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“You’re an idiot.”
Rio kept looking at his phone, but she definitely had his attention. What the fuck is happenin’ right now? He could imagine the stoic yet questioning look on Mick’s face, and when he finally looked up, that’s exactly what he saw.
She was still talking through her tears. Reluctantly he admitted to himself that she ain’t wrong. The last thing he ever needs is unnecessary attention.
“Roll the dice, see what happens.”
Satisfied that these crazy suburban bitches were sufficiently terrified and would keep their mouths shut, he finally gave his head a small shake directed at Mick.
Mick lowered the gun and Rio stood up. All the guys followed him out the back door, and they cut through the yard to reach the car. After they dropped off the others, and it was just him and Mick in the car, Mick finally spoke.
“What the fuck was that?”
Rio snorted a small laugh. “She was somethin’ else, huh. Gotta mouth on her.”
“Not her. You.” Mick replied.
Oh, Rio thought. I guess he didn’t see what I saw. He thought again about that beautiful mouth with that desperate crazy spillin’ out. He shook his head. “We don’t need that kinda attention. I got some other ideas for them.”
“Whatever, man. You the boss.”
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A couple days later, he was checking up on the operation at the warehouse. Things were running smoothly overall, but he had discovered some boxes were missing from the last truck from Canada. Mike claimed it was an accidental oversight, but he had his doubts. It wasn’t worth sending another truck, but it was the perfect sized load for a minivan, he chuckled to himself. After they bring him the boxes, he’ll send someone else north to have a little chat with Mike about the importance of keeping track of inventory.
Later he watched that lady’s house for a while trying to figure out the best time to talk to her. Husband wasn’t there, but he saw some kids. A lot of kids. He went around back and saw one of the kids at the picnic table. Doin’ homework? Kid spotted him.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“Friend o’ your mom’s. Whatcha doin’?” Rio answered.
“Math homework but I’m stuck on this one,” kid replied. “Are you good at math? My dad usually helps me but he’s not here right now.”
“Yeah, I’m real good at math. Let’s take a look.” Rio read over the problem and helped him with that one, then another and another. Kid really did need help with this stuff.
He heard the back door open, knowing she couldn’t see him yet. This’ll be good.
As he expected, she was unpleasantly surprised to see him. She told the kid to go inside and then said they would get him the money. He told her to forget all that and asked if they had passports.
“Need y’all to pick up something for me in Canada on Friday and bring it back,” he explained.
“What is it?” she asked nervously.
“Better if you don’t know. Just bring it back. Here’s the address to pick it up and the address to drop it off.” He handed her a piece of paper. “Do this and your debt is paid.”
She looked at the paper and back up at him. “What if we don’t?”
“That wouldn’t be good,” he answered, then turned and left.
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“Yo,” he answered Mick’s call.
“You’re not gonna believe this.” Mick chuckled. “Just gotta call from Mike.”
“Did those bitches fuck this up? All they had to do was get the boxes and cross the border. They were supposed to be back here soon,” Rio glanced at his watch, wondering if this little errand was gonna blow up in his face.
“They got the boxes,” Mick answered quickly, then added, “And one of ‘em shot Mike in the foot.”
“What the fuck,” Rio started to interrupt but Mick wasn’t finished.
“Because Mike told ‘em he didn’t have the boxes and was givin’ ‘em a hard time. One of ‘em pulled out a piece and shot the motherfucker in the damn foot. Serves him right for bein’ a pain in the ass.”
Rio was speechless for a moment. Guess maybe he didn’t have to send someone else to have a little chat with Mike after all. Sounds like the guy might have learned his lesson.
“Shit, man. See ya soon.” Rio ended the call and went back to the warehouse floor.
He walked through talking to people at the various stations, ensuring everything was up to his precise standards. He heard the door crank open and knew the crazy bitches had arrived without turning to look.
