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“I… er…” Sophie stammered uselessly.
Blue cleared his throat and addressed Sophie now. “The man who tried to kill you, he’s from the Texan branch of Demonios, works the Ciudad Juárez–El Paso corridor mainly. They had an interesting story to tell.” Blue turned back to Colt, as if Sophie wasn’t really there.
Blue continued, “Yes, they are pissed their brothers in SoCal are dead. And are still dying. Anyone with a vague connection, anyone who was on the payroll, Colt, murdered. I wouldn’t say innocent men, they are far from innocent, but all the foot soldiers, anyone who was on their payroll. The body bags are filling up with men with the Demonios brand on them. Murdered cleanly, slit throat, bleed out. No, the Texans aren’t too distraught about that. It means they get more business going through their state, they get richer. What they are distraught about is some missing money. A large amount of money, that was in a bag, in the limo of Horatio, destined for the Texan Demonios. And it went missing. Same time as the rest of the Demonios. Same time as Phantom shows up at the MC. With his Demonios brand.”
Sophie spoke up, “I don’t know anything about the Demonios, or missing money, or people being murdered-”
“Texan Demonios are short a bag of cash. And they are looking here. At the MC, in town. At your cafe, Sophie. Do you know anything about a bag of fucking dirty drug cartel cash?” Colt prompted.
Sophie felt her stomach drop. Realization dawned.
“A bag of cash, did you say?”
“Yeah, by all accounts a fancy, one of a kind black tote bag, designer brand…”
Sophie bit her lip and gripped her overnight bag that hung innocently over her shoulder, at her side, her eyes traveling down to it. The bag her cousin had given her filled with cash for her new business venture. They watched her with frowns and then followed her gaze. Both men stared at it like it was an undetonated bomb.
“Like this bag?” She held it up, trying to calm the sinking feeling in her stomach.
Blue’s eyebrows shot up. Colt’s jaw flexed. “Exactly that bag, Sophie,” he said in a clipped, aggrieved tone.
Sophie stared down at the bag with chagrin and explained the loan from her cousin, to help start her business.
Blue and Colt looked at each other.
“Who was your cousin, Sophie?”
“Gil Hernandez… it’s funny because no one has heard from him for a good few months, my mom said my aunt is getting worried...”
Blue immediately got on his phone, barking terse comments down the line as Sophie gulped and stared at the bag over her shoulder.
“Were you close to this cousin, Sophie?” Blue asked.
She shook her head. “No, he was a bit of an idiot really-”
“Yeah, your cousin is dead,” Blue interrupted coldly, “Las Vegas PD found him the other week, slit throat, no witnesses, no evidence… cold case.”
“Throat-” Sophie sat down.
“Demonios brand on his chest,” Blue returned, matter of factly. “Your cousin stole the money, Sophie, gave some to you and now the Texan Demonios want it back.”
Sophie gulped. “But what does this have to do with Phantom?” Sophie asked, hearing her voice rising a little.
Blue and Colt looked at each other, and Colt calmly explained how Phantom had been a member of the SoCal Demonios. How he had the brand on his chest, just above his heart, proving membership. How he had shown up at their clubhouse one day, on the verge of dehydration and death. How, just a few days before he’d arrived, the whole of the major players of the SoCal Demonios had died at one of their meeting points, and the only man to make it out alive…
“...Phantom,” Blue finished, with a macabre glint in his icy eyes.
All three of them were silent.
Blue spoke first, “I’m just gonna say it. Phantom killed Johnny.”
“No proof of that,” Colt replied, flicking a glance at Sophie.
“Come on, Colt, he’s got his hands deep in this somehow, it’s clear as fucking day, the whole fucking SoCal major players all in the same room, dead, and clean kills all over the nearest three states for anyone else related, yet he’s the last man standing-”
“How many men?” Sophie asked, narrowing her eyes.
Blue turned to her. “Look, you like him, I get it, he’s easy on the eye, mysterious and broody-”
