Grace Anne - By Kathi S. Barton Page 0,25

for herself. Maybe we could kill this one off and live in her big building before anyone could notice.”

That, too, had its merits. The hotel they were staying in was expensive and eating out every day was killing her. She hated that she couldn’t just go somewhere and eat; she had to fight with the other two on every choice.

They were quickly running out of funds and she needed to get to her guy in Atlanta soon. He’d been slacking in the money part of their deal. She pulled out her cell phone to call him now, but was distracted watching Michael pull Grace Anne into the limo. Christ, but the man looked at her like she was his last meal and he planned to get his fill. The kid, Trace, was getting into another limo that the older couple got into.

“Looks like someone is going to get lucky tonight,” Verrie said sardonically. “I just think there is no accounting for taste for these women. Give me a big man with a lot of push behind his fuck and I’ll be a happy woman. Unlike you, who can get off with a couple of fingers and a piece of cotton.”

Ginny’s anger boiled over the top and she forced pain into Verrie’s head. She knew that it would hurt her too. She’d learned that a couple of days ago when she’d tried it on Guinevere. Blood trickled from her nose and she knew that she’d have to pay for this. Verrie was the meanest and the most vindictive of the three of them. She was also quickly becoming the most unstable.

When she was gone Ginny pulled out her phone and called Shawn in Atlanta. He answered on the first ring and he sounded strung out. Great, Ginny thought. He was extremely difficult to try and deal with when he was only just high; this way, he’d be paranoid and mean.

“I need more money. Send me what you have.” She didn’t like his laughter at her demand. “You think this is funny, dope boy? Well, it’s not. How much and how soon?”

“I got myself a little need myself here. And just so’s you know, I think I’m not making enough on my cut. I want you to send me more stuff. And the good kind, not that bullshit you sent me the last time either.” Ginny nearly hung up and thought about calling him later, but knew that the five thousand they had left wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Tell me how much you have and I’ll send you the stuff accordingly. And you’ll send it today, not when you get the stuff either.” She heard him laugh, maniacal and loud. “Are you paying attention to me? I asked you how much?”

“I got you fifty grand. Pretty boy up north is really working hard on trying to impress his new missus. He’s got that project, the Madison one, almost finished. We’ll have to…” He laughed again and Ginny felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. “We’ll have to find us another cow to milk.”

This time his laughter was long. She was ready to go to Atlanta and kill the son of a bitch and would have if she had the time. But she needed the little piss ant and knew that, as soon as this was over, she was going to let Verrie have her way with him. She chilled when she heard the other woman agree.

“I’ll send it out today,” he sang at her. “Today, I’ll send it out today. And when I do, you’ll send me my drugs, my drugs you’ll send to me.”

She closed her phone knowing that he’d have to be called back in a few hours to be reminded to send it out again. She hated using such an unreliable source, but in this thing she needed money and he was her easiest source.

~~~

“The money is moving. Daniel got a hit on it about an hour ago and now it’s in the system.”

Alyssa looked up from her desk as Nathan came into her office.

“It looks like it’s our boy Shawn Nicholson. He’s been in the program several times over the past five years, all on your tab.”

“So, now what? Do you know where the money is going?” She had little knowledge about how this worked and was glad that several months ago her brother had brought Daniel Steward in to talk to her. She’d been both impressed and terrified about what he could do