I finally manage to get the tag in hand and check the name. It says Harley.
“What’s this?” I ask, turning to look at Gage again.
He shrugs. “Since the dog is clearly a permanent fixture at this point, I figured it’s about damn time he had a real name. Knox and Ash taking turns calling him whatever weird or offensive shit they can come up with is probably fucking the poor mutt up.”
“Why Harley though?”
“You and Knox had that whole argument on the drive back about whether Harley Quinn or The Joker was a better name for the dog, so… I sided with you.”
My heart swells just hearing that. I like it a lot. Not just the name, but the reasoning behind it and why Gage got the collar and tag in the first place.
I get to my feet and go over so I can lean up and give Gage a kiss. Then, just for good measure, I give Harley a kiss too.
“Jesus,” Gage groans. “Just because he’s got a collar now, that doesn’t make his mouth sanitary.”
“What’s wrong with a few puppy kisses?” I ask innocently.
“He’s a dog. He licks his own ass and eats out of the trash can.”
I roll my eyes at his indignation about it. “You’ve literally licked Ash’s cum out of my pussy, and a dog licking my face grosses you out?”
We hear Ash howling with laughter as he comes into the living room just in time to hear that little gem. Apparently he didn’t know that, but it cracks him the fuck up.
“Whatever,” Gage grumbles. “That’s not the same, and you know it.”
“Why, because you actually liked the taste of my cum?” Ash teases, and Gage narrows his eyes at him like he might hit him with something.
“I’ve got news,” Priest says, walking in with his phone in hand.
That sobers us all up pretty quickly, and Knox comes in right behind him.
“What’s up?” the burly man asks.
“There’s a party happening in a few days. A big fancy one. An invite only kind of thing at Alec Beckham’s house. Julian will be there.”
“That’s the opportunity we’ve been looking for to put the next part of the plan into motion,” Gage murmurs.
“Do you guys have an invite to the party?” I ask them.
Knox shakes his head. “No, but this is the kind of party you get invited to by knowing the right people. And luckily, we do know a few of the right people. We can call in a favor or two and make it happen.”
My stomach flutters a little, and I let out a breath. One step closer to the end game. I glance at Knox, lifting an eyebrow at him.
“Are you sure you want to do this next part?”
He makes a face. “Fuck no. But if it’ll keep you from having to do it, then I will.”
25
Knox
Fuck, I could go for some pizza right now.
Pepperoni and sausage. With pineapple. Or ham. Ham and pineapple. No olives though. Maybe some banana pepper. The fucking supreme ones always have goddamn olives on them, and I hate those little fuckers. Little salty assholes. Almost as bad as mushrooms. Who the fuck thought mushrooms were a good idea? Probably the same idiots who hide them under the cheese so you get a slimy little surprise when you’re going for the hot, cheesy goodness.
I should’ve eaten before this, goddammit.
I’m camped out outside Julian’s massive house with nothing but my own thoughts to entertain me, and I switch back and forth between craving pizza and thinking about how I’d like to barge into Julian’s place and drag him down to that little basement he kept River in. Really make him pay for what he did to her.
He probably doesn’t have the kind of tools I do, but that’s okay. I can improvise. I’ve got car keys, and I bet he has a real nice set of kitchen knives in there that I could break out and use. He seems like the type, the showy motherfucker.
I’m a good distance away from the house, and I’ve got a drone with a camera attached to it, ready to go. Now all I need is my target to get his ass in place, and I can use it.
Maybe I won’t do pizza. Maybe a steak sandwich. With onions and peppers. No mushrooms. Lots of cheese sauce too. Or pizza and a steak sandwich. Fuck it. I deserve it after doing this shit.
The thoughts of cheesy goodness are interwoven with the thoughts of fucking Julian up, and I laugh a little under my breath, imagining eating a slice of pizza while slowly jamming my car keys into his thigh.
Yeah, that would be fun.
He’d be in pain, I’d be in heaven.
I’m just killing time now, letting my mind wander. I text River a few times, asking her what she wants for dinner and telling her I’m still waiting for this asshole to show up.
She’s in favor of pizza, but she stabs me right in the fucking heart when she says she actually likes mushrooms and I’m crazy for thinking they’re worse than olives.
The fucking betrayal. She’s lucky I can’t get enough of her, even if she does like mushrooms. Slimy little monsters.
I catch some movement near the house, and that gets my attention back on the mission at hand. Julian’s car pulls up to the house, and the man himself gets out.
Just seeing him makes my lip curl and my palms itch. Restlessness beats in my blood, and I have to remind myself that I’m here for a reason. This is a step in the plan, and the plan will make it so River can kill Julian in the end. She’s the one who deserves to take him out, and maybe she’ll let me watch at least. That would be good.
He goes inside, and I steer the drone to the house, keeping it out of sight.
It’s a handy little toy, equipped with a camera and mic, perfect for spying. I’ve got a tablet on my lap that lets me see and hear everything that’s going on.
He’s pacing in the living room, his phone up to his ear. I can’t hear whoever’s on the line, but I can hear Julian, and he sounds fucking pissed.
“I know what they fucking said. I don’t need you to read me the accident report again, you goddamn idiot!” he snaps. “It’s too neat, is what I’m saying. That runner has made that trip plenty of times, and now all of a sudden he forgets how to fucking drive and runs my shit off the road?” He’s quiet, listening to what the other person is saying. Through the camera, I can see the tension in his body as he paces, and I grin. Good. He fucking deserves it.
“How the fuck should I know?” he explodes in response to whatever the person said. “That’s not my job to know this shit. All I’m saying is, it’s suspicious. Maybe the suppliers want to cut out the middle man or some fucking gang wants to get in my way because they don’t like that I’m cornering the market on this shit. I don’t trust anyone involved in this shit as far as I can throw them!”
That’s even better. He thinks the sabotage, if there is any, is coming from someone involved with the cocaine selling in the city. He doesn’t seem to suspect River or the rest of us at all.