Page 141 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Yeah, but … is that, like, how Michel did it? They just called, and he delivered?”

Her cousin laughed. “No, not entirely.”

“Well, how?”

“Michel was a supply and demand kind of situation. He only made the effort if there was a large number of people wanting what he had at any given time. That’s kind of why he mostly dealt on Fridays, or Mondays, and went to parties. They had to make it worth his effort to go to wherever in the hell they were. They didn’t mind Michel’s game because they’re too privileged and lazy to figure out how to get a dealer that’ll cater to them. They’re not really addicts feeding a problem, just rich kids with too much money, and too much time to spare.”

John shrugged, adding, “Rich people are stupid that way, and their rich kids are even worse, Catherine. It’s like having their own personal drug dealer on speed dial that’s of the same standard, breeding, and privilege as them, which I think, makes them feel like they’re better than the average user on the street. It’s a mindset, and Michel liked to play into it. He played them really well. That’s probably why they’re messaging you, now.”

“Did my mom and dad know what Michel was doing?”

“Ah, yeah?”

“Really?”

John just looked at her, bored. “What are they going to say?”

Huh.

Then, her cousin’s gaze darted over her shoulder before he asked, “Is that something you’re interested in, Catty?”

“What, dealing?”

“I mean, sure. Your mom did; your father’s a mob boss. Our surname is Marcello. Don’t act like I’m asking something that’s abnormal for us.”

“It’s abnormal for me.”

“Only because you’re a little too sly for your own good,” her cousin replied. “You know, I run in some of the circles you’ve hung around in, too. Things you’ve done and gotten caught doing, I’ve heard about it. Your boy, there … Cross—”

“He’s not my anything,” Catherine interrupted, ignoring the twinge of pain in her chest.

She hadn’t seen or talked to Cross since that last text a month ago.

For now, it was better to stay that way.

“Whatever,” John said, waving it off, “my point is, just because you like to behave badly on the low, doesn’t mean people don’t know about it, Catherine. And maybe if you checked that nonsense a bit, you wouldn’t find yourself in trouble when you did get caught.”

“You’re getting off topic.”

“I’m really not, if you think about it.”

Catherine rolled her eyes skyward. “Just … whatever. Is that what those kids are looking for from me, somebody like Michel?”

John barked a laugh. “You can’t be like Michel, girl.”

“Why not?”

“Because you are a girl, Catty. It’s a whole different game when you’re supplying as a female. You’ve got to work them different, and play it different. That’s just how it works.”

Catherine crossed her arms. “Like my mom did, you mean?”

“Sort of, sure. Catrina was amazing at what she did, and she made a career out of supplying to the most elite in this country. People called on her simply because she was her, you know? So yeah, sort of.”

“I don’t want to be my mom.”

John tipped his hand as if to say, meh. “You can’t be her, either. There’s only ever one like her doing what she did at any given time. What you’re seeing on your phone isn’t like Catrina, it’s just small time dealing to kids who think they’re big time deals. And they’re not. But they pay, it’s money, and that’s how our business works. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Now, Catherine was even more curious.