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I pick Bram up outside the Take Down. He gets into my car with a grin.
‘You in a better mood now, big bro?’
‘Yeah.’ I pull away, the tyres screeching.
‘Good. I hate seeing you so in a spin over a girl, albeit a hot girl. You looked like you were about to kill someone, earlier.’
I glance at him. ‘Don’t joke about it. I did kill someone, yesterday.’
He holds up his hands in submission. ‘Yeah, sorry, that was bad taste.’
‘This is a serious mess that I shouldn’t be caught up in and it’s getting to me.’
Bram nods.
‘I just don’t get why El Patron wasn’t more pissed off that Bana took a swipe at his daughter. You’d think he’d be furious and rush back here to start a war, not laugh and tell me to handle it.’ I pull off the ring road and turn towards the north of the city. The more I think about his reaction, the less reasonable it seems.
I wave to Rafa in the security booth at the entrance to El Patron’s parking garage and slide the window down. He leans in.
‘Hi, Coach Slater. El Patron said you would be coming back, with Daleylah.’ He looks at Bram then into the empty back seat.
‘Not yet. I’ll bring her back in a few days. When I know it’s safe. When El Patron’s back.’
‘It’s safe. We’ve taken extra measures.’
‘Hmmm, we’ll look at that. But now I’m here to collect some of her things.’
‘Sure.’ He opens the garage.
‘When’s El Patron due back?’ I ask.
‘Not for another week,’ Rafa tells me.
So, he really isn’t planning on coming back any earlier. I nod to Rafa, then drive down the ramp to the garage.
I check that my gun is safely tucked into the back of my belt as we take the lift up into the house. Bram’s beside me, his hands in his pockets, and I know he’s holding his own gun.
The doors slide open and I let my gaze sweep the corridor before stepping out.
‘Hello?’ I call, in case Maria is there. I don’t want to startle her. As far as I’m aware, she doesn’t know about the attack on Daleylah. Not unless El Patron or his security filled her in.
‘This is a cool place. El Patron lives in style.’
Bram looks at the pool as I lead the way straight to Dale’s bedroom.
‘Doesn’t surprise me. He looks like a man who lives in style. Although, this isn’t what I expected. This is too modern and cool. I kind of imagined his house would be like Nio’s. All maroon leather and gold finishes.’
‘Yeah, surprised me, too. Let’s just focus on what we’re here for, OK?’ I want to get out ASAP.
My heart is beating fast in my chest as I push open the door to her room. The body has been removed and the bed has been made. There’s no sign that someone was killed here a few days ago.
I hand Bram the list. ‘Let’s start getting her stuff.’
He glances at it. ‘Seriously? I’m going through her underwear drawer?’
‘Just get on with it.’ I push him aside and empty the lingerie drawer into the bag.
It takes us no more than fifteen minutes to find everything on the list.
‘Right, now let’s get out of here.’
We carry the bags to the lift.
‘Wait, hang on, I almost forgot.’ I take the letter for Maria from my pocket and leave it on the kitchen table. Then we head down to the car.
‘That was straightforward,’ Bram says, as we drive away. I don’t answer, my eyes on the rear-view mirror. There’s a black car behind us but it’s not close enough for me to see who’s driving. I turn on to the slip road to the ring, taking the long way round the city.
‘Are we going to drop in at the Highbar?’ Bram looks at me, wondering why I’m not heading for the Take Down to drop him off.
‘No.’
He leans over and checks the mirror himself.
‘Could that be one of Bana’s crew?’ I ask him as he studies the black car.
‘Doubt it. The car is too nice. More like one of El Patron’s men. Harry Jackman, maybe? He drives a black Mercedes.’ He squints. ‘He’s too far back, I can’t make it out. But why would El Patron have you followed?’
‘Maybe it’s part of the extra security. I’ve no idea what’s going on with him. Have you heard anything from Bana? Anything about Solo going missing?’
‘Nah, nothing from Bana. He’s in Poland at the moment dealing with that shipment.’
There’s a ping and Bram takes out his phone.
‘No shit,’ he mutters, reading the message.
‘What?’
‘Billy was in the gym earlier, apparently, and he mentioned that there was a hit on Bana’s supply, a couple of days ago.’
Billy works for us when we need him. He’s a good kid, a regular at the gym, but he’s also close to the street, always knows what’s going on.
‘What sort of hit?’ I glance at my brother.
‘Stolen.’
‘How much?’
He shrugs. ‘Everything, from what I can gather. Let me ask.’ He types a message back.
‘You get that from D?’
‘Yeah.’
I let out a breath, whistling it over my teeth. ‘Who would have the balls to steal all Bana’s supply?’
The phone pings again.
‘Dunno. Billy’s going to ask around and let us know.’
‘Has there been anyone selling recently? Other than Li’l Cesar and El Patron’s crew?’
Bram shakes his head. ‘Supply is the same as always. That’s what makes it harder to figure out.’
‘Talk to Carl and find out if he’s heard anything.’
‘Why don’t we stop in now? I’m sure our workaholic brother will still be in the office.’
I look at the clock on the dashboard. It’s been forty minutes since I left her. ‘No. I have something to do.’
‘Drop me at Carl’s, then. I’ll talk to him now.’
I look in the rear-view mirror again; the black car is still there. I indicate and pull off the ring, watching the mirror. The car doesn’t follow, so I drive to our gym in Hoogvliet and stop out front.
‘Thanks, Bram.’
‘See you tomorrow?’ he asks as he gets out. He leans in through the open door. ‘We still meeting?’
‘Yeah.’
Every week I get my crew together to go through business issues.
‘Find out what you can by then, but let’s not meet at the Take Down. It seems too exposed, with so much going on. I feel like we should be changing our routines.’
‘Here, then?’
‘Dunno. I’ll let you know.’
He shuts the door and I pull away. I take the long way back to my flat, my eyes on the mirrors the whole way, checking I’m not being followed. What with taking a hit on his supply and Solo ending up dead, Bana’s going to be mightily pissed. And when El Patron comes back and tries to take revenge for the attack on his daughter, things are going to get ugly, pretty damn soon. It’s a good thing that Dale is with me. No matter what he says about stepping up security, I don’t feel it’ll be safe enough. I park the car and glance at the clock. I’ve been gone for fifty minutes. I hope my little bird’s waiting for me.