“Okay,” I said, because I really didn’t have a choice. I needed this. “I can try to get the money to you tomorrow. Will you be here?”
“Most likely. If I’m not, one of the boys here will know how to find me.”
I had brought one valuable thing with me to La Playa. It had been tucked away in my sock drawer since the day we arrived. It looked like it was time to get it out and see exactly what I could get for it. I wouldn’t have a rainy day fund to fall back on, but we’d be able to stay and build lives here. It would be worth it.
Seventeen
Trainer
“I have news,” Swole said as soon as I answered my phone. Straight to the point without even a greeting. That was typical Swole.
“What is it?”
“The drug dealer you spotted at the boardwalk finally led us somewhere.”
I stood up from my couch, ready for whatever was needed of me. I tucked my gun into my pants at the small of my back and reached for my jacket.
“What’s the plan? Did you find where the bastard is cooking his shit?”
“We did. And that’s why I called you. We need to move Erica for a day or two.”
“What?” Her words didn’t make sense to me. “What did you say about Erica?”
“It’s the location. The Sergeant at Arms of Las Balas has been cooking at his baby mama’s house, in the basement. It’s the other half of Erica’s duplex.”
My stomach rolled. Erica had been living right next to that dangerous shit for weeks. With Dominic.Fuck.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Swole said, sounding impatient. “We already went in and found the lab. Moves knows a guy that had experience cleaning this shit up, and he says it’ll be safe, but I figured you’d want Erica out there just in case the whole thing blows up or something.”
I felt a new kind of fear at those words. That could have happened already. How many times had I seen that sort of thing on the news? Too many.
I needed her with me right now. Dominic too.
“Where is she?”
“I gave her your address. I’m going to watch the dog for her since my apartment is on the ground floor. Emory has been wanting one anyway. So it’ll be a good test to see how he handles it. Anyway, Erica seemed pretty damn reluctant to just show up on your doorstep, but I told her I’d already talked to you, and you insisted.”
“Good call.” There was a soft knock at my door. “She’s here. Thanks for the head’s up and for keeping her safe.”
“Of course.” Swole hung up, and I glanced around the apartment. It was a mess, but there wasn’t much I could do about that. She was already here. There was another knock. It looked like she was going to get a glimpse of what a slob I could be. But, to be fair, I was a bachelor.
“Just a second,” I called out to her.
Removing my gun, I quickly put it in the small safe in the linen closet between the bedroom and living room. I crossed the room and pulled the door open. Erica was standing there, chewing on her bottom lip with Dominic at her side. She looked stressed out, and I wanted to make it better.
“Hey,” she said in a small voice.
“Come on in.”
They both stepped inside, and I shut the door, locking it. It was a safe building, being owned by the Outlaw Souls, but since we all lived in the same place, privacy could be an issue. It wasn’t unusual for someone to pop in just to see what I was up to. I hurried across the living room to the couch and grabbed the dirty clothes that I had haphazardly discarded there. There was also an empty pizza box on the coffee table that I managed to get to the trash can as well.”
“Have a seat,” I said.
Dominic sat on the couch, but Erica stayed standing. “Listen, this is really nice of you, but I don’t want to put you out. We can stay in a hotel for a couple of days.”
“No. I want you here. I want to know you’re safe.”
