A lanky man dressed in designer jeans and a T-shirt leaned against the wall and watched her curiously, and she returned his gaze, knowing instantly that this was one of the cousins from the pictures she’d seen on the internet. There was something about the commanding way he held himself that seemed to contradict the shagginess of his brown hair and his droopy, blood-shot eyes. There was no question he took part in the recreational substances being passed around. He smiled and gave her a lazy wave, then he pushed off the wall and headed straight for her.
While his strides were loose and carefree, he acted as if he owned the place. She guessed he did. As he passed people, he patted them on the back, giving high-fives and hearty handshakes. “Kelsey. What’s up?” He lifted his hand high in the air as if he expected her to slap hands with him like everyone else had. So not happening.
“Okay,” he drawled out, wiping his palm down his chest. “Still a little upset. I can dig.”
What in the hell? How was someone like this the leader of a dangerous organization? He barely seemed able to focus on the here-and-now, much less capable of handling dirty business.
“I’m Gabe McNealy. Welcome to the new McNealy vision.” He swept his arm around the room. “Isn’t it magnificent?”
What other drugs was this man on? Magnificent would not be the word she’d use to describe this place. Filthy, maybe.
“We’re thrilled to have you join our team,” he continued.
“Like you gave me a choice.” Maybe being mouthy was the wrong thing to do, but she now knew why he had three goons do all his dirty work. He was too high to do it himself.
“Oh, someone’s still a little put out by our visit.”
“Your thugs pointed a gun at me and threatened my family.”
“So what you’re saying is, you didn’t cooperate. We have no control over our boys when they leave our office. Their job is to secure what we want. How they do it is no concern to us, just as long as it gets done.” Those blood-shot green eyes sharpened with an intelligence that far surpassed a normal stoner. “Simply put—we wanted you. We went to any length to get you, and we will go to any length to keep you. Are we clear?”
She gave a shaky nod, disturbed by his change in demeanor.
Then he gave her a dopey smile and two thumbs up. “Awesome. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, where is that cousin of mine?”
At his ability to go from happy-go-lucky pothead to shrewd businessman within seconds, Ella gulped. Yeah, he was not a man to underestimate. She had no doubt Gabe had smoked up, but his dazed and confused performance was just that—a performance. Underneath was a cold, calculating man.
He scanned the room then lifted his arm and motioned to someone behind her. Ella chanced a glance over her shoulder, knowing she was about to meet the other part of the “we” he’d mentioned. A few feet away, another thin man stood talking to a balding man who looked familiar. Where had she…? A soft gasp of realization shot out of her mouth.
The Chief of Police, Andrew Smith. She’d come across a photo of him shaking Gabe’s hand in front of a brand new police cruiser. The McNealys had made a huge donation to the station, which had helped them buy a fleet of new vehicles. She glanced around the room and spotted the mayor a few feet away. Jesus. She was in over her head.
The other cousin slapped the chief on the shoulder then made his way over to them. The family resemblance was there. While he was dressed in the same casual manner as his cousin, his green eyes were clear and his brown hair was cut in a close-cropped style. He had a baby face that hid his true age and made him seem innocent and approachable. The smile he offered her was full of charm and warmth.
“Kel-Kel…” Gabe said, starting an offhand introduction. “You don’t mind if I call you that do you?”
Yeah, she did, but it wasn’t like she was going to object right now.
“This is Mitch, the evil genius behind this venture.” He cupped his hand over his mouth as if he was about to tell a secret. “He’s straight-edge and can be such a downer.”
Mitch frowned at Gabe, then told Ella, “Don’t mind him. He’s been enjoying the festivities tonight.” He offered his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kelsey.”
She ignored the outstretched hand.
Gabe patted Mitch on the back. “Don’t mind her. She’s still a bit pissy about earlier.”
“Understandable,” Mitch said, lowering his arm.
Ella shuffled, completely off-kilter with these two, which was most likely their agenda. She hated the feeling of being unbalanced—not in control. At this point, there was nothing she could do about it but be vigilant.
“We’re really excited about tonight’s event,” Gabe said.
“There’ll be five fights tonight,” Mitch added. “If they’re good fights, you’ll be busy.”
The excitement in both men’s voices turned her stomach.
“Come on. We’ve got a freakin’ rockin’ surprise for you,” Gabe said.
“I think you’ll be happy,” Mitch added.