Page 105 of Kneeling to Candy

“Oh!” Duffy’s eyes widen like he’s solved a riddle. “Maybe that’s why Piero is connected with them. To keep tabs on what recovery projects they’re working on.”

Hmm. I rub my chin. What my business partner suggests has grounds.

“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. It’s no different from us keeping law officials and politicians in our back pockets. It pains me to say it, but you may be right, Duf.”

Duffy’s face pitches in confusion at my backhanded compliment. “Uh, thank you?”

“Nonetheless, I want to know everything about Piero. Starting with how many men he’s bringing with him to the auction.”

“The Don of Denver won’t be traveling light, if you know what I mean. According to Piero, he’s coming with six men, his partner, and three drivers.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Quite the army.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot. However, it makes sense if you think about it. He’s walking into unknown territory. Even Lorenzo would bring four men, and he knew us.”

“True.” I pause, absorbing what he’s told me. “He’s bringing his partner?”

Why men bring their significant others to these things, I don’t understand. Bringing arm candy is one thing, but your partner is entirely another.

I shake my head. “Keep business and pleasure separate.”

“Maybe they like sharing in the fun?” Duffy suggests with a lopsided smile, shrugging. “If that’s the case, he’s one lucky bastard.”

Lucky bastard, indeed. Yes, women partake in the flesh trade. But they’re a rarity in this industry.

My mind drifts to Leslie. What I wouldn’t give to have a relationship like that with her—a king with his queen perched on his knee, choosing a toy for a bit of fun before disposing of it.

Duffy sneaks the remote back from the coffee table, assuming I’m distracted. “We good, Boss?”

Having reasonable answers to most of my questions, I relent. “For now.”

Smiling, Duffy turns the television on, engrossed in the game only seconds later. I sigh, frustrated with the man I chose to do business with.

Beggars can’t be choosers with picking a fall man for your operation. Any person with half a brain would realize being the spokesperson for a flesh trade business is the shit end of the stick. Thankfully, Duffy is easy to manipulate, but it comes with a price—like dealing with his countless screw-ups.

For all his faults, Duffy’s idea to build an auction site is the one business deal I was on board with. It was an investment project we pitched to Lorenzo to get in on the trafficking business. Unfortunately, when handling the build, Duffy never checked with the county’s bylaws, and our copyrighted blueprints had to be filed for public record. Blueprints for an estate housing a stage and stadium box seating would raise alarm bells. Greasing the palms of some corrupt local politicians handled the registrar’s office for us.

It’s another fine example of the fuck-up that is Duffy. A submarine with a screen door is more useful than this tool.

The mistakes add up, piling on me to fix. This last one with Piero is almost too much to forgive. And these bikers…I hate admitting it, but they make me nervous. If they are the mercenaries cracking down on the flesh trade operations, we could be in serious trouble.

Duffy’s theories aren’t enough to calm my nerves. It’s best to err on the side of caution.

Taking my cell out of the back pocket of my slacks, I send a text to my pilot to be on standby the day of the auction, along with the GPS coordinates I want to be picked up from. If shit goes south, Duffy will be the fall guy. I’ll have to end him with a bullet to the head before I flee, or else the fool will squeal at the first sign of pressure. Can’t be too careful.

At least I’ve got a way out. The nice thing about the auction site built into the side of an old mining mountain is what remains after the miners move on. There are plenty of abandoned shafts, functional enough to pass through if you’re careful where you walk. Plenty of places to dispose of the bodies, too. A dump site close by is ideal, considering not all our merchandise tolerates the strong sedatives we force on them to make them easier to control.

Having explored the mining tunnels once before, I know where to go to get to the other side of the mountain peaks to make a hasty escape. And with the “Caution” and “Danger” signs in place for most of the mining shafts, odds are law officials are going to bypass those passages, preferring safer alternatives.

With my exit strategy in place and anxiety settled, I sink deep into my chair, closing my eyes and letting the roar of the cheering crowd on the television drown out everything else around me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

BUTCH

Nine in the morning is a late start for going over mission details. But it is what it is.

Chase had a conflict with our normal six o’clock meeting and we rearranged the agenda to accommodate his late arrival. Instead, Candy’s self-defense training was moved up to the first thing on the schedule. The two hours of working out went by fast and everyone has showered, ready to start the meeting. Yet, here we sit and no Chase.

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