Page 370 of Devil’s Disciples

Hell, he earned his nickname “Ghost” because of his ability to elude and escape in a car.

“I’m with Baker on this,” I said, glancing at each of the men as I spoke. “He’s our only option.”

“Coming back from the Bakersfield job won’t be an issue,” Baker explained. “At least, it shouldn’t be. If he’s out of town for the weekend, the chances of us getting in a chase are slim.”

“Agreed,” Tito said. “His home is on two acres of land or more. The odds of being noticed by neighbors will be miniscule.”

Baker stroked his beard. “We’re sure this is going to be fruitful?”

“By my records, he’s earned north of ten million,” Tio replied. “I’ve found no investments. There are records of cash out, but nothing’s been re-invested. I can’t find a trail of how he’s laundered one cent. He doesn’t pay taxes on it, either. So, he’s either turned it into cash and kept it, or he’s turned it into cash and taken it elsewhere. I’ve got no record of him leaving the country, ever. The logical answer is that he’s got in in that home.”

Tito could easily land a job in LA as a model for a clothing line. Ally had joked that I was pretty, but Tito was the prettiest man I’d ever seen. His true strength, however, was computer hacking or anything to do with electronics.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Baker said.

“What are we going to do when we do our next bank job?” I asked. “Or the next job where we’ve got to actually outrun someone? We’re going to be fucked. Ghost knew all the routes, roadways, the speed he could take exit ramps, everything. I’m not interested in getting hemmed up because we’ve got you trying to outrun a cop, Bake.”

“Yeah,” Cash said. “Me neither.”

“Same goes for me,” Reno said.

“We’ll definitely need to be more selective with the jobs we choose,” Tito said. “Statistically speaking, most robbery suspects are caught in a car chase. We’re one pit maneuver away from a prison sentence.”

“Enough,” Baker growled. “I’m just as upset about Ghost’s death as the rest of you. There’s nothing we can do about it. For now, our focus needs to be getting rid of this cop’s body.”

I’d agree with Baker on getting rid of the cop’s body being priority.

Agreeing that anyone was as upset as me about the loss of Ghost wasn’t going to happen.

Now, or ever.

135

Ally

Goose’s home in La Mesa stood out from all the other homes in the area. While his neighbor’s yards were decorated with cactus and rocks, his was landscaped with beautiful shrubs, flowers, the occasional ornamental tree. The result was one that would rival any local botanical garden.

The interior of the small home was meticulously cared for, fitted with the essentials needed to entertain a few guests. Seated across from him at the kitchen table, I gazed at the selection of food he’d placed in front of me.

A hint of garlic and fresh tomatoes lingered. My mouth salivated. I drew a slow breath and couldn’t help but smile. “It smells so good.”

“Hopefully it tastes good.” He gestured across the table. “There’s an eggplant cutlet and artichoke salad, chicken parmesan, and fettuccine carbonara. Dig in. Before it gets cold.”

“I can’t believe you make your own sauce.” I reached for my fork. “From scratch.”

He chuckled. “I can’t believe anyone would buy pre-made sauce.”

Having Goose invite me into his home to share a meal—one that he prepared especially for us—changed my view on our relationship. There were a lot of things a man could to do to garner my interest but cooking for me caused my heart to swell.

After a momentary struggle on what to start with, I chose the fettuccine. “Holy crap,” I exclaimed upon taking the first bite. “This is good.”

He looked up. “You like it?”

“It tastes so fresh. Even the peas.”

“Everything is fresh.”

It was obvious by the attention to detail he took in preparing the food that he enjoyed cooking. There was a big difference between enjoying it and being good at it. He was good at it. I took a bite of the salad. The breaded eggplant and red onions were warm, which wasn’t at all what I expected. I was astonished at the flavors that came from what seemed to be a rather simple salad.