Page 5 of Bad Ruck

"This is all kinds of fucked up," Atlas remarked.

"Specifically, it's only thirty-two kinds of fucked up," Ice said. "I sat down once and made a list. You should have seen the look on Ares' face. He said sometimes he thinks I'm out of my mind and other times heknowsI am. But he loves me, in his own way." Once again, he was like a child, amused at the antics of his friend.

"I'm not sure why he'd have any doubt," Storm said, half to himself.

Rather than getting offended, Ice patted him on the arm as he walked past to turn on the coffee machine in the corner of the room. "As far as I can tell, being in your right mind is overrated. Coffee anyone?"

"Ramsey was saying the Crimson Vipers have been restless recently," I said, wanting to change the subject.

"That's right," my brother agreed. "If you want to talk about people not being in their right mind, that's exactly the direction to point your fingers. I'd love to have Carlos Jones down here for the things he's done. Buying women is disgusting, even by our standards."

"Does he buy them to…" Jay grimaced, torn between curiosity, and not wanting to know the truth.

"Whatever you can imagine him buying them for, he's doing it," Ice said.

"How does he get away with it?" Storm demanded.

"I hate to agree with Storm, but I'd like to know the same thing," Atlas said.

Both men looked at each other like they were more disgusted at being in agreement than anything Carlos Jones might do, or have done.

Ice flicked a finger back and forth between them. At the same time, he looked at me. "They don't get along?"

"That's an understatement," I said.

"They live to fight with each other," Frost said. "We've been trying to find a way to make them make peace."

"I have chains side-by-side, attached to the ceiling," Ice offered. "A couple of days hanging from them and they might find they have more in common than they realise."

"Let's call that plan F," I said.

I gave both guys the side eye so they knew I wasn't completely joking. I was just about done with them arguing. "Since they're agreeing, maybe you can answer the question."

"Ah, yes." Ice nodded. "Why does Carlos Jones get away with the things he does? Because he's useful to Reuben Brantley. Because someone has to get the drugs and other contraband out onto the streets. Otherwise Reuben might have to dirty his own hands, and God forbid he'd do that."

"There isn't someone else?" Jay asked.

"Like I said, it's whack-a-mole," Ramsey said. "Get rid of Carlos Jones and you might end up with someone worse."

"Exactly," Ice said. "Carlos is a known quantity, even if he is a repulsive excuse for a human being. If it wouldn't piss Reuben off, I'd happily end the whole cartel. That would get a little messy though. On the other hand, if Carlos Jones is behind Dominic King, then we might have a chance to be rid of him." He looked excited at the prospect. Of course he was. He might get his wish to have Carlos chained up come true.

"I'm in," Frost said. He was at least as excited as my brother.

"Me too," Atlas said quickly, as though he needed to beat Storm to it.

Storm scowled at him. "Me too," he said with a fraction more reluctance. He wouldn't let Frost get involved unless he was and he sure as hell wouldn't let Atlas get one up on him. Nothing would get him on board faster than them speaking first.

"Where Atlas goes, I go," Jay said softly. Before I even had time to recognise the innuendo, he winked at me.

I smiled and playfully rolled my eyes at him, except now I was thinking exactly that. Both of them sliding into me…

Focus, I told myself. We needed to be concentrating on Dallas right now.

"You know I'm in," Ramsey said.

"Is there any chance the contact you sent Dallas to handed him over to the cartel?" Storm narrowed his eyes at Ramsey.

"If she did, she's dead," Ramsey said darkly. "She knows what angle I'm working. She would have to come up with some kind of story and then send him to the shelter." He nodded towards the nearby building, where the sound of dogs barking rose every few minutes.

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