Pulling up to the house, they both climb out of the car, and I promise that when I get back, we'll do something. Delaney gives me a warm smile that tells me she's not mad
, while Knox still doesn't look convinced that everything's fine. I don't have time to ease his worries before I pull away.
MEETING AT THE ABANDONED house tells me that Amelia isn't with him. Whenever she is, he tells me to meet him at Ray's or one of the other guys' places. Maybe it's because he does all his dirty work here. I haven't tried to look around this place, but I'm almost positive this is where he hides his stash. Why else would he always insist on meeting here?
I go around back and walk down the steps to the cellar. Blade is already here, counting his stacks of money and separating it into envelopes. He doesn't even look up as he gestures to the seat beside him.
“Took you long enough,” he grumbles.
“Sorry,” I mumble an insincere apology. “I was across town with a couple friends. I had to drop them off first.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. You're here now.”
Something is off with him, and my first reaction is that it involves Amelia. However, even if she already managed to piss him off—which isn't hard to do, mind you—he would never tell me. The only thing I'm worried about is what he did in retaliation.
“Take this,” he says, handing me a mix of drugs.
It's a little relieving to see it isn't all heroin. There's some cocaine and pills mixed with it. None of them make me feel good selling, and I wouldn't choose to do any of it, but at least they aren't complete life-ruiners all the time. In my opinion, black tar heroin is a one-way ticket to hell on the hot mess express.
I stuff the bag into my pocket. “Is that all you needed?”
He laughs dryly. “Watch the attitude, shithead. I'm not in the mood for it.”
“I wasn't giving one,” I try to redeem myself. “I just have a couple people back at my place who are waiting for me.”
“Well, you made me wait. You can make them wait, too.” He passes me a stack of bills. “Count this, then write the amount on the envelope.”
Fucking great.
AN HOUR LATER, WE finally finish counting all the money. It's over fifty grand in cash, which might seem like a lot for some, but in this business, it's chump change. I tried to pull some information out of Blade, but he's a fucking vault. There was no way I was getting anything out of him.
We walk up the steps and close the cellar. He throws the chain lock around it like usual and then the two of us leave the backyard.
As we're coming around the house, he stops short. “Who the fuck is that?”
I look up, confused, until I see Knox leaning against my car and smoking a cigarette. Blade's bad mood goes from pissed-off to lethal in a second as he turns to me.
“You bringing people to my fucking place?” he growls, gripping the switch blade in his back pocket. “You being a fucking snitch, Z?”
Shaking my head, I take a step back. “I didn't tell him anything, I swear. He's good people, though.”
He huffs. “You better fucking hope so. Otherwise, it won't just be your grave I'll be digging.”
I stay in place as he walks away. Him and Knox have a stare down as he passes, but neither one of them say anything. When he's far enough away, I take a deep breath and go toward my car.
“How'd you find me?” I ask as soon as I'm close enough.
He drops his cigarette on the ground and puts it out with his foot. “Gray still talks to that Wyatt kid from HGP. Apparently tracking a phone is like elementary-level hacking.”
“You had someone trace my phone?”
“You're damn right I did,” he snaps back. “Are you going to tell me who the hell that guy was, or are you still going with the everything's fine excuse?”
I know I'm trapped. There's nothing else I can do but be honest. However, Blade has ears pretty much everywhere. I can't do it here. Not without risking our lives, and Amelia's.
“Get in the car.”
He shakes his head. “Not until you tell me what the fuck is going on.”