Page 7 of The Right Garza

On shaky legs, I walk over to the table and sit down.

Man One sets a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me. “Eat.”

I look down at the food then up at Man One. He’s so big his neck is almost nonexistent. “D-Did you put something in it?”

He picks up a piece of bacon from the plate and pops it in his mouth.

Point taken. But still… “I’m vegan,” I lie.

“In that case, that’s vegan bacon and free-range eggs,” he replies. “Eat.”

A lie for a lie.

If the food isn’t poisoned, why are they so insistent on me eating? Who eats when they’re terrified to the point of shitting their pants?

The Suit straightens up from the couch and strides over to the table, taking the seat across from me. He crosses his legs as if he hasn’t a care in the world. It’s clear he’s the boss, the one to be careful with.

Tentatively, I pick up the fork and poke at the eggs, then nervously shovel some in my mouth.

From his jacket pocket, The Suit pulls out his phone, taps something on the screen, then flips it around so I can see. It shows a video feed of an empty room with a cot. Curled up on the cot with her knees to her chest is a woman. The camera angle is from above so I’m unable to see her face, but I know it’s Ellie because the dress she’s wearing is mine, plus I recognize her purse and shoes on the floor.

“Do you know her?” he asks me.

I stare at the screen, contemplating if I should lie and get the hell out of dodge. But as much of a pain in my ass Ellie has become, I can’t do that to her.

“She said she works for you,” he goes on when I take too long to answer. “Thatyousent her to steal from my business.”

Whoa, what the hell? Way to throw me under the bus, Ellie.

I force out a scoff. “Look at me. Look at where I am. Do I look like anyone’s boss?” I make a show of eying him up and down. “Youare what a boss looks like.”

He sniffs and sets the phone facedown. “You do not remember me, Lexi Flores. But I remember you. I have you in our system.Twiceyou were thrown out ofBlack Goldsome years ago, and ultimately banned.”

“Yours and every other casino in Vegas. That doesn’t mean I’m anyone’s boss. I’m broke as fuck and borderline homeless.”

“That makes you desperate.” He rubs his jaw. “And desperate people make stupid and fatal errors. Like trying to steal from me.”

“I didn’t—”

“Shut up.” The words are said so deceptively gently that they induce more fear in me than a roaring shout with a slammed fist to the table would have.

I have no idea who these men are, but their lack of overt intimidation and weapon brandishing scares me far more than if they’d put a gun to my head. Their cool confidence and causal ease tells me they aren’t just a bunch of gutter goons. No, this man in front of me is someone important. And I’m in deep, deep shit.

“Your girl tried to cheat us forty-six thousand last night,” he tells me. “You are not new to this, so I am sure you know how this works. You are to bring me double that in forty-eight hours. You pay, you get her back. You do not pay, and I put her in a crate and ship her off on a boat.”

I hiccup. Holy freaking shit. That’s almost one hundred thousand dollars. “I-I’m not—I-I don’t have that kind of money.”

He looks around the shitty apartment and nods slowly. “I believe you, but I trust you will get it. Because now you are twice as desperate than you were before. As my mama used to say, ‘when trouble hits you, even a newborn’s shoe will fit you’.” He straightens and produces a card from his jacket pocket. “Call me when you are ready to make the exchange.”

He nods at the other two and starts to leave, then stops and, without turning to look at me, says, “It goes without saying, no cops. Not only will theynotbe able to help you, but if you get them involved you will have someone else to deal with. And trust me, I’m theniceone.”

I’m left staring at the door long after they’re gone, my emotions running amok, from dread, to disbelief, to worry, to anger.

Anger lingers the longest.

Anger at Ellie.

For not listening to me. The stupid bitch never listens!