Page 92 of Dealing Dirty
Arrogantly snapping the chair in front of my desk closer to him, he drops down with a huff. “I’ve got to hand it to you,boss,” he sneers, “you’ve accumulated quite the record.”
The hourglass sitting innocently in front of him makes a gentleswishas it’s turned upside down. It’s somehow managed to escape my wrath.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that your time is up, Jackie.” He slides a shiny silver badge across my desk. “We’ve got you.”
The arctic feeling of my soul leaving my body is enough to shatter my facade.
“FBI.”I can hardly form the acronym.
Helazilytossesphotosonto my desk. “Cabo. Jersey. California. Only a small sampling of places we’ve tracked wire transfers accepting millions of dollars from your accounts. I’ve got several incriminating recordings of you approving truckloads of cocaine and a new narcotic, Rhyomin, in and out of Mackville, too.” The throaty laugh wrenches sweat from my every pore.
“That Rhyomin is sure to make you motherfuckers filthy rich, isn’t it?”
I swallow hard, shoving the images of doing Bruce’s dirty dealings away.
“Whyare you telling me this?”Angerseethes, morphing intorevulsion. “Go ahead, calltheguys you’ve got surrounding theplace andbustevery lastone of us.That bonus check issure to make your wholegoddamnyear.”
Considering me a moment, he leans back. “As tempting as that is—and believe me, ittrulyis—I’ve come here to make you a deal.”
I scoff. I’m done making deals.Though, Félix doesn’t know of the plan that’s already in motion.Turning on Bruce is something I decided the second Juliana dangled that tiny scrap of hope in front of my too eager paws.
Cool hard mahogany rests beneath my elbowsas I press my thumbs beneath my lips.“I’m listening.”
“We’ve been building a case against Diablo for years now. The trouble is, he’s gotten too good at covering his tracks,either having you or someone else be the front man for his trades. With the kidnapping of those girls, I’m afraid we’re at the end of the line. It starts with hustling drugs, and then it escalates to kidnapping, raping, sex trafficking.”
I don’t dare say a word.
“Think about your girls. If they actually gave a shit about you, that is.” He’s goading me, and it’s working. “Do you think you could stomach being the reason these women are being sold to kingpins like Bruce all over the country?”
Thatbastard.He purposely had me fielding calls and shipments to keep his filthy hands spotless.
The truth in Félix’s assumption hits too close to home.
“The end game here is to keep you free in exchange for your help in the case. There will be no sharing what we speak about toanyone.And no one can get a single whiff that I’m not who I say I am, or I’ll make sure you go to straight to hell right along with him.”
Leaning close enough to smell the man’s aftershave, I laugh. “You can’t scare a man who’s had everything taken from him, Félix. I have nothing left. Take me to prison if that’s what your heart desires, but I’m not going to be yourbitch.”
Hardened eyes glare back. “Think of it more like a partnership. I’ll keepyou from calling some hairyfuckerin the cell next to you,Papi Chulo,and you help me take down this sadistic piece of shit for good.”
I don’t agree, but my hesitation is acceptance enough.
“Whatdo you know aboutthe chief of police?” he asks.
The hourglass swishes again.
“If you’re referring to which side he’s playing, he’s keeping his cards hidden. I was hoping to speak with him tonight, actually, but I never got the chance.”
“It’s come to our attention recently, through an… inside source, that Bruce is using the entire PD to protect his properties. The police chief wasn’t here tonight, and I find that suspicious.”
Shaking my head, I stand and stare out the window overlooking the back of our estate.
The creek shines in the moonlight, and I imagine it’s running red.
“Bruce is threatening his family. He’ll do whatever he asks to keep them safe.” My heart clenches. “That’s the vicious cycle of all this. Either moneypersuades or threats force us to break.”
Félix reasons through it for a moment. “Then we’ll protect them.”
