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Ted holds the door open for us as we roll out the suitcases stuffed with cash. They were able to efficiently break down the walls of the hotel room, finding hundreds of thousands of dollars hidden within.
Santi and I load up the four suitcases into the trunk and get in the car. As we head to Rowan’s house, I call Marco to let him know we’re on our way while Santi checks the glocks. While we don’t intend to use them, it’s better safe than sorry. Our fathers have a lot of means at their disposal, and there’s no telling if they know what we’ve really been up to tonight.
In the same way we’re setting them up, they could be setting us up.
Once we park in the driveway, I face Santi—my brother, regardless of blood.
“If, for some reason, I don’t make it out of this—”
“Don’t talk like that, Zo. We’re going to be fine.”
I shake my head. “If you make it out, please tell Kate I love her. She has to know that through all this bullshit—allmybullsh—”
“Quit talkin’ like that, man!” Santi’s eyes flash with fear and I can tell I’m freaking him out. “We’re both getting out. Point blank.”
I nod so as not to cause him any more fear, but I’m not convinced. We’re moving forward with this because it’s our only chance,ifwe haven’t already been discovered.
Rowan’s house is one of the safest locations; all of the drugs are stored here before they’re transferred for distribution. Rowan and Marco are the only ones allowed to move the product from here to a warehouse, where it’s picked up for delivery.
Santi's been here more than me because he visits his mom and brother, but I've only been inside a handful of times, and with limited access. That's why the holiday party was crucial for planting the bug. They have eyes on this place 24/7. There are guards that walk the perimeter, and cameras galore.Unlike the office, they feel safe having cameras here. Since they're the only ones who transfer the initial deliveries, they turn off the cameras at those times.
Marco and Rowan only make appearances for large deals, and they’re always armed with their hitmen. Ron was one of them. While they never host meets at Rowan’s, they try to keep it on their turf. You maintain more control that way.
Once we exit the car, I pull Santi into an embrace. He pats my back.
“To the stars,” I say.
“To the stars,” he responds, his voice filled with determination. We pad the front porch steps and knock on the door three times in a row, then wait while I’m sure Rowan checks the camera to clear us for entry.
About a minute later, the door swings open and we’re greeted by my father.
For the last motherfucking time.
“Boys,” Marco says warmly.
“Sorry we took so long,” I say. “It was a pain in the ass getting all the drywall taken down.”
“You’re right on time,” he replies, shutting the door behind us and leading us up the stairs. I spot movement in the kitchen and pray Ryan isn’t here to witness what’s going to take place. “I knew you two could handle it.”
He leads us to the faux guest bedroom, which no one reallyuses. Well, except for me, once. As much as I want to get lost in the memory of the first time I fucked Kate, I need to stay focused.
“Why didn’t you tell us about the hotel?” Santi asks. We avoid eye contact and we keep our masks on, nodding to Rowan when we enter the room.
“We didn’t deem it necessary,” Marco says offhandedly. “You two still have loads to learn about the way we run things.”
So you think.
We hand over the luggage and they each unzip one. If they were cartoons, their eyes would have money bags in them when they see the cash stuffed inside.
“I thought you were laundering all the money through the business and off-shore accounts,” I say. We need to get them talking. The more we get, the better.
“You always keep a stack, son,” Marco says.
“Always,” Rowan agrees.
“If you ever get popped, you’ll need something they can’t trace for bail,” Marco says.
“And a lawyer,” Rowan adds.
