Page 110 of Precious Legacy

Roman accepted my anger towards him and harbored the blame because I said so. He’s proven to me so much over the past couple of months that he’s here to stay, showing me just how sorry he is, even though he didn’t need to be. Despite that, he was willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe, and though it’ll take some time for me to get used to it, I have to let him in.

I have to let him do his job, and that includes protecting me.

FORTY-TWO

The cold air seeps into my skin, chilling my bones despite the collar of my coat covering my neck. I’ve forgotten how frigid New York gets in the winter. California has plenty of perks, but the one thing I miss most is the heat. There’s nothing quite like feeling the sun blazing down on your face while the sea breeze slides over your skin. I’d go back in a heartbeat if I could, but this place is my home. Alanis is my home.

“What do you think it is?” I ask, my breath evaporating into the air as I stare at the empty shipping container.

Thanks to our mole, we were given the heads-up that the Russians were bringing in more than just liquor. Not that we were expecting anything less given the fact we loosened their leash, but now we have a new problem spreading through the city.

Unfortunately, the tip was too late, again. The shipment is gone, along with the Russians, and all that’s left is the residue of what we can only assume is drugs.

Our men are situated around the docks, running perimeter checks while we search the container. Thanks to Haldon, I nowhave my own men to run point and send around the city for me. I no longer have to enforce, because Haldon provided me with enough manpower to oversee everything, meaning I can focus on getting the underground fights up and running.

Haldon crouches down to run his finger through the pink powder dusted over the bottom of the container in front of us. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he comments.

“So it’s not coke?” Varo asks.

“I’m not sure,” Haldon shrugs. “Could be coke, fentanyl, MDMA. I’ll have to get it tested, but either way, it’s not good.”

Haldon deals with the majority of drug distribution within the city. His father handed it over to mine back when his parents got together, but since our move to the West Coast, Haldon took it back—much to his mom’s disapproval. He knows so much about what goes on in the city that he’s the only person I trust when it comes to this line of business.

“Not good?” I frown.

Standing, Haldon ambles towards me, sliding his rubber gloves off his hands. “Drugs alone are bad, Ro. Unknown drugs are…something else.” He whispers the last part to himself, and if I wasn’t worried before, I am now.

He knows about every drug peddled through this city, because they come from him. He’s had competition in the past, so this isn’t new to him. He’s used to it, but that's only when he knows who or what he’s competing against. He’s right; unknown drugs are dangerous for everyone.

“Do you think Milo knows anything about this?” I ask, turning my attention to Varo. Since the situation between him and Milo has becomemorecomplicated, I doubt he’s even spoken to him at all. But we need as much information as we can get right now and Milo is probably our best shot.

Varo’s brows furrow, his features darkening. “He might,” he shrugs, which is no real help to the situation. With a sigh, he rubs a thumb over his brow. “I can ask.”

“Thanks, bro,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. I appreciate him willing to put—whatever it is—aside for us. He’s not exactly an open book when it comes to his personal life, despite us being close, but I know that contacting Milo for assistance is not only risky, but a problem Varo doesn’t want to touch.

“Whatever,” he murmurs to himself. I can tell there’s more on his mind than Milo. We’re all on edge after his sister’s attack last week. Varo has made it his mission to keep tabs on her, even though she’s currently staying at their parents’ place. He’s checking up on her daily, making sure she updates him on her whereabouts. I thought I was protective when it came to Lani, but Varo is on a whole other level. I chalk it up to the current situation with Milo. He hasn’t spoken much about it, which means he’s doing everything he can to distract himself from the elephant in the room.

“So what’re we going to do?” Haldon asks as we walk together to our respective cars. The wind whips past us as we pace through the docks, leaving an ominous atmosphere we all need to push through.

“We know the Russians are the ones bringing it in, we just need to figure out who they’re handing off to.” I rub my palms together to stave off the cold. “I’ll see what our mole knows, but this needs to be shut down before anyone gets hurt.”

“What about Milo?” Varo asks, taking me by surprise.

“Do you know why he’s working for the Russians?” Haldon questions, quirking a brow.

We know he’s undercover, so it stands to reason that he’s probably trying to take them down. But if we get too involved, we run the risk of becoming the next names on Milo’s list.

“Not specifically,” Varo sighs. “To be honest, I’m not sure he’d even tell me.”

“See what you can find out and we’ll go from there.”

Our footsteps fill the profound silence, breaking apart our thoughts. We have so much we need to do to get back on track. The Russians are still a threat, Milo is still a threat, and even with Prescott out of the picture, Alanis is still a target. She’s going forward with the NYPD, which we all respect. It’ll not only benefit her, but us too, and in order for that to happen, we need to keep her safe.

As we reach our cars, Haldon grabs my arm, halting my steps. “Everything is set in place,” he states, holding out a set of keys and a card.

I smile as I take them out of his hands and fist-bump him. “Thanks, bro.”

“So you’re really doing it?” Varo asks as he comes to stand beside me.

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