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19
Pen
By the time we return to the flat it’s the early hours of Sunday morning and I’m dead on my feet. Wrapping my arms around York’s waist, I lean into his hold as we stand in the kitchen whilst Dax prepares everyone a drink. Water for me, tea for York and coffee for the rest of them.
“How do you feel about everything?” Xeno asks me. His eyes are shadowed with dark circles, and I see the weight of what we’ve spent the last four hours discussing sitting heavily on his shoulders.
I rub my temple. “Like my head’s about to explode.”
“Yeah, I can relate,” Zayn says, giving me a rueful smile.
“It’s a lot to get your head around, but we’re nearly there. D-Neath will be taking the shipment ofDancing Shoesin a couple weeks’ time.”
“I can’t believe that’s what they’ve named the drug,” I say. “It turns my stomach.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty fucked up. The ballet shoes are a nice touch,” York adds sarcastically.
“Once the shipment arrives at the Academy and part of it is successfully replaced with a placebo drug, things will start moving quickly,” Xeno continues. “It won’t be long before word on the street gets out that Jeb is distributing poor quality drugs to the various crews around the country, but more importantly, that Santiago can no longer be trusted as a supplier.”
“Yeah, shit will hit the fan pretty quickly. People pay good money for a high, and when they don’t get what they’re promised there’ll be hell to pay,” Zayn says.
“Why not swap all of the drugs out?”
Xeno cocks his head and scrapes a hand over his jaw. “Because it would be too obvious. We need Santiago to question the whole supply chain. Right from the factory where the drugs are made and packaged up in Cuba, all the way through to the people selling them on the street.”
“But if you’re right about David, then he’ll lay blame firmly on Jeb,” I point out.
“Either way, Santiago will have to deal with the issue,” Xeno says with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter what gets Santiago over here, just that hedoesget over here. As Hudson explained, Santiago’s reputation is extremely important to him. As much of a cunt he is, he prides himself on providing quality drugs. We mess with that; we mess with his whole business plan.”
“Makes sense, but the fact that Interpol is allowing a large proportion of the drugs out into the general population surprises me,” I admit, rubbing at my head. Even York’s gentle kisses are doing nothing to ease the growing ache.
“I get it, but if we swap out all the drugs it will be too obvious. The key to this whole plan is Santiago losing faith in the supply chain. Everything we’ve put into place will eventually lead him right to Jeb’s doorstep, or if we’re right about David, he’ll get Santiago there quicker. Santiago won’t tolerate that kind of betrayal, and his pride won’t allow him to send someone else in to punish Jeb,” Zayn explains.
“Killhim, you mean,” York points out, holding me a little tighter.
Zayn nods tightly. “Yeah, exactly.”
I frown. “And if he doesn’t come?”
“Then we go to Plan B,” Xeno says.
I frown. “Plan B? Grim and Hudson didn’t mention a Plan B.”
Xeno watches me closely. “That’s because we’ve not discussed it with them.”
“What do you mean you’ve not discussed it with them?”
“We’ve worked with Hudson for the last year to ensure thatthisplan works. Hudson and Grim strongly believe we’ll be able to draw out Santiago this way, and that when he confronts Jeb on UK soil, Interpol will sweep in and they’ll both be arrested…” Xeno explains.
“But you’re not convinced?”
He shakes his head. “I’m a realist, Tiny. There’s a good chance Santiagowillfall for the trap, and if he does, then fucking perfect. Like a lot of criminals, he’s arrogant, and he’s been in and out of the country before without getting caught. Most likely he has help. There are as many dodgy police in the UK as there are in the rest of the world.”
“And yet, you’ve got a Plan B just in case.”
“Always gotta have a Plan B,” York quips, grinning down at me. He might be smiling, and pretending to be all chill, but his eyes are telling me a different story.
“Whatisthis Plan B?” I persist, not liking the way all four of my men are looking cagey as fuck. “Xeno?”
