Page 38 of Vicious Sentiments

“They’re building a new home at the north end. I wonder how they got the permit. Must have been expensive,” Margo muses as she fills a glass with water. “Enough money and you can just buy the permit, no respect for the waters edge.”

Julian grinds his teeth as she continues, and I wring my hands together. My mind only focused on the fact that Julian said the word ‘alive’. As in keep the person alive? As in, it was an option to not keep them alive? I don’t know what I expected when it came to being arms dealers but… I thought maybe it was a smooth thing.

Although, what about Cape’s fiance?

I feel the walls closing in, my breath stuck in my chest. Margo said ‘don’t we always’ when Julian mentioned they had a problem. Truly? Always? Maybe I made a mistake. Is it a regular occurrence to have to be explicitly clear to keep someone alive?

I clutch my stomach. I’m not cut out for this. I thought I was friends with Death, in the inner circle, no need to fear her but now I’m second guessing that. What if I can’t be friends with her? What if I don’t really want to toe the line everyday?

“There is a half-a-million dollar shipment sinking into the tourist waters of El Cuco,” Julian cuts harshly into Margo’s rambling.

She stops and slowly turns her head. “Say again?”

Her demeanor changes, and even Dillon pushes himself off the wall and comes forward.

“They tried to commandeer it, in the fight the cargo went under.”

Margo pierces her tongue in thought. “The authorities?” she asks after a minute.

“Swarming.”

“Denny?”

“Shot.”

She narrows her eyes. “Inside job?”

“I don’t think so. They have a guy but he—”

“Stop.” She shakes her head. “Kill him.”

“But he could have—”

“No. He’s a scapegoat. Get rid of him. We need to focus on the authorities.”

“Denny can’t—”

“This is going to be expensive. They’re not going to just…” Margo squints and twirls her fingers. “Who was our connection?”

“Bilalou. But even he can’t make this go away.”

“You’d be surprised what people can get done when their life depends on it.”

“Okay, but again, Denny isn’t in any shape.”

My mind is spinning. Who evenisMargo? Ordering people killed, making threats. A half-a-million dollars? In what, guns? Where is El Cuco?

And should I be hearing this? Do they even notice me here? I can’t fathom that I’m suddenly privy to this. Unless… I’m disposable? Every illegal action movie I’ve ever seen is running through my mind.

“Sounds like you have a real problem, little bro.” Cape appears from around the wall.

I slink away from the island, stepping lightly on my heels so they don’t click. If I thought the situation was dire before, now that Cape is here, I’m thinking I don’t need to get knocked down in the crossfire again. This time in a dress where everything could be put on display.

“Wehave a problem,” Julian says.

“And there’s another one.” Cape points a finger at Julian. “Thinking I’m a part of this.” He shakes off his jacket. “Also, where do you think you’re going?” Cape spots me at the edge of the stairs.

“Uh…” I look to Julian for help.

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