Page 150 of Beautifully Ruined

Enzo:Meet me at Joe’s. Bring your game face. The usual.

“I haveto go meet him. I’ll be back as soon as I can. But call your friend.”

For a quick second, I’m not sure she’s going to give me even a quarter inch. But she does.

“Uncement?” she says.

“That’s not a thing,” I grin, going to her and kissing her. “But it should be.”

When I can tear myself away, she’s on the phone to Lia.

I leave her some cash for pizza, and then I pack my computer and head out.

Joe’s is a bar on the Lower East Side that is a mix of people from the edges of society. Those who work in the shadows like us. Criminals. People with things to sell whether it’s information or services.

I head in, hood up, and hope like hell whatever this meeting is, is fruitful.

It’s latewhen we get to my place, and it’s quiet. Vi texted she was taking a nap when Lia left, but I was to wake her when we get back.

I hold my finger to my lips as we walk into the loft. “Vi’s sleeping, so keep it down.”

“And here I was, ready to rage.”

Enzo heads into the kitchen and puts his backpack down, helping himself to whiskey and a slice of cold pizza from the box in the fridge.

I pick up my old whiskey, drain it, and then refill because I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a long ass night.

“That was…” Enzo searches for the word, but I’ve got it.

“Bunk.”

“Inconclusive. But it did back up what we thought…what you thought. The fishing store is a cover. And that training place is where they hold the most precious cargo.” He slumps in a chair and finishes off the pizza slice, washing it down with whiskey.

Then he pulls out his computer. “We need to get in there.”

How? Men aren’t exactly invited in or what they want in terms of workers. Sure, there are guys on the payroll, but they wouldn’t be at the same place. So, we need to think outside the box.

“Or if we can’t, we do something about crippling the funds coming into The Dungeon.”

He shakes his head. “Not going to happen. Fees aren’t on that system, and we don’t know how it’s set up. Names will be at the office, either on a closed system or probably written in a log book, old school style.”

Fuck, he’s right. “And I’m thinking the money coming in isn’t to do with fees.”

“Fees are going to be cash or money paid into other avenues of Allistair’s many businesses. He’s not rich for nothing.”

“We need to sort this out. That cash flow being deposited could be for girls.”

“Or drugs. Or investments.”

“Point is, it’ll all be illegal. No one has big sums moved like that legally.”

“Fuck. We need to open a club, stat. They’re a money maker and perfect cover for laundering.”

“Perfect to be swooped down on by the vultures out there, the ones who’ll pick your bones and turn you into a puppet.”

Enzo reaches for the bottle. “That’s not what vultures do.”

I move it away from him and top up mine, not that it really needs it.