Page 93 of Being Lost

Simple sure. Transporting kilos of Mexican horse or whatever else they were buying and selling. It’s one easy way to get arrested or dead. But I pretend interest and tinge my voice with a touch of regret. “And where would they be sold, where would the club have gotten them to?”

“Wherever there was a hunger. California, Arizona, Colorado.”

I feel Dart stiffen beside me, but whatever’s itching at him, he keeps to himself. Pretty certain he knows I’ll be on the same wavelength, but asking too much too soon will put Shark on his guard. “How did the drugs come over the border?”

Shark grins. “I’ll tell you everything if you promise to let me walk away.”

I can’t promise him that. Truth is, Shark’s never going to be putting one foot in front of the other again. The love he used to have from his brothers has long since turned to hatred, but perhaps the time has come to use more than words.

“Need Salem to encourage you?” I start to raise my hand to gesture to the enforcer.

Words come from Shark’s mouth in a rush. “I don’t know. But I do know it’s all stopped recently. Somehow the feds knew how to close that shit down.” Shark clearly wants to stay out of Salem’s reach.

I shake my head. He was just berating us for not going ahead with Snake’s deal while in the next breath telling us we were right.

A drug operation brought down recently? I fight hard to keep my face impassive, though inside there’s a kernel of excitement bubbling.He’s got to be talking about Alder.Christ. We wanted to get hold of someone with knowledge of Alder’s operation. Could he just have dropped into our hands? I force myself to be patient.

Another sideways glance at Dart which is returned with a chin lift shows he’s also thinking the same way as me.

Taking a chance, I come straight out with it, speaking as casually as possible. “So how long have you been working with Alder?”

At fucking last. I’d have gotten that info hours ago. Didn’t you learn anything from me, Lost?

I fucking learned that you would kill a man before he told you anything.

I’d seen Snake’s temper flare more than once. Partly why I’m taking this slow. Dangling the glimpse of a future in front of Shark if only he tells me everything he knows.

Fuckin’ pussy.

A shake of my head to clear it and I focus on Shark again. His eyes have widened, and the first sign of fear shows.He’s scared of Alder.

“For fuck’s sake.” Dart dips his head toward me. When I nod, he continues, “There’s no point denying you know him. Why the fuck do you think we were at the restaurant tonight?”

“But, but…” Shark flusters. “But you said… Fuck.” It’s like watching a penny drop. Trouble is, if we ask direct, he’ll clam up. As it is, we’re left with picking up clues from the little he allows to drop. “I’m not telling you anything about Alder.”

“Good,” I tell him, sounding approving. “Alder likes a man who can keep his mouth shut.”

Shark’s eyes land on me. “You’re working with him?” he asks, incredulously.

I hear a strangled cough from behind me. Swinging around, I see Pennywise trying not to laugh. He mouths at me,He’s fucking stupid. I tend to agree.

Shark was never the brightest of the bunch, he proved that when he threw in his lot with Snake. Now, his chin drops to his chest. “You won’t touch drugs.” I open my mouth to kid him that maybe we’ve changed our minds. That the club needs money, but Shark continues working it out in his head.

“You won’t touch drugs, so you know it’s other merchandise instead.”

I resist turning to see the expression on Dart’s, or anyone’s face. Instead, I take Dart’s lead. “Yeah.” I raise my chin. “The merchandise being brought in via the tunnel.”

Shark’s head snaps up. “You know about that? But Alder never said. Never mentioned the Devils.” Shark doesn’t seem to know what to believe. “Hey, let me down. Sounds like we’re both on the same side.”

“Maybe the same side, but not the same point in the pecking order,” I tell him. “That Alder didn’t tell you about us suggests he doesn’t think you’re as significant as you think.” That gets him. Leaning back once again, I cross my feet at my ankles, and smile. Shark never paid enough attention to me to realise my expression is fake. “Or, as you were a Satan’s Devil once, still have our tat on your back, he assumes we’re all working together.”

“Together. Yes. We can work together. The next shipment’s important, that’s probably why he wants us all on board. And yes, I still have my patch.”

The patch he won’t have much longer.

“What do you know about it being important?” Dart asks with a quick glance in my direction. He also spares a warning look at the men who are getting restless.

Shark seems to be trying to weigh up what he knows that we don’t, and vice versa. In the end, he settles on what sounds like the truth. “I don’t know. I’ve seen immigrants coming in having paid top dollar, of course, and bitches and kids going out. Pretty boys, too, but you’ll know all about that.”

---