Page 64 of Vicious Addictions

A conscientious mafioso.

That’s what Mina called me once. I guess she was right. There are just some lines I won’t cross. Dealing drugs tops my list.

The snitch doesn’t hesitate to snatch the cash and heroin from Felix’s hand, quickly pocketing both.

“You lads must know that there’s a new dealer in town,” he starts, bouncing on his feet. “Selling prime stuff at half the price.”

“So we’ve heard,” Felix replies, unimpressed. “Though how prime could it be if it’s cheap?”

“Let’s just say it gets the job done.” The tweaker grins, showing off his decaying teeth.

“Let me guess—blue diamond?” Felix asks, to which the tweaker enthusiastically nods.

Fuck.

It’s everywhere nowadays. We can’t seem to outrun it.

The tweaker’s right—one hit of blue diamond, aka fentanyl, is not only cheaper than smack but delivers a much bigger punch. Crane tried to make an example a few years back that anyone dealing fentanyl on his turf would have him to answer to, but apparently, there’s someone who hasn’t taken the warning to heart. Probably the same person who sent that assassin to kill his underlings before they could tell Crane who they were working for.

Due to its potency and low cost, this new drug lord has been making a fortune by mixing fentanyl with other substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, uncaring that it increases the likelihood of a fatal interaction. Apparently, this new player doesn’t care how many lives he ruins since it doesn’t affect his bottom line. The sad thing is, when one addict drops dead with their product, ten more reappear, eager to play Russian roulette with it.

We’ve been trying to find out who this mysterious player is for years now, hitting brick wall after brick wall with no one willing to give him up.

Whoever it is, they’re smart. But someone within their ranks made a mistake. They trusted Archie. And Archie has no sense of self-preservation. He’s the kind of snitch who would turn in his own grandmother if there were money or smack in it for him. A trait that Felix is all too happy to exploit.

“And where can we find thisentrepreneur?” Felix interrogates.

“There’s a burlesque club in Shoreditch. Paradise something. You can find him there most nights.”

“And how will we know who he is?” I probe, to which Archie laughs.

“You can’t miss him if you tried. He’ll be the only albino in the room with two red gashes over his left eye and cheek. Mean-looking bastard.”

“That’s more than enough to go on,” I say over at Felix, happy to finally have a lead.

“Hmm.” He nods pensively before waving off the snitch. “You still here? Go.”

“I was just thinking that maybe if you catch your guy, there will be a reward in it for me.”

Felix flashes an intimidating grin and leans into him. “How about I allow you to continue breathing? Or do you think I’m stupid enough not to know you’ve been sitting on this information for when it suited you most? Go before I change my mind and make an example of you, you sly cunt.”

Archie doesn’t need to be told twice and bolts.

“An albino with two red gashes on his face? How hard can he be to find?” I ask once we’re alone.

“Hard enough if today is the first time we’re hearing of him,” Felix grumbles, returning to his car. “Remember, it’s not the dealer we want. It’s who’s supplying him the merchandise.”

Whoever is smuggling fentanyl into the U.K. made sure to cover his tracks better after the warehouse bust. He’s clever for not using any of Crane’s product to mix with his poison, which means every move we make from here on out has to be precise.

In other words, we can’t fuck this up.

“We stake out the club and get as much intel as possible before making a move,” I say before sliding into the passenger seat.

“Easier said than done,” Felix counters once he’s behind the steering wheel. “Everyone knows Crane’s men are hunting these bastards. They’ll know how to spot one of our own.” He goes quiet for a while, deep in thought, but after a brief moment, a smile spreads across his face, and he continues, “But there may be a way we can work around that.”

“How?” I ask, intrigued.

“Let me talk to the boss first.”

---