I don’t want anyone speaking to her when I’m not around. That way I can monitor every tidbit of information she has, and I can figure out if or when she tries to use it against us. I’ve already confiscated her phone, and she didn’t bring any other electronic devices—we searched her shit before we even loaded her up on the back of my bike.
Sledge frowns as he glances up toward my apartment. This garage holds several different rooms, but since Pop left, I took the biggest. The downstairs is the biggest area—full of cars and bikes. We only stay here when we have a heavy workload. It keeps our merchandise safe. No one fucks with us, especially when we’re all together.
“Herrin’s going to be pissed if you just did what I think you did. Damn, boy. Are you stupid?”
I smirk as I glance down at my watch.
“Pop agreed that she might be a risk. I’m keeping her until we figure out what’s going on.”
He rolls his eyes as he grabs her bags. “When Herrin sees her, he’s going to kick your ass. Girl’s not ugly. He’ll feel duped.”
I shrug carelessly. “I told him exactly what she looks like. It’s too much to risk. Benny’s not after me. If that’s his plan—to get close to Pop—then this will be perfect. I’ll play while they get no info and no shot at our President.”
“So you’re staking claim?” he asks, amused as he glances back up at the door.
I don’t like the way he words that question, so I refuse to answer him.
“Call Cecil. Tell him I want an appointment for two tomorrow.”
Sledge chuckles long and hard, and he throws the last bag over his shoulder.
“Damn. Must have been good. I’ll call him.”
It’s not about how good it was. It’s a matter of property.
***
“You’ll let me know if she gives you anything,” Pop says, taking another bite of his steak as I drink my beer.
“Yes, Sir.”
He chews slowly as he studies me. “But you think she might be telling the truth?”
I shrug with one shoulder as my eyes rake over the new shipment list we have to get out undetected.
“Too soon to tell, but the girl was scared to damn death in the bedroom. If she’s a spy, she’s a damn good actress. It’s doubtful she knows anything about Benny and his shitheads. I know Benny has something planned, but I don’t know what. He may be planning on using the girl in the future.”
“I never knew Marks had a kid,” Pop says around a mouthful. “Or a wife. Or a fucking family. No one can hide shit from me, but he somehow did. Remember she’s his daughter, so she could be just as skilled at concealing the truth as he was.”
My jaw tics at just the mention of her father’s name.
“I wonder if he lied to his family and kept secrets from them just as well as he kept them from us?” I ask, more to myself than to him.
“It’s a strong possibility. But she’s linked to Benny somehow.”
I nod, remembering where I was going with my earlier statement.
“She’s saying her mom was hurting for cash and about to lose her house. Benny knows her family, so—”
“So you think he might be planning to take advantage and use them as leverage against her later on. Smart. Sounds a little like a conspiracy theory, but still worth looking into. You got someone on her family to keep an eye out? I want to know what this bastard does before he does it. This girl may afford us the element of surprise as long as we keep playing dumb. I don’t know how else Benny would have known about Marks and what he did. It can’t be just a coincidence he knows her family.”
Benny and Aaron a team? “I don’t believe in coincidences. Benny never got paid if they were working together, since we got all the money back. This could be part of his plan—see if she can get the access her father had. But he’d have to know he was showing his hand, because he realizes we’re not idiots.”
He nods, his mind already working over something. “He surely wouldn’t think we’d be stupid enough to give her any access, given her father’s name. It’s a puzzle to solve.”
I stand and walk over to the very noticeable coolers. Pop shouldn’t have this shit in his apartment. One raid and he’s in the pin. Instead of voicing the fact this shit is pissing me off, I continue talking about the matter at hand.
“Juice and Evan are going to set up shop across the street from her mom. The house there was empty. It’s now Death Dealer property. If Benny makes a move, we’ll know it. If he goes for her family, then we’ll have all the ammo we need to start a war. I still think we should take him out now and be done with it.”