My lover frowns, worry lines creasing her forehead. “What did you agree to?”
“You’re going to take ownership of a shipment of Smart Sissies.” Standing, I pull up my pants, and with my back to her, adjust my leg so it sits better on my stump.
“And why on God’s earth would I do that?” Her hair all mussed, her lips swollen, she grabs her clothes and heads to the bathroom.
“We’ll locate the dealers and get the drugs off the street. Babe, I’m going to call Slate, be right back.” Dressing, I find my jacket, trot down the stairs, and pace the wrap-around porch.
A few minutes later the home office calls me back and after I describe the plan, he’s all in. “I’ll send someone, and we’ll follow the courier to the source. No worries.”
With Slate covering my six, I breathe a little easier. “Did you learn anything more about the fentanyl?”
“A little. It’s a special grade of opiate, more addictive but less likely to kill you. Let’s just say it puts you to sleep before you can OD.”
“Jesus. But you wake up wanting more?” Having been on pain meds for almost a year, I understand the vile plot better than most.
“Yeah. Apparently, no one in the States has been able to duplicate the process and the price tag is fifty times that of the street version.” Slate sighs. “They’re targeting rich addicts and going for quality versus quantity.”
“And they’ll capture the market while the rest of the poor suckers die from the cheaper variety. Damn, we need to get rid of those Muppets.”
“Did Rose remember any more?”
I glance around the parking lot, now her phone’s GPS is on, we’re sitting ducks. “We’re working a theory. I think what she overheard was a BIC container code, and I’m guessing it’s to the one holding the Smart Sissies.”
“Could it be she’s not telling you the whole truth?” As Slate verbalizes my worst nightmare, I shake my head.
“Could be. Rose is part Vitale and loyal to a fault. Anything is possible.” With her scent still on me, I pray what we shared isn’t all a lie.
“Keep your pants zipped.” He waits for me to respond and when I don’t my silence says it all.
“Fuck.” The other side of the line dead, I walk back into the motel room to face the music.
Chapter 20
Rose
…loyal to a fault.
Done eavesdropping, I jump inside the old Victorian farmhouse and gently close the door. Thank God, with his back to the house, Wheels didn’t catch me but what a shit show. I love my uncle but that doesn’t mean I approve of his business transactions.
I need to set things straight so stomp out of the kitchen to the tiny living room where flames crackle in the fireplace. Sitting in a gray floral loveseat near the warmth, I cross my legs, and punch in the familiar numbers.
“Hi Uncle Vinny, it’s me, Rose.”
“Where are you?”
“Upstate with my boyfriend, why?” My voice low, I keep an eye on the hallway.
“I heard through the grapevine how youz got back together with Paolo. I was curious, that’s all.” Vinny’s comments, however harmless they appear on the surface, always have meanings within meanings.
Seeing as how I said my ex placed the order on the dark web and I just confirmed from my phone, Vinny assumes we’re back together. “It’s too soon to say how things may turn out.”
He snickers like someone about to spill the beans. “Are you aware he purchased some merchandise?”
“The Smart Sissie knock-offs? Yeah, why?” He’s always under-estimated me, and I use it to my advantage.
Thinking me stupid, my uncle laughs. “You tell Paolo, he may befamiglia, but he needs to pay like everyone else.”
“I’ll let him know but hey, as long as I got you on the phone, can I give one of the stuffed animals to little Mikey?” I swallow hard. In for a penny, in for a pound.
