenty four hour bug." Jenn said, pouring herself another drink. "True." "What do you think the guys are discussing?" "Who knows? I doubt they're even talking to each other just glaring across the table, J's probably on his fourth pack of smokes and Kev's threatening to toss the pack out the window." Alec laughed, "Most likely." "So they probably won't last another hour." Brian turned his chair to Nick, "You okay? Your pretty silent the last little while." Nick shook his head, "Rok what am I supposed to say?" "I don't know." "What if those pics are real B? Lissy saw them, she hates me...she'll never forgive me. That look that's always there is gone B...I lost her..." "Nicky if we can prove some of this isn't true," which I hope to god it is, he thought to himself, "Lissy will forgive you. Come on, you really think you could cheat on her?" Kevin cleared his throat, D and Aj were busy whispering and reading over some of the financial records while Bri looked like he was trying to console Nick. "Guys?" "What?" J asked, his tone somewhat calmer then it had been a few hours before. "What do you want to do? I mean do we believe all this?" All five of them looked around the table, then collectively shook their heads. "No." Kevin smiled, "Good now all we gotta do is prove this is a pack of lies. That's gonna be the hard part." "And then we can kick Lou's ass." AJ said with a smile. "I'll be right there!" Lis yelled, the doorbell had been ringing for at least five minutes. She glanced through the peephole and sighed seeing Alec standing there. "Hey." she greeted her friend as she opened the door. "Hey Lis. You okay?" "Perfect, kicked my husband out...saw pictures of him with another woman life doesn't get any better then this."