One of his guys came over and relayed a conversation with another contact who was being a pain in his ass. They spoke for a minute and then he heard her voice behind him.
“Excuse me. I’m gonna need to hear you say it.”
He finally turned and gave her his full attention. She looked nervous. Tryin’ to be strong, beautiful as always, and very nervous. As she should be. He assured her that they were good, the debt was paid in full. She nodded and turned to walk back to her car. A Jeep SUV? Not the minivan like he had expected but whatever.
After they left, he told everyone it was time to start breaking things down for their scheduled move. This operation never stayed in one place too long, and he had a schedule of moves pre-planned at varying intervals. His crews were efficient and experienced in moving quickly. Once he gave the order, he left to handle the next item on his to-do list.
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TEXT: Check the cameras from the Fisher St warehouse.
He frowned. They just moved everything out of there. What’s there to see at an empty warehouse? Nothin’ good. Cops? Feds?
He quickly pulled up the camera feeds on his phone. Exterior first. There’s the minivan. Shit. He watched her find the unlocked door and go inside. He changed the camera feed to the open warehouse space and saw her shocked expression when she discovered it was empty. Surprise, darlin’. What’s she doin’ now? It was his turn to be shocked as he watched her remove the string of pearls from her neck and leave them hanging on a doorknob as she walked out. What the fuck.
He left his loft and drove straight to the warehouse to retrieve the pearls. Curling them into his jacket pocket, he pondered what she meant and what to do about it.
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It had been almost 24 hours since he had picked up her pearls and put them in his pocket. When he got home and got into bed, he continued to move them through his hand like a rosary, considering her intentions and thinking about her voluptuous body, beautiful mouth, and huge blue eyes. He had never had a thing for blue eyes, but he had never seen blue eyes like hers. And what is she thinkin’? What is she really after? She had been one surprise after another.
Findin’ out that his money, which should have been safely secured in the grocery store’s safe, was stolen pissed him off. He was ready to find the stupid punks, teach them how wrong it is to steal, and get his money back. That was the first time she surprised him on camera. When he and Mick watched the store video, they were both speechless. Three women? Really? And although the robbery was successful, they definitely looked like amateurs. Especially when the video from the back of the store was enhanced enough to see the minivan’s license plate. Before long, he had the address and was ready to go have a little talk.
Nothing since then had gone as expected. He thought when the three of them delivered the boxes and left the warehouse, that would be the last time he saw them. Saw her. Their business was concluded. Not like they were going to run into each other at the park or a bar or somethin’.
She occupied his thoughts for a long time that night as he tried to fall asleep. She occupied his dreams most of the night. When he woke up, he knew he had to go see her. He was busy all day but hoped he could catch her alone tonight and find out what was on her mind. Until then, he had to focus on business and gettin’ shit done.
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“So what’d you wanna talk to me about?”
He watched her beautiful mouth take a sip of bourbon while those gorgeous blue eyes stared at him. Was she sippin’ bourbon to give her courage or was she already feelin’ bold? He thought a little of both.
When she found him in her kitchen this time, she didn’t scream. Just froze momentarily and then kept walking toward him, then around the island to get the bourbon and a glass. Just one. She didn’t offer him a drink. It was late enough that the kids were in bed, as he hoped. He hadn’t figured out the deal with the husband yet, but he didn’t seem to be around tonight.
Is that why she summoned him? Was she inviting him to her bed? The thought had crossed his mind, of course it had. But she didn’t seem the type, if there really is such a thing.
Finally she spoke. “We want more work.” He held her eyes and silently waited for more. “I mean, we can’t do just…you know…anything. But if you needed us to go back to Canada for more fake cash, we could do that. Or something else that’s kinda low risk and doesn’t require special crime skills.”
He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her. “Is that right?”
She took another sip of bourbon. “Yes, we did a good job, right? We can do more. And since our original debt is settled, we want to work and get paid. We’re trustworthy and good workers. You can trust us to do the job and not tell anyone.”
