Page 50 of Cunning Lies
I motion to the side of the building, glancing around us like I don’t want anyone to overhear us. The truth is that no one gives a shit in this part of town. Half of these people probably buy from my dealers.
“Let’s go around the back,” I say. “We can talk privately over there.”
He follows me like a puppy dog, and a twinge of emotion runs through me. I don’t know what it is—guilt? anger?rage?What if Vi feels bad about her cousin dying? Maybe Patrickisa victim of his father’s upbringing too: a piece of shit raising another turd to believe that this is how you protect family—by breaking them before the world can.
But that’s not family to me. I ran away from home, and I still have people watching out for my biological parents. This isn’t the life they wanted for me, but it’s the life I chose, and I still respect them. Still make sure they’re okay. Still send them anonymous payments so that they’re well taken care of. That’s family. And that’s not even my chosen family! I’ve killed for the Endo-kai. I’ve dedicated my life to serving our yakuza.
Respect. Loyalty. Family. None of that means anything to the Petruses.
A few cars are parked behind the building, probably employees, and dumpster bins dot the premise every couple of feet. Spotlights beam down on us, lighting the oil shimmering in the cracks of the asphalt. The security cameras are aimed at us, but I know the owner; he’s under our protection racket and we’ve given him a discount on Shabu Eight. The more drugged up his clientele is, the more likely they are to gamble away their savings. Everyone is happy. Everyonewins.
And I happen to know that those security cameras are for show. The owner won’t mind if I take care of business back here.
And if he does, I’ll take care of him too.
“Here’s the deal,” I finally say. Sinewy muscles and blond hair face me, but he’s got the same blue eyes as Vi, and for a moment, that stops me. But not for long. I keep my emotions in, making sure he thinks this is legit. “I’ve got a beginner’s plan. Best place to start is over by the college. Plenty of students over there live off of Shabu Eight. They’re gullible too. Play to their cocky sides, then up charge the hell out of them.”
“I can raise prices?”
That’s what ‘up charge’ means, bakayarou.Idiot. He’s a fucking idiot. But I play along, giving him my classic charm.
“Exactly,” I say. “It’s easy to build a following there. Try Harmon and Maryland Parkway. There are plenty of little places you can use to meet buyers.”
“All right,” Patrick says. He wipes his nose on the back of his hand. My upper lip curls in disgust; it’s like he’s dog shit on the bottom of my shoe. “You don’t have people over there?” he asks.
I do, but that doesn’t matter.
“Focus onyou,brother,” I say, putting a hand on his shoulder. “No one’s going to give you problems except for me.”
He flinches, but my lips pull up in satisfaction. Yeah, that was a bit much, but I want panic to rise in his chest.
“You’re a smart man,” I say calmly. I squeeze his shoulder, holding back the anger boiling inside of me at being this close to him andnotripping his head off. “If you make me happy, there’s no reason for me to give you problems. Everything is business. You know that.”
His shoulders loosen. He thinks we’re on the same side.
“So where is it, then?” he asks. “You got it in one of these dumpsters or something?”
So eager to work. Maybe Vi is right that he only raped her because his dad told him to. Because it was a job. Too bad that motivation is going to waste.
“You want to work that badly?” I ask.
“Gotta prove myself.” He taps his chest. “Gotta show you that you won’t regret it.”
I regret a lot of things already. When Cherry told me that Patrick put his hand on Vi’s arm at the wedding reception, I should have beaten the fucker within an inch of his life. Given him a physicaldemonstrationthat even if he is my brother-in-law in a roundabout way, that he will never be excluded from debts.
That regret ends tonight.
“Your cousin thinks I should start you off easy,” I say with a hint of amusement in my voice. “Niceand slow, you know?”
“Vi doesn’t know anything,” he says. I laugh at how insane this situation is, and Patrick, the sad little fuck, thinks I’m laughingwithhim. He lifts his shoulders. “I don’t trust sluts.”
My vision tunnels as I focus my rage on that head of blond hair. My lips pull back.
“She’s a slut, huh?” I say in a low voice.
“Get her drunk. Trust me,” he chuckles. “She’ll do anything.”
“Jay said she was a virgin.”
