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“Do shootings happen here often?”
“Define often,” Dezi said, getting a stern look from me that had him holding up his hands in apology.
“No,” I told her, shaking my head. “And I don’t remember the last time someone innocent got hurt even if there was one. Everyone pretty much tries to keep the shit on the down-low. No one wants the Feds having to come in because they realize the local cops are dirty.”
“Last shootout on the street was A, wasn’t it?” Dezi asked, rocking on his heels.
“Not helping,” I hissed at him.
“Uh-oh. I pissed off Zaddy,” Dezi said, smiling at Abigail.
“It was,” I said, looking over at Abs. “But it was between rivals. That was when they snatched Andi up. Things have been relatively calm with them since. They keep to themselves. And occasionally even offer help to us if they happen upon a situation.”
“I don’t want to know what situation that was happened upon, do I?” Abigail asked, giving me a bemused smile.
“Not unless you want to be an accessory after the fact,” Dezi said, nodding. “So, are we ordering food, or what?”
Normally, I would laugh at him. But Abigail definitely still needed the extra calories.
So we ordered pizza while we waited for the delivery guys.
Then we set to putting together the bed.
Well, I put the bed together.
Abigail read me the directions.
And Dezi, well, Dezi made helpful suggestions.
Like, “You know, they make these stopper things to put between the bed and the wall. To stop the knocking. You know… from all the fucking.”
Or, “Good you went with a wood frame. Those metal ones creak up a fucking storm when you fuck.”
Food and fucking, that was Dezi. Sprinkle in some fighting here and there for good measure.
Pretty soon, the bed was made, the food was eaten. And it was time.
“It’s going to be fine,” Abigail assured me, giving me a reassuring nod.
“I’m supposed to be the one telling you that,” I told her, pressing a hand to her lower back as we followed Dezi to the door.
“Yeah, but you’re the one who is anxious about the meeting. I’m going to put my faith to rest in what Niro and Andi had to say about this guy. I think he is going to help us.”
As it turned out, she would be right.
And wrong.
But that would come later.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Abigail
I didn’t know what to expect from an American cartel leader’s home.
I guess a part of me figured it would have the same sort of garish style that Raúl’s home sported.
Which was, of course, ridiculous.
Everyone’s style was different.
And this A guy, well, he seemed to prefer a classic Colonial style. Lots of windows, lots of shutters, clean lines. It had classic brick on the front and a balcony overhanging the front door, held up with understated black pillars that matched the shutters.
The grounds were impeccably maintained.
It wasn’t quite fully spring yet, so there was no way to tell if the long, winding flowerbeds that flanked the front path would have more than the shapely little boxwoods, but even if that was it, it was nice-looking in an understated way.
The front path itself matched the brick on the house, as did the driveway, and I couldn’t imagine the maintenance on something like that.
“Are we going in, or just eye-fucking the place?” Niro, a handsome, rough-around-the-edges kind of guy, asked as he dropped an arm across the shoulders of a pretty, petite blonde.
With that, Cary reached for my hand, and we all started up the driveway at once.
We got maybe five feet onto it when dogs appeared out of nowhere. A lot of them. Like eight of them, from what I could see.
“Oh, shit. I’m not fighting no dogs for her, man. Throw her over your shoulder and run,” Dezi declared, taking a couple of careful steps back.
“Oh, they’re love bugs,” Andi declared as one of them showed its teeth to us.
“Yeah, super fucking cuddly,” Dezi said. “Go kiss it,” he added, getting an eye roll out of Andi.
“They’re protecting their home. That’s what they’re supposed to do. Hey, sweet baby. Do you remember me?” Andi asked to the dog who was still wiggling his jaws, giving us a view of his full mouth of teeth. “The last time I saw you, well, I neutered you.”
“Yep. Great. Tell the beast you stole his balls,” Dezi said. “That’ll work.”
“Baby, be a good boy,” Andi said, inching forward until Niro grabbed the back of her pants, holding her in place.
“I know you think they’re all good eggs, baby, but remember the one who took a bite out of your arm last month?”
“That was a lab,” Andi insisted.
“It was a strange dog,” Niro shot back.
“He’s not a strange dog. I know him.”
“Don’t seem like he has fond memories of you, doll face,” Dezi interjected. “Not that I blame him.”
“Quit it,” a voice called, appearing from behind the dogs. And the dog immediately tucked his teeth away. The rest of the dogs relaxed in unison as a man made his way halfway down the path. “Henchmen?” he asked, brows furrowing.
