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“If we can get him on our side to help bring down Emil, we can finally end this. Make this fucked-up town better for the baby and shit.”
“Emil? Why? There has been nothing but radio silence from him, so why poke the bear?”
“It’s not poking,” Carl interjects. “It’s attacking before the bear wakes up. We all know damn well it’s just a matter of time before shit hits the fan.”
“You really think the man who organized the murder of my best friend—of Charlie’s dad—is going to be willing to help you?” he asks with a new tone to his voice.
“He will, with a good incentive,” I say.
“And what’s the incentive?”
“Emil’s territory. He can use it for whatever he wants. He can have the illegal shit, including his escort service.”
Sloan rubs a hand down his face. “The whole reason Teddy made a deal with Blake was to push the cartel away, not bring them closer.”
For a moment I have to think of who Blake was. We’ve always referred to him as Charlie’s dad or the chief before Sloan. I had almost forgotten he had a name.
“I get that, but Teddy isn’t here anymore. We need to do what we can to make sure shit is safe for this baby and for Charlie.” I say the words I know will make him agree. “This will be on our terms. We can keep the drugs out of here, only let him run the escorts on this side of town, so Teddy’s promise will be kept, and we can walk around without looking over our shoulder.”
Sloan shakes his head. “Trusting the enemy is stupid and reckless, but if you’re hell-bent on it, I’ll do my best to help. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though when shit doesn’t go the way you want it.”
“That’s all I want, Chief. You get me what I need, and I’ll handle the rest.”
He huffs. “If I were you, I’d find something more he may want too. Something to sweeten the pot, because as of now, what you have doesn’t seem like enough.”
“I said I’ll handle it,” I snap.
He holds up his hands and backs toward the door. “I’ll dig tomorrow and see what I can find.”
I give him a firm nod as he exits.
When the door clicks closed, Carl speaks up again. “Honestly? He isn’t wrong. The more ammo we have to give him, the better.”
“I know,” I agree.
Charlie gets to me in ways no one else ever has. All it would take is her batting her eyelashes in my direction and I’d burn an entire city down if she asked. This isn’t even something I wanted to do, but if we’re doing it, we’re doing it my way. I scrub a hand down my face.
Love is supposed to make you feel alive, but I don’t even know what that feels like anymore. Death and I are the best of fucking friends. It surrounds me, and sometimes I even invite it in with my own hands. But with Charlie, I see the light in all the fucked-up darkness. I have a reason to push forward and keep going.
She is my saving grace and demise combined.
