Page 1 of Pushed

Prologue

Machi

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“You realize what you're asking me to do right now, right?” His fingers splayed open, jabbing towards my chest.

Tapping my thumb on the steering wheel, I nodded. “Yeah, Dickhead, I'm fully aware of what I just asked.”

Sitting back against the seat, Bentley ran his hand across his forehead. “This isn't going to go smooth for you man, it's not. I know we go way back, but I can only do so much to help you.”

“Trust me, I understand that. But it's not me I'm worried about.”

Ben dug his elbows into his knees, cradling his skull. “Fuck, Machi, I know you've been through fucking hell, and I'm sorry about that, but this is fucking crazy. I'm not sure this is the way, if we could just. . .” Pausing, he rubbed the sides of his head. “Let me make a few calls, let me see what I can drum up for this.”

“No, just you, no one else.” Tightening my hands around the steering wheel, I thinned my lips. “It's the only way, it needs to be clean, it needs to go down without a problem. You'll get what you want and so will I.”

“But what if it doesn't?”

“It will.”

“And the money? Where the hell do I get that kind of cash?” Slapping the top of his thigh, he stared at me in wonder. “What if I end up not having enough?”

“I'll get you what you need, that's not an issue. I just need you to be there—justyou.I don't trust anyone else.”Staring him down, I watched him nod with understanding.

Holding out his arms, his hands bounced around in the air, drawing out thoughts and words, creating a visual for me to follow. “How can you be sure this will work? Fuck, we've been after these guys for years and you show up telling me you can hand them to us on a silver platter? It's never that easy. They haven't made a mistake, they haven't left a goddamn line of piss for us to follow. No one's talking, and no one,I mean no one—”Slicing the air in half, he waved his hand over his lap. “No one will ever say shit about him, we can't find a single fucking person who will even say he exists.”

“Oh he exists, I promise you that. And you're right, you haven't found them. . . They found you,Ifound you.” Turning to face him, my brows arched high. “I'm coming to you, I'm going to be the key you need. Two years, it took me two fucking years to get this far, to find them, to get in, to get this close. . .” Pausing, I let my eyes drift back to the windshield. “I know the entire operation like the back of my hand, but I need your help first.”