Page 64 of Diamonds in the Mud

“Hey,” I said back.

Once the boat was secure, I followed Ben and Declan up the dock to a massive cement structure with a tall iron fence surrounding it. It was a fortress in the middle of nowhere.

“What is this place?” I asked, stepping inside the gates.

“Welcome to the Nest.” Declan laughed. “It’s totally off-grid. Runs on diesel generators and has no roads in or out.”

The building itself was bigger than the Taylor plantation, although far less fancy with its simple cement floors and walls.

It reminded me of the bunkers I’d read the mob used to have, only on a much larger scale.

The moment we stepped inside, I saw why it was hidden. It was set up like a normal house inside with a living room and entertainment area. There was a leather sofa and a large-screen television that was currently paused on a shooter game that Declan must have been playing.

There was even a makeshift kitchen area with a fridge, microwave, and cabinets. I assumed there were a few bedrooms and bathrooms down the hallway.

Weapons of all types hung on the walls or sat lying around. Ready for anything, I thought.

I turned and saw a massive table in the middle of the space covered with large stacks of cash. Hundreds of thousands of bills sat right next to more drugs than I’d seen in my entire lifetime. I saw everything from marijuana to coke to pills of all shapes, colors, and potencies.

This right here would easily be the largest bust ever recorded. But I knew Declan and Ben weren’t worth the trouble. Whoever was behind this could have ten other places just like this one hidden somewhere.

“Want anything?” Declan waved towards the table.

“No, thanks,” I answered. Felix and Ben both knew I had made a stand about not sampling the drugs. I didn’t mind selling them, or making money from them, but never touched them myself. I gave them some sob story about a friend who had OD’d in school. Thankfully, they never required me to mess with the stuff to work for them.

I was under the assumption that it was one of the reasons I’d moved up so quickly in the gang. There were a few Reapers that did dally and often messed up to the point that Felix stopped using them for big runs.

“Make yourself at home. We’ve got a while before we need to head out again.” Ben walked over to the fridge and pulled out a soda. “Want?” he asked me. When I nodded, he tossed one over. I caught it, tapped the top, and opened it, drinking half the can in one gulp.

“Hot as balls out there,” Declan said as he sat back down and picked up his game. “Thank god there’s AC in this place.”

I leaned against the edge of the wall to watch him play the game.

“Hey, heard about Evelyn,” I said, trying to keep it casual.

If I kept quiet, he might think I was onto him. Still, if I said the wrong thing, he might think the same.

Declan shrugged and kept his eyes on the game. “I told the cops I didn’t touch her,” he said. “When I showed up the other day, she was all beat up. I’m just glad she was okay. Sucks about her broken arm, but she’ll heal.”

I frowned. “I meant the other—” I started, but Ben poked me in the ribs and shook his head.

Shit. Seriously? From the looks of it, Declan didn’t know that Evelyn was dead. Which meant he had nothing to do with her murder.

Just then Ben’s phone chimed and he turned to me. “Ready?”

“Sure.” I set the empty soda can down as Declan paused his game and followed us back into the main room.

“I’ve got you all loaded,” Declan said, motioning to three large black duffle bags. “Everything’s in there.” He walked over and took an AR-15 and an AK-47 off the wall and handed one to each of us. “You were ex-military, you should know how to use these.” I nodded. “See you in about an hour.” He winked at me and then turned back to his game.

I strapped the weapon over my shoulder and took one of the bags Ben offered me. As we made our way back outside and down the narrow pathway toward the boat, I instantly knew that the bag wasn’t loaded with money. It weighed too much.

If I could, while Ben was driving the boat, I’d sneak a glance at what was inside just to confirm.

“It’s guns,” Ben said as he tossed the two bags inside. “Tonight, we’re running guns.” He took the bag from my hands and tossed it down. “We got a shipment of bangers and are trading for cash. It’s a simple drop-and-grab.” He motioned towards the boat.

“Why the heavy artillery?” I asked, sitting back down on the boat.

“Let’s just say, the last time we made a trade with this group, things didn’t go so well,” Ben answered as he unhooked the boat, jumped in, and turned the engine back on.