He was already trustin’ them. If he didn’t, they wouldn’t be alive. Why were these suburban bitches so desperate for cash? They robbed a grocery store and now they wanted to work for him? Guess things ain’t always what they seem. But maybe their suburban, clean-cut image could be useful to him in some way. He wasn’t gonna create work out of thin air, but maybe he could use them. He’d have to think about it more.
He briefly thought about the other two and wondered if they knew what she was doing. She seemed to be the leader of this strange trio. She certainly was the boldest of the three. Was she officially in charge, the most desperate, or somethin’ else?
He nodded at her. “I’ll think about it.”
He saw relief, a little excitement, and then trepidation in her expression. “Um, okay. So, when do you think you might have an answer? Or have a job for us? Like soon?”
“I’ll be in touch.” He turned to go. “See ya soon, yeah?”
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When he got back in his car and started the engine, his phone rang and he saw Mick’s name on the screen.
“Where you at?” asked Mick.
“On my way to the bar.” Rio answered.
Mick chuckled lowly. “I didn’t ask where ya’ goin’. I asked where you at.”
Rio frowned. Why was Mick asking like that? Did he think he was catching Rio doing something he shouldn’t be? Was he? “I had to go check on somethin’, doesn’t concern you. And now, I’m headed to the bar. Any other questions?”
“If you’re talkin’ to that crazy redhead, then it does concern me and everyone else. Those bitches already know way more than they should, and…”
“Mick!” Rio interrupted. “Drop it.”
Mick sighed. “I saw the way you looked at her. More than once. Nobody else knows you like I do. So you’re prob’ly hidin’ shit from everyone else, but not from me. And you can’t trust her. See ya’ soon.” He ended the call.
Fuck, Mick. What did that even mean? Obviously, she’s beautiful. Anyone can see that. Her face, her body, her hair, her eyes, her mouth – okay, maybe he noticed some of those things more than most people. So what. And she did and said things that were completely unexpected. Of course he was surprised and curious and intrigued and… whatever. None of that really meant anything.
And her asking for more work? Maybe Mick didn’t need to know about that yet.
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Rio jumped into the back of their black van, pulling Eddie in after him with the help of a couple guys. Mick was driving and took off as soon as they were all inside. Eddie was a good, loyal kid but sometimes he didn’t think. And now he had a bullet wound to show for his carelessness. They had first-aid supplies in the back of the van so Rio worked on stopping the bleeding and then cleaned the wound. Eddie was lucky the bullet hit his side, and internal injuries weren’t a concern. The bleeding was under control. The hospital could be avoided, and they just needed somewhere safe for him to rest.
Once they had gone a few miles and Mick was certain they weren’t being followed, he slowed a bit. “Boss, where do you wanna take him?”
Rio hesitated briefly, not because he wasn’t certain, but because he knew Mick wouldn’t like the answer. He caught his eye in the rearview mirror. “Beaver Cleaver’s house.”
Mick would never argue or talk back or give him shit in front of other people. But Rio knew that look and steeled himself for the inevitable. Mick knew exactly what he meant, and he didn’t like it.
When they got to her house – what was her real name anyway – he didn’t see any cars so it looked like nobody was home. He went in first to make sure the house was empty and figure out where to put Eddie. They got him situated on one of the girls’ beds.
As they left, Rio noticed a stack of mail on the island and paused to sift through it. Boland. Beth… Elizabeth. And Dean. Looked like a lot of bills. Overdue bills. Maybe that was the reason she was making these risky choices. Part of it anyway.
Back at the bar, Rio and Mick went to the office to talk privately. First they strategized on dealing with the guys that ambushed Eddie, and when they had that plan in place, Rio turned to look directly at Mick.
“I know you ain’t happy about them doin’ more work for us, but they can do things nobody else can. Like today with Eddie.”
Mick sighed, “You trust ‘em, and I trust you. It ain’t my call. Just keep it business ‘cause that’s the real danger here.”
