Page 93 of Claimed By the Deputies

He’s got a pet name for the mayor. That’s how deep Hamilton is in Trevor’s pocket.

“Get more water. Hamilton likes the cucumber one,” a waiter tells me as he grabs a few platters. I go into the bar, keeping my head down while I scour the fridge for the appropriate carafes, already filled and ready to go.

“We can’t find that piece of shit Dante anywhere,” Hamilton growls. “Dexter, I thought you had a handle on your people.”

“He’s not in police custody,” Dexter replies. “Maybe we should wait until it blows over.”

“It’s not going to blow over,” Trevor scoffs. “Your boy Billy Jade got dumb and greedy. He got it into his head that he could do whatever he wanted with his clients, and it cost him his life. You should’ve made it clear to him that there were limits to what he could do.”

“Jade was nothing more than a lowlife dealer,” Hamilton says. “Just like the other punks. A means to an end to get the product distributed, to bring the money in. That’s how the business works.”

“That’s not how it works with a tenacious prick like Riggs as sheriff,” Trevor snarls. “You both underestimated him.”

“And his piece of sweet ass, right?” Dexter chuckles dryly. “That’s your wife he’s fucking.”

“She’s nobody’s to deal with but mine, so keep her name out of your mouth and tell me where we’re at.” Silence follows, then he says, “Fitz, we’ve come to you to reassert our agreement. We’re holding up our end. What the fuck are you doing?”

“My job, as always. They won’t be able to connect Timothy Jackson to any of you. They can’t,” Fitz replies. “Been doing this for years, fellas. Relax.”

“Then where the fuck is Dante?” Hamilton hisses.

I can’t help but smile as I put the cucumber water pitcher on the service cart for his waiters to deliver.

“We’ll find him,” Dexter says. “He’s probably just laying low for a while. He won’t talk, anyway. He’s loyal.”

“Besides, they don’t have a murder weapon,” Fitz chimes in. “They have nothing on him. Any defense lawyer worth his salt will know how to knock it down in court. Relax. I’d prefer we focus on what comes next.”

Trevor laughs. “Oh, right. You want a slice of the upcoming action.”

“Everyone wants a slice,” Dexter says.

“Well, the cartel won’t make their delivery unless we prove we’ve got Frost Valley under control. The sheriff and his deputies are turning out to be a much bigger problem than you anticipated, Mayor.”

“I’ve got them on a leash, whether they realize it or not. The DA is on our side—to an extent,” Hamilton replies. “We’ve got the trade routes and distribution points set and secured, and I believe the Stallions are handling the logistics, as usual.”

“True, but this is a huge amount of product I’m bringing in,” Trevor says. “My reputation is on the line here, and I worked hard to lock this deal down. I don’t want any more setbacks. It’s bad enough the DEA is snooping around.”

Hamilton scoffs. “That’s your doing, is it not?”

They’re pointing fingers. Overly suspicious of one another yet dependent on each member of their alliance to get a major drug deal pushed through.

The more I listen, the thicker my blood curdles.

When I’m satisfied that I’ve gathered enough on the recording, I take some more plates out of the kitchen, gingerly leave them on the service cart, then remove my device from the side of the bar before making a subtle exit through the service door.

Confident no one spotted me, I head back to my car.

Breathlessly, I drive away, my mind racing.

25

LUCAS

Itail Jake Merritt closely, following their convoy around Frost Valley. Six motorcycles—three at the front and three at the back of a laundry truck. I’m well aware there’s no laundry, only product ready to be distributed across the district by the Stallions’ collaborators.

“I’ve got eyes on them,” I tell my deputies through the radio. “They’re headed north to Pine Hill, by the looks of it.”

“The Silver Stallions have a small chapter in Pine Hill,” Rowan, one of my deputies, reports back. His voice gargles through the radio, breaking up as he talks. “We’re a couple miles… out… back from… Denning…”

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