It was a short ride to Golden, and he traveled as slowly as he could without giving himself away to Rex, who’d likely have the entire cartel waiting for him if he showed his hand.
The house was huge and he waited at the entrance to the gated community with Rex as the “delivery” was checked with the homeowners. Once he was cleared, he started to drive into the community as he told the men, “Listen, just go with whatever they do for now. You’ll be rescued tonight.”
There were murmured conversations, but Sonny soon told them to hush. “If any of you say a thing, or act like you’re anything but beaten down, they’ll know something’s up.”
“We are beaten down,” one of the men said. “I don’t think we’ll be up for any acting awards.”
Sonny laughed a little. “Yeah, tell me about it. I’m with you all, just trying not to get killed.”
They arrived at the huge home and there were two men outside, on the driveway. When Sonny pulled up, one of them told him that deliveries were in the back. He nodded and drove around the end of the home with its rolling green lawn and horrid marble statues.
The back driveway ran to a garage that had seven ports for cars. He hated the very rich. Who in all of fuck needed seven cars?
Another man came to the van and asked, “This the entertainment?”
Sonny’s stomach soured. “Yeah.”
Sonny hopped out of the van and went around to the back to start uncuffing the men. Rex was there and he spoke to the bodyguard or whatever the guy was and tried to act like he was much bigger in the organization than he actually was.
“Yeah, these whores are prime. Picked ‘em myself.”
“Good. My boss only buys the best.”
“Well, he’ll like these.”
Sonny nodded to each as he uncuffed them, and he saw it in a few of their eyes.
Hope.
If he could give them nothing more right then, that had to be enough.
When he got to Chad, as he uncuffed him, Sonny whispered, “I know it hurts, but make sure you really make it good.”
He nodded and even winced from doing that.
Sonny came out of the van and decided to help Rex out, since the guy was going to be in prison that evening. “Rex, uh, this one, he’s coughing up blood.”
Rex’s eyes widened. “What?”
The goon said, “Mr. Anders won’t want some diseased asshole coughing up blood on everyone.”
Rex ground his teeth before he told Sonny, “Take him back to the warehouse.”
“Sure thing. Boss,” he said with a smirk.
Rex’s eyes narrowed at Sonny before Sonny left the men and got back in the van. The joy he got in that moment was short lived, however, as he saw Frankyn pulling in behind him. Sonny stayed where he was until Franklyn was done shaking hands and bragging on himself while Rex was like a kicked puppy, nodding and following behind him.
At the window of the van, Franklyn appeared and asked, “What the fuck is this about coughing blood?”
“One of the…the whores. He got a beating to keep the others in line and now…”
Franklyn’s jaw clenched as he glared at Rex. “Who did that?”
“J-Jacob, sir.”
“Jacob? Mother fuck. Sonny, take him and…get rid of him. By the time he heals up, we’ll have new units.”
“Sure. On it, Franklyn,” he said as he started the van and pulled out of the driveway and the gated community before he told Chad to get up in front. “The seat might be easier on you.”