Page 98 of Beni

“And you know I’m kidding, right?” Cory asked.

Beni shot him a look. “About what?”

“August.”

Ah.

“Yeah, man, I know you’re just fucking with me.”

“She’s a great girl—you’re a lucky fuck, if she sticks around.”

Jealousy flared in Beni.

“Just how do you know that?”

Cory laughed, pulling his boots down from the table and shaking his head. “Not for any reason you’re thinking. I’ve just been around a few times when she visits. Besides, girl isn’t even my type … she’s in control, you know? Got her shit figured out, or whatever. Knows what she wants in life. I tend to chase after women who—”

“Are crazy like you?”

It took Cory a second.

Then, two.

“Yeah, that’s fair,” he murmured, “but they’re always fun.”

Well, then …

“And how’s the east side thing going?” his friend asked.

Beni scowled. “Hard to say.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what I said. After that attack on me … shit’s been really quiet. No obvious thefts from within the crew, no more fighting amongst the guys than usual, and the gang hasn’t been causing us problems like they were. Hard to find the person causing this trash when they’re not stirring the shit, you know?”

“Huh.”

“What?”

Cory shrugged. “You didn’t see who it was, right?”

“Little too focused on the bat swinging toward my head, that’s all.”

At least the bruise was gone.

“Right,” his friend muttered, “but what if the person thought you did? It could be that everything is quiet because they’re waiting shit out. They got too close, too fast. Thought it was over for them, and yeah, took a step back to let it chill out.”

“That makes sense.”

“See.” Cory pointed at his temple and smirked. “I am smart.”

“Still crazy, too.”

“Life’s more fun that way.”

Whatever his friend wanted to believe, okay.

“Besides,” Cory added, “it being quiet is a good thing right now. Theo’s got a major shipment of cocaine coming in from Mexico soon, and they always use Jerome’s warehouses to store it while they get it ready to sell, you know? Wouldn’t want someone fucking around, and getting into that. Be a lot of money lost.”