Instead, it was Brantley andPorter.
KC’s gaze hardened on Brantley, then cut to Porter. “Who the hell’s this?”
“A friend of mine,” Brantley said.
“That don’t answer my question,” KC said.
“I’m her ex-boyfriend and I can help you get the men helping her,” Porter said.
KC stared at Porter for a very long moment. The way he shifted his stare to Brantley, he’d dismissed Porter outright. “My beef’s with Ines. She had my product and I’ve heard she sold two kilos withyourhelp. Now you got this boy with you. Wasting my fuckin’ time.”
Brantley shook his head. “Three Riot MC members came to my place last week. One had a name patch that read, Beast. He said he had the drugs and knew Suarez."
KC made a skeptical noise, not quite a tsk, but close. “Like Suarez knows any bikers. They lied.”
Brantley opened his mouth to argue, but stayed silent.
KC turned to me. “Did you find the drugs?”
I shook my head. “No. Someone broke into my place - twice if you count Brantley picking the locks last Monday. He wanted to get Ines’s ATM card for her crypto account. If anyone could get your money, it’s him.”
“The money was hidden in her bed,” Porter blurted.
“How would you know that?” Nate asked.
“I ask the questions, Eightball,” KC said.
Another man entered the room.
Next to me, I heard Digit whisper, “Suarez.”
“I don’t carewhoasks the questions, I want an answer,” Suarez said, glaring at Porter.
The power dynamic in the room shifted when Suarez stood in front of KC’s desk. As clear as it was that Suarez was the mastermind, it still felt like a pissing contest - a contest I hated being around.
Silence lingered for a moment.
“Answer me!” Suarez thundered at Porter.
He and Brantley stepped back a pace. Their faces were pale and their eyes wide with fear.
“Uh… I called in the tip,” Porter stammered.
Suarez leaned forward. “Did you call in the tip or hide my fuckin’ money,pendejo?”
“Both,” Brantley said.
Porter shot an enraged look at Brantley.
“Why?” Suarez asked.
“To get the biker out of the way.” He paused, and added, “I didn’t know there were two more in town.”
“Did you put him up to that?” KC asked Brantley.
“No. He came to me this morning about it. Wanted to know if I’d heard anything about the money being found. I decided to bring him to you.”
Suarez made eye contact with the guy standing next to me, then he tipped his head at me and then Porter. “Take those two to a room. I want to talk to Brantley alone.”
