it’s closer to you and I’ll be there tonight at 5.
The text is followed up with an address. I wonder if I should wait a few minutes before responding, but I’m pretty sure he can see that I’ve read them anyway. I cringe. I wonder if that looks clingy. I don’t want to look that way. I wanna seem laid-back. Eh. Whatever. I shrug my shoulder and send a reply.
Thanks. I’ll see you then.
And thanks for the orgasms this morning. May I have another? I laugh at my inner thought. I am not sending that, although it’s exactly what I want to say. He’s sweet and funny. And fucks my body like it was made for his dick. My thighs clench again.
Damn, one time and I’m a sex addict. I put down my phone and sit up, ready to get my mind on something else. But then I remember the shit my mother left me saddled with, and my heart sinks. I bite the inside of my cheek. I need to get my ass up and go look for a job. Make that jobs. One for myself, and one fit for a recovering alcoholic. I’m not going to waste my life taking care of her. She needs to get her shit in order. I nod my head with anger as I pull my laptop from my bag and open it up on the desk.
Everything’s going to be just fine. Even as I think the words and try to believe them, something deep in my gut is telling me it’s a lie.
Vince
I put the phone back in my pocket. She’s quick to answer and agreed to meet me tonight, just like I knew my sweetheart would. She’s giving me a clingy vibe--usually that turns me off, but on her, I like it.
I blow out a long exhale and face the docks. If only the rest of my day could be this easy.
“Boss, we got another problem.” Tommy walks up behind me. I turn to look at him and see his chin is bruised up nice. Seeing it almost makes me feel like a prick. Almost. I know he was doing what he thought was best for the family, but fuck that. I’d do it again if I had to.
“It’s all fucked today.” I shove my hands in my pockets and stare at the water, listening to the waves beat against the dock. Three orders came in, but all three were only partially filled. “What’s wrong with this one?”
“Supposed to be 50 pounds.” I nod my head. I know how much we should be getting from the Marzano Cartel. It's the same we’ve been getting for nearly 7 months now. “We’ve only got 42 here.”
“Someone is skimming. Who is it that counted? I want all the names, Tommy.”
“I was there for this one, boss. I saw it opened.”
“And the container?” It’s possible someone fucked with them on the ship. In which case we have all their names and addresses. Someone would have a real rough night if it came down to that.
“Locked and untouched.” He’s confident, and that tells me everything I need to know.
“So it’s their end that’s fucking with us.” That’s not good. It’s never good ending business relations in the line of work we do. But I’m not putting up with this shit. “Did they think we wouldn’t notice 8 pounds were missing?” Not to mention the guns. They were light, too.
“Could be someone in packing on their end.” Tommy’s got a point.
“I’ll send a message to Javier. We need this shit dealt with immediately.” I have to walk back to the docks to get the phone we use for that shit. Tommy walks with me.
“How’s the other situation going?” he asks. My hands flex and I crack my neck trying to keep my temper at bay. I know he’s concerned, but I don’t like him asking about her.
“It worked. She doesn’t remember shit.”
He nods his head and grins. “That’s fucking fantastic.” He doesn’t sound as thrilled as he’d like me to believe he is. “You sure about that?”
“Positive.” He shuts his mouth and nods his head, walking silently beside me. I’m the underboss, he knows not to question me. I can see his worry though, so I decide to put him out of his misery. “She’s easy to read, and she’s gonna come over tonight for a quick second to grab a book I took from her.” I open the heavy door and grin at him. “You can