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Now that I’m awake I make myself get some coffee started and then hop in the shower. The minute the hot spray hits my back, my phone starts ringing again, only this time it’s not my personal phone. I scramble out of the water and quickly grab a towel for my hand before answering the phone.
“Hello,” I answer and pray he didn’t hang up. There are a few beats of silence and I try to calm my breathing and my racing heart.
“I’m starting to get a little worried that you and my second in command can’t play nice,” His tone is ice-cold over the phone, and instantly my skin chills. I grip the receiver tighter. Demitri Delcot isn’t exactly a friendly man. I’m still in somewhat of an initiation stage with him and his crew, so the last thing I want is to upset him. Or next time, Adam may very well actually kill me.
“He’s the one with the problem,” I huff out and then sigh, acting bored, “Look I’m still in and planning to hit the docks at some point. Where is Adam?”
There’s another beat of silence before the boss replies, “His phone is turned off, I assume he’s waiting things out to see how it goes with the locals first after the accident.”
I push my hair out of my face while internally rolling my eyes. Of course that little shit-for-brains is hiding out, and just waiting for me to go in and clean his mess up. “I’m already working on it.”
“How?”
“Well the local police captain took my information and is probably going to file an accident claim. I made sure my credentials looked up to par. I also reached out to the business owners and asked if I could pay in installments, or help fix the issues so there isn’t any need for a claim, or further legal issues,” I describe to him my plan while he stays silent on the phone. I can hear his lighter spark to life and soon he’s inhaling deep, probably smoking his stress away on one of his favorite Cuban cigars.
“I’m not happy about those blue jumpers being involved in your business.”
I roll my eyes at his words, thankful he can’t see me over the phone, “I’ve been careful and regretful. I’m sure they think I am just a tourist who made a wrong choice.”
The line goes silent, and for a second, I think he hung up on me before I hear a muffled cough. In truth I need Demitri to accept my actions and be willing to move on. Part of the job in Candy Cane Key is working by the bay to help receive the shipments. If Demitri removes me from the bay with Adam, I’ll miss the opportunity to expose them.
“These things can’t happen again Ms. Reynolds,” He finally replies. Although his words sound polite, I’m not fooled. If there is another mix up, I’ll be moved from his team, and possibly killed.
“Yes, sir,” I automatically answer, my voice strong despite the small flicker of annoyance and some fear in my stomach. I’ve been in too long not to take him seriously, yet at the same time there is no turning back for me. I have to break this case, and soon.
* * *
My alarm goes off before sunrise and my body responds with the urge to fight. Being undercover with Demitri’s crew usually means late nights and sleeping until noon the next day. The fact that the sky is still dark, and I’m expected to get up, is a huge shock to my system. I manage to get myself up and into the bathroom in order to shower and then braid my hair carefully so it’s out of my face. Roman mentioned we’ll be painting so I throw on an old pair of jean shorts that I had brought with me, and an old t-shirt I wear for workouts and running.
Despite feeling sparse on time, I swing by the bank before heading over to the restaurant. I want to hand him some money today as a show of good faith that I mean what I say. Right now I’m unsure about my position within Demitri’s crew, and I could be sent home by my chief at any moment.
Not surprisingly I’m the second in line at the teller this morning. The rest of the offices in the bank are empty and the one lone security guard is still looking over his morning paper. My lips twitch with a smile and my shoulders relax. I do love this ambiance of small towns. Everyone knows each other, and there is a sense of security that everyone has, even in a bank. If I don’t stop Demitri and Adam, there is no telling what could happen to this small town and its residents.
“Good morning Mis—” The man behind the desk suddenly can’t look at me, or make eye contact. I assess him quickly, knowing I’ve seen his face before.
“Withdrawal, or deposit, today?” He asks quickly, clearly he went off script earlier. I catch his gaze slide to the security guard, but it happens so fast its almost unnoticeable. But I notice, and that’s when it slides into place. I remember why he looks familiar. He’s an informant. One that was placed here by my department, should I run into trouble.
I wait patiently and silently while he counts out the three thousand dollars I took from my fake account here. I can tell he wants to ask questions, or at least know if he should report this to my higher ups, thankfully he remains in his role. When he’s done counting he hands me the money in an envelope and I tuck it into my shoulder bag. I offer him a tight smile which he returns with a wave. “Have a sunny filled day, Ma’am.”
Glancing at my phone I see the time and start to jog out of the building. The last thing I want to do is be late to help Roman. Mohagen’s is not too far from the hustle and bustle of town, and it doesn’t take me much longer to get there. I stop short in front of the building and scan my gaze over the damage that was done. The piece of plastic still covering the window ruffles slightly in the breeze and guilt unfurls in my stomach. I couldn’t help that Adam was trying to run me off the road, but I do wish it hadn’t caused damage to this family and their business. Even if Roman Mohagen was an uptight jerk, he doesn’t deserve what happened. I would have been upset too if my family’s livelihood was damaged.
Right as I glance at the front door, Roman opens it and places a neon piece of paper on the outside. “You’re on time,” he addresses me, but doesn’t look at me.
I feel my back straighten with his words and walk over to him, my head high and refusing to feed into his attitude. “Good Morning,” I respond and act like I don’t read the words on the sign.
CLOSED FOR TODAY! BACK IN TIME FOR CALZONE DAY!
Once he’s done he turns to face me. I’m instantly aware that we’re the only people who appear to be in the restaurant today. Most of the tables still have chairs on top, flipped upside down, and only the lights in the dining room are on. After my eyes skirt quickly around the place, they land back on Roman, our gazes clashing. The look on his face is between scrutiny and curiosity. My brow rises, “Yes?”
He breaks eye contact and gruffly clear his throat, “We have a lot of work to do today, so what are you good at?”
My lips twitch at the small innuendo of things I could say, but will hold my tongue, because I can see this is important to him, and really, I don’t need any more trouble in this town than I have already created. “I can paint, and believe it or not, I know how to wield a hammer. So I’m at your disposal for the day.”
“We’re on a time crunch so how about we work first on repair, then paint. The paint can dry overnight if needed,” He talks it through and I nod agreeing with him.
“Will this give you enough time for Calzone day?”
Roman’s eyes darken and his lips turn into a grumpy scowl. “It has to.”
