Luis swung his gaze to the boarded-up snooker hall on the opposite side of the street. It was as big of a shithole as the neighbourhood they’d left behind. “For real?”
Dante moved to cross the street. “Said so, didn’t I?”
Luis caught his arm. “Wait. We need to scope the place out first.”
“Why?”
“Because only a dumbfuck wouldn’t. How many times have we fucked people over on an exchange? You think we’d have got away with that if they’d planned a way out first?”
“This isn’tPlatoon, fam.”
“It’s not Waitrose either, and you made me do this with you for a reason. Cos you knew I was the only person who wouldn’t walk into it blind. So either listen to me or take this food in there your own damn self.”
Dante let Luis steer him down the road and into a nearby pharmacy, the only business on the street that didn’t look like the resident crew’s own real estate. They wound up by the over-the-counter hearing aids. Scowling, Luis turned his back on them and faced Dante. “The club is in the basement?”
“Yeah. They said the front door would be unlocked, so just go on in and head downstairs.”
“That’s it?”
“What else do you want? A formal invitation?”
“I want to know how we get out of there if it goes tits up. Is there a back door? A fire escape?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then you need to find out, cos we’re not going in there unless you do.”
“Never had you pegged as a pussy. Guess you really don’t like it, eh?”
“If you say so.” Luis eyed the snooker club through the shop window. “They’re expecting me, right? Not you?”
“Yeah. And you’re supposed to be alone.”
“Have you met any of them in person?”
Dante snorted. “Course not. You think I’m stupid?”
“Yeah, I do. But whatever. They won’t be looking out for you, so head round the back and have a look.”
“No.”
“Do it. Or I’m flushing this package down the drain.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
“You wouldn’t have before prison made you soft.”
Luis hauled Dante out of the shop and down a nearby alleyway. He threw him against the wall and drove his fist into Dante’s gut hard enough to send him spluttering to the ground. “Prison didn’t make me soft. It taught me what was worth fighting for, and it isn’t you. Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute.”
He left Dante on his knees and ducked back onto the main street. The snooker club was on the end of a row of attached premises. Luis circled around, keeping his head down as he assessed the access routes. There was no back door, but a fire escape exited at the side, straight onto the pavement. If they came out that way with full pockets, they’d have to do it quietly. At least, Luis would. He didn’t give a shit about Dante.
In the alleyway, he found Dante on his feet, red faced and irritated. “You gotta stop hitting me.”
Luis grunted and pointed at the snooker club. “There’s a fire door on the side. If we need to dip, we’ll head for it and hope it’s not locked.”
“So dramatic.”
