José, getting into the SUV.
“Ain’t interested in a drive. What do you want, homes?”
Well damn if that wasn’t brazen. I thought he ’d fear the cut a little more. Guess I was mistaken, and I’d have to play this a different way. Even though he wasn’t part of the Delmarco crew, he was blood to them, so it made sense he wasn’t no bitch.
“’Alright, I’ll give it to you straight then. I need you to make an introduction for me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I believe it’ ll be mutually beneficial.” I explained the basics of Dig’s plan. We needed access to Ernesto and a meet set up. I wasn’t going to lay the whole plan out for José, someone I wasn’t fully sure of. I told him Ernesto would want to hear what I had to say. “Tell him this is off the radar. If anyone finds out about the meet, my ass is dead. He’ll know what I mean and what it’s about.” I was pretty sure Ernesto wasn’t stupid, and would get that me coming to him meant I was going rogue on MM. That could only mean I had something to offer, something the Delmarco’s wanted since Burns killed Ratchet and took over MM.
Again, I didn’t wait for a response. Either he would do it or he wouldn’t. I exited the Yukon and hopped on my bike. I was pretty sure he’d be calling his cousin as soon as I rode away.
******
A little over a week later, José strolled into Checks. I expected to see other cooks or maybe family members follow behind him, but he was alone. I was at my table in the corner so he couldn’t see me. I watched him go to the bar and say something to the bartender. He handed over a slip of paper and sauntered out. The door had barely shut behind him before I was up on my feet and grabbing the slip of paper out of the bartender’s hand. It had a phone number written on it. Just a number. Nothing else. This had to be Ernesto.
Despite what Dig and I were planning, we both had to go about business as usual. I collected at Eight Oh Eight, watched over Checks, and made deliveries to Kansas City and St. Louis. I had a brick of heroin I’d received ton ight, that I’d be taking to Kansas City tomorrow night. I grabbed a prepay phone from my stash in the back, and called the number Dig gave me for his own burner.
“Tomorrow. Midnight at Bill’s.”
“I’ll be there, brother.”
I had to make my delivery before I could meet Dig. One brick meant it was a sample. I was dropping it off to Cane at the barn. I hated that fucker like a bad rash. I handed over the brick, exchanged minimal words, and was walking out the door when Cane opened the asshole he calls a mouth.
“Get rid of the bitch from the back of your bike?”
I stopped halfway out the door. I felt my blood boil hearing him refer to Elle as a bitch. Hearing any mention of her pass over Cane’s lips made me want to kill him immediately. I wanted to grab the 9mm in my cut and blast his head off. I wanted to watch his blood flow down the drain in the barn. I wanted Skinny to Dexter his ass up. But I couldn’t. I took a breath, turned around, and in the steadiest voice I could manage told him, “Nah, she got too clingy and I had to let her go. You know how the cut whores can be.”
“No doubt.” No doubt my ass. All Cane knew were the bitches that wanted him for his cut. He had no idea what a woman like Elle was all about. I kept walking out the door, wiggling my fingers to stop from grabbing my shoulder. I got on my bike and headed out to Bill’s , Gramps’ talons digging deep into my shoulder the entire ride.
******
“It’s all set. We’ll meet up with Ernesto a week from tomorrow. I’ll come through your place the day before. You still got that spare room?”
Dig had just hung up with Ernesto. They barely exchanged twenty words, but managed to set up a meeting.
“Yeah, no problem. Where are we meeting?”
Dig passed me a piece of paper with the words AQUARIO scribbled in it. “Claims his family runs the place. Told us to meet him in
“Ain’t interested in a drive. What do you want, homes?”
Well damn if that wasn’t brazen. I thought he ’d fear the cut a little more. Guess I was mistaken, and I’d have to play this a different way. Even though he wasn’t part of the Delmarco crew, he was blood to them, so it made sense he wasn’t no bitch.
“’Alright, I’ll give it to you straight then. I need you to make an introduction for me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I believe it’ ll be mutually beneficial.” I explained the basics of Dig’s plan. We needed access to Ernesto and a meet set up. I wasn’t going to lay the whole plan out for José, someone I wasn’t fully sure of. I told him Ernesto would want to hear what I had to say. “Tell him this is off the radar. If anyone finds out about the meet, my ass is dead. He’ll know what I mean and what it’s about.” I was pretty sure Ernesto wasn’t stupid, and would get that me coming to him meant I was going rogue on MM. That could only mean I had something to offer, something the Delmarco’s wanted since Burns killed Ratchet and took over MM.
Again, I didn’t wait for a response. Either he would do it or he wouldn’t. I exited the Yukon and hopped on my bike. I was pretty sure he’d be calling his cousin as soon as I rode away.
******
A little over a week later, José strolled into Checks. I expected to see other cooks or maybe family members follow behind him, but he was alone. I was at my table in the corner so he couldn’t see me. I watched him go to the bar and say something to the bartender. He handed over a slip of paper and sauntered out. The door had barely shut behind him before I was up on my feet and grabbing the slip of paper out of the bartender’s hand. It had a phone number written on it. Just a number. Nothing else. This had to be Ernesto.
Despite what Dig and I were planning, we both had to go about business as usual. I collected at Eight Oh Eight, watched over Checks, and made deliveries to Kansas City and St. Louis. I had a brick of heroin I’d received ton ight, that I’d be taking to Kansas City tomorrow night. I grabbed a prepay phone from my stash in the back, and called the number Dig gave me for his own burner.
“Tomorrow. Midnight at Bill’s.”
“I’ll be there, brother.”
I had to make my delivery before I could meet Dig. One brick meant it was a sample. I was dropping it off to Cane at the barn. I hated that fucker like a bad rash. I handed over the brick, exchanged minimal words, and was walking out the door when Cane opened the asshole he calls a mouth.
“Get rid of the bitch from the back of your bike?”
I stopped halfway out the door. I felt my blood boil hearing him refer to Elle as a bitch. Hearing any mention of her pass over Cane’s lips made me want to kill him immediately. I wanted to grab the 9mm in my cut and blast his head off. I wanted to watch his blood flow down the drain in the barn. I wanted Skinny to Dexter his ass up. But I couldn’t. I took a breath, turned around, and in the steadiest voice I could manage told him, “Nah, she got too clingy and I had to let her go. You know how the cut whores can be.”
“No doubt.” No doubt my ass. All Cane knew were the bitches that wanted him for his cut. He had no idea what a woman like Elle was all about. I kept walking out the door, wiggling my fingers to stop from grabbing my shoulder. I got on my bike and headed out to Bill’s , Gramps’ talons digging deep into my shoulder the entire ride.
******
“It’s all set. We’ll meet up with Ernesto a week from tomorrow. I’ll come through your place the day before. You still got that spare room?”
Dig had just hung up with Ernesto. They barely exchanged twenty words, but managed to set up a meeting.
“Yeah, no problem. Where are we meeting?”
Dig passed me a piece of paper with the words AQUARIO scribbled in it. “Claims his family runs the place. Told us to meet him in
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