Page 41 of Shadow Dance

“You get anything back yet?” I ask, watching the video feed for the thousandth time on one phone while I talk on the other. “Can you identify them?”

“Three of them for sure are in Ghost Feretti’s crew.” Lewis pauses, and I hear clicking in the background. “Rocky Feretti, obviously. Boss’s kid. The other white guy is his cousin, Enzo. Tall Black guy with the fade is Jalen Dee, and I’m still trying to ID the last guy with the locs. I’ll run the facial rec again, see if anything comes up.”

“You think he’s new?”

“Or he’s just not local. Feretti’s got operations in Portland and Sacramento, so I’ll just widen my search.”

I pause the video, zooming in as I’ve done so many times, but I don’t have the tech to maintain the quality of the image this close up. That’s why I sent it in. “If Cal was shooting at Feretti’s kid, I’m surprised there hasn’t been blowback yet.”

“Feretti might not even know about this. I have a feeling Rocky and Cal are trying to set this up on their own,” says Lewis.

Well, that just ups the ante. There must be a lot of discontent across the board if the new generation is trying to do things without the blessing of the old. “That’s nuts. Whatever happened to loyalty?” Ishake my head, trying to keep all the details clear. “I don’t see this ending well for anybody. Anyway, I should go. If anything important comes up, I’ll send it in.”

“Sounds good,” he says. “Listen, before you go—any ideas on how much longer they’ll have you on this job?”

“Cedro hasn’t said anything about pulling me out yet,” I reply. “It probably won’t be long, though. We know he’s not the most patient of men, and he has more than enough proof of Cal’s bullshit by now.”

Lewis chuckles. “I’m sure he does. He’s got himself the mole of all moles.”

We disconnect, and I switch phones to make my next call.

Leo picks up on the second ring. “Jaime. Qué onda?”

“Just checking in,” I say. “Any news? You think Cedro’s gonna move soon?”

He gives a soft laugh. “Why? You getting bored up there in the Hills? Thought you were enjoying yourself with Cal’s cute little wife.”

“She’s not his wife,” I say reflexively. Leo laughs again, and I close my eyes. He’s fucking with me and I fell right into it. “You know what I mean.”

“I know you’re having a nice time driving her all over the Bay,” he says. “She’s pretty.”

“You got eyes on me, huh?” My heart skips a beat at the thought of Maeve and me being watched. I’m usually the one doing the surveillance, but I suppose operations like this go layers deep.

“Of course,” he says. “Gotta protect our investment. But don’t worry—you’re doing good. Abuelito’s pleased as fuck with everything you’ve provided so far, especially that last video. There’s no doubt now that Cal’s double dipping and making nice with rival crews. Dario might not mind, but you know that shit don’t fly here.”

“I don’t know. Dario probably won’t like it either.” I’m thinking of last week when Cal’s uncle stopped by unexpectedly to have a sit-down with the guys about a new territory in Vegas. Cal tried to play it off, but he was visibly nervous when he realized who was down at the gate.

Leo and Cedro think Dario De Leon is soft on his sister’s kid because of how quickly he promoted Cal and the way he dotes on him, but from what I’ve seen he’s no pushover. I have a feeling that thesecond he finds out Cal’s been sneaking around behind his back, it’s going to be ugly. Not only will he feel betrayed, but he’ll be also pissed that Cal’s duplicity affects his long-standing relationship with the Oliveras family.

It seems so risky, but Callum is used to getting what he wants and not being held accountable when he fucks up. Even with Maeve—he just keeps pushing the envelope because she never gives him true consequences. He’s like a spoiled toddler whose behavior will keep getting worse until someone finally punishes him.

“Guess we’ll see,” says Leo. “Everything is good, though, right? Cal must still trust you if he lets you live in his house and hang with his girl all day long.”

“He does, but that could change any second. He knows he has enemies, and all that coke makes him paranoid.” Which is why I hope Cedro makes his move soon. The Oliveras family might have the motivation and resources to protect me, as do the Feds, but it won’t matter if they’re all too late.

“Just sit tight, okay?” Leo says. “Is that it? No new intel?”

“You’ll get it when I get it.”

“Good. Keep doing what you’ve been doing. I’ll let you know when we’re ready.”

He cuts the call, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I turn the a/c vent toward my face, trying to ignore the familiar feeling of unease that’s settled in the pit of my stomach. This is by far the most complicated job I’ve ever taken on. A job within a job … within a job. It gets trickier every day I have to remain in Cal’s employ. I’ll need to tread carefully going forward, assuring Cal of my loyalty while feeding just enough information to Leo to keep the Oliveras family satisfied. One wrong move and lives could be lost.

Including mine.

On Halloween,we head downtown for Quartz & Crystal’s costume party. It’s an annual event and apparently a big deal in Oakland’s party scene. I follow Griff’s G-Wagon around to the dedicated VIP parking area and pull in beside him, adjusting my trench coat.I’ve never been one for dressing up, so this is as extreme as it’s going to get.

Inside, the club has been transformed from its usual generic fanciness into a haunted graveyard. It’s pretty over-the-top, with fire dancers working the room and a live band playing on a round stage in the middle of the dance floor. Girls with faces painted like calaveras weave through the crowd with trays of champagne and cocktails.

---