Red covers his mouth and pretends he’s yawning, but I know that prick is covering a grin. I should’ve left his ass in the dumpster where I found him. Literally.
I sink down at my desk and take a swig of the liquor. It’s ten in the goddamn morning and these dumbasses have already driven me to drink. I know I’m lying to myself. It’s not them. It’s her. That fucking princess with the sad eyes that spark with fire in their depths before she douses the flame. I’ve read every scrap of information I can on her—the same on her whole family. Though I admit hers are the only photos I’ve studied. I feel like I could sketch her face with my eyes closed. The thought sticks in my gut like a serrated blade. Because I shouldn’t know about the freckles along the bridge of her nose or the slight upturn at the tip of her nose—I shouldn’t give a shit about anything except making her suffer.
I shove all those concerns from my mind and turn to the only thing that can calm my nerves. “Business.” I finish my drink. “Where’s my coke shipment?”
“Sitting off South Padre. There’s been an increase in enforcement along the border after they found all those migrants in that 18-wheeler.” Red stubs out his cigarette. “We’re dead in the water until the feds back the fuck off.”
“Bring them up the coast. What about Galveston?”
“Too dangerous. More Coast Guard, more problems. It’s better to wait.” Red holds up his hands. “I know you hate it. But it is what it is. If we try to bring it ashore farther north, we risk losing the whole thing.”
“Fine.” I grind my teeth. “But if you can’t land it by the weekend, I want you to come up with some other way.”
“I’ll land it.”
“The opium’s already being offloaded in Jersey,” Benny says with a shit-eating grin.
Red glares at him. “You just got lucky. That’s all.”
“Say what you want, but I got it done. Our warehouse is full, and the chemists are there right now doing their magic. We’ll be moving product in less than a month.”
“Coke’s worth more than your black tar bullshit,” Red shoots back.
“Coke isn’t worth shit if it’s floating in the ocean.”
“Motherfucker, you have no creativity when it comes to—”
“Enough!” I slam my hand on the desk.
They both whip their heads around to me.
I’m on edge. Seething. Doing everything I can to stop thinking about the woman who’s probably looking for another way to hide from me.
“Do we still have Rodrigo?” I run a hand through my hair.
“Yeah. Barely. Last I checked he was still breathing.” Red shrugs. “I don’t think he has any more information though.”
I stand. “Let’s hit the sauna.”
I know they share another one of their fucking looks, but I don’t care. I need to take the edge off, and this is one way to do it.
They follow me through the house and out the back, then through the rear garden to the stables. The horses eye me, none of them particularly friendly despite living under my care for years. Maybe they know a predator when they see one.
I walk into the last stall and push open the metal door that reveals a set of stairs that leads down into darkness.
“Hey, before you get …” Red clears his throat. “Occupied. Could you clear 50k for a bribe?”
“Sure, if that gets me my coke faster. I don’t give a fuck.”
Red nods and trots back toward the house.
“Let’s do this.” Benny’s already rolling up his sleeves.
I shake my head. “Get the fire pit ready. I’ll bring the body.”
“Sure thing.” He doesn’t ask questions. He knows better. In fact, he knows exactly what’s about to happen.
I walk down the stairs. The gratifying sounds of abject fear and whimpering meet my ears.
“Glad you’re still with us, Rod.” I yank the chain to the bare bulb overhead. A low, wide room with metal grates for floors and earthen walls appears. In my line of work, a place like this is a necessity. We call it the sauna, though it’s always clammy and cold.
Rod lies in a heap on the floor, his hands duct-taped behind his back and his face swollen and discolored.
I open a small door to the right, pull out a hanger, and drape my coat over it. Then I remove my shirt and hang it up as well.
Rod shivers, his pitiful wails growing louder.
“Were there others?” I shake out my arms and shadow box a little to loosen up.
“No!” He screams and shrinks back.
“I don’t believe you, Rod.”
“I told you everything.” His voice is distorted from his missing teeth and busted lips. “She was the only one.”
I drop to my haunches beside him. “It’s just that creeps like you don’t touch just one little girl. I mean, I don’t have any studies, Rod, but a child fucker doesn’t exactly change his stripes, does he?”