Rio nodded. “Heard. And uh, Nick doesn’t need to know about them.”
Later that day, he got a text from Eddie’s phone and chuckled. Guess they found him.
When he pulled out the stacks of cash they would earn by keeping Eddie safe until he picked him up, he watched their faces closely. They really wanted, no needed, this money. Finally they had a deal and he headed out, confident that this was the perfect way to keep Eddie safe and put these crazy bitches to work.
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He pulled up to the house and realized they were having some type of party, birthday maybe? He smiled, this should be fun.
Going into the house, he saw through the back window that the party was set up in the backyard. Kids, parents, popcorn maker, bounce house. He strolled through the downstairs and into her bedroom, taking it in. Standing in the open French doors, he spotted her at the table with the birthday cake, surrounded by her family and friends. Looked like the party was for the kid who needed help with his math homework. Rio saw when her face registered his presence, and then he turned back into the bedroom.
When she came in, he was looking at the framed photos on the dresser. That’s the husband? How did he land her? He looked like a huge dork – goofy, slimy, and definitely not trustworthy. Wonder what their marriage is like.
She was not happy he showed up during the party. Sorry, mami, wasn’t on purpose. But he liked the spicy indignation on her face and in her tone. She had on a dress that looked really good on her too. Yeah, she definitely saw him checking her out.
Eddie had pulled his gun on her and took her van? Kid wasn’t thinkin’ again. Shit. Saved him some money though since they didn’t finish their job.
Damn husband interrupted them before they were done. He had more he wanted to say, kinda wanted to piss her off some more. That’ll have to wait, time to go. “Cars, huh.”
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“Eddie, where the fuck are you? Call me back!”
Two minutes later, his phone rang. “Where are you? Why did you do that? She was helpin’ you!”
He groaned when Eddie told him where he was and what he was up to. She was gonna be pissed about the bullet holes in her van. “Fill up the tank and take it back.”
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He left the store laughin’ to himself and once again surprised by what they had to say. They did come up with a new idea for washing cash that he hasn’t tried before. Beth – no, she’s an Elizabeth – the bossy, beautiful one had a lot to say again. Alternatin’ between bold and timid. While he enjoys the fire in her, she’d better remember who he is or they’re gonna have problems.
“We’re here to win, bitch.” He laughed out loud thinkin’ about her voice and her face when she said it.
Was he crazy for agreeing to try this plan? Crazy for letting them be involved at all? If this went bad, he would never hear the end of it. But he knew they were motivated, and they didn’t want to get caught, so he was certain they would be careful. And he was only payin’ them 12 ½% instead of the usual 30% so that was already a smart move. She needs to work on her negotiation skills, but it worked out well for him.
He called up Mick when he got to the car. “Need to get 3 bags of funny money ready to drop off to be washed.”
Mick knew that this meant a new connection because their usual crews were already washing. “Who’s washin’ it?”
Rio rubbed his face and grimaced. “The suburban bitches.”
“Are you outta your fuckin’ mind?”
“Mick…” Rio started to warn him, but Mick was undeterred.
“Why do you want them workin’ for you? They’re gonna be trouble.”
Rio cut him off with his sharp tone. “Mick, shut the fuck up. They came to me with a plan to wash at those big box stores, and I’m only payin’ em 12 and a half. So get $100k ready to go, three bags, and get it dropped. We’ll see how it goes.” He hung up before Mick could say anything else.
Rio attributed his success to a little luck and a lot of skill. He knew he was smarter than most people, able to strategically plan as well as think on his feet. Both of those skills had saved his life and his freedom more than once. He was able to read people and lead them. And he knew how to get them to do what he wanted. Elizabeth was harder to read than most people, but every time he saw her, he learned a little more.
He drove to meet Mick at one of their warehouses. Rio really hoped these bitches understood what they were getting into and that he wasn’t making a huge mistake.