“Why are you concerned about drug lords if they’re drug dealers?” I said, still upset with the fact I was on a marijuana plantation, or whatever it was called. Though, I was curious where they grew their crop, because all I’d seen was a field of corn.
“Doesn’t that come with the territory?” I added.
She shook her head. “Before the Pandzas did their own thing, nothing big time, just enough to live by, but now they’ve hooked up with this drug lord called Nigel Craven. I asked around about him. Bad news. Big time, not small fry like the Pandzas. Nasty too, not to mention dangerous. And now he’s pulled Bazza and the boys into doing his dirty work. That talk out there is them gearing up for their first takedown.”
“What’s a takedown?”
“They’re going out to destroy rival crops and supplies. Rivals that won’t curtail to Craven.”
My eyes widened. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
She stared at me like I was thick. “Of course it is. I just hope the idiots don’t let anyone see their faces. We can’t afford blowback, especially with the little ones.”
“What little ones?”
“Hasn’t Dante told you about the twins?”
“Oh, yes,” I said, remembering what Dante had said about Marino’s baby brother and sister. “He said they’re one?”
She shook her head. “No, they’re six months. Bazza insisted that his wife, me and the kids go stay with my parents while they did this job, but I refused to leave. After what happened last year, there’s no way I’m letting Marino out of my sight.”
“What happened last year?” I asked, now even more concerned.
“I’d rather not speak about that.”
“I still need to know, because there’s no way I’m allowing Dante to—”
She cut me off, “It had nothing to do with business, it was a personal matter between me and Marino.”
Her words didn’t alleviate my fear, what she’d said about the takedown preying on my mind. I looked out the window again. Dante was still listening to Bazza, hanging onto every word the man was saying as if he was spreading the gospel. I could almost imagine him lifting his hands up and singing ‘Hallelujah’.
“Dante’s a kid too,” I said, not wanting him involved in this. “Bazza shouldn’t include him.”
“Eighteen’s not a kid.”
“He’s—” I stopped myself just in time, surprised she didn’t know his age, especially since she was his cousin’s girlfriend. Maybe she’d assumed his age like I had when I’d first met him, because he did look eighteen.
“Still too young to be doing this,” I said instead.
“Not really, Marino’s eighteen too, and he’s been dealing for a while.” She frowned. “How old are you?”
“Guess,” I said, having no intention of telling her my age.
“Were you really in Dante’s class?”
I nodded. At dinner, China’s brother had asked how I’d met Dante. Dante had cut my stuttered ‘At school’ off, stating I was in his class, just leaving out the part where I was his teacher. I didn’t know how long he expected to keep up the charade, but with the sceptical look China was giving me, it wasn’t going to last long. I just didn’t feel like hurrying it up, the fear of judgment quietening me.
“Were you held back?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then, eighteen.”
I nodded again, not willing to tell her otherwise.
“Do you think we look the same age?” China asked. “Dante reckons I look fifteen. I don’t think I do.”
I didn’t reply, since Dante was spot on.
She harrumphed. “You agree with him, don’t you?”
I shrugged.
“It’s only because I’m short and Marino likes me just the way I am.” She nodded as though Marino’s opinion was law. “Anyway, we better get out there before they start hollering for beer. Men.”
She yanked open the fridge and pulled out a large baking container. She handed it to me, then grabbed a pack of beer. “Follow me,” she said, heading for the back door.
As I stepped outside, Dante’s eyes went to me, his face lighting up. But his smile dropped almost instantly, probably because of the worried look I had on my face, everything about being here scaring me. The stiff forms of the suits sitting across the table from him didn’t help, the two men watching me silently. The more I was learning about what Dante’s cousins did, the more the suits looked like henchmen.
China put the pack of beers in front of Marino and jumped into his lap, yelling, “Missed you!” He laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him all over his face as though she hadn’t seen him for weeks, the girl rather quirky.
Dante’s eyes lowered to his own lap as if asking for the same treatment. I glanced at the men surrounding the table. With the exception of Marino, they were all watching me. I fidgeted with the baking container, worried they knew I was too old for Dante.
Dante patted his lap. “Clara, c’mere.”
I hesitated for a second, then headed for him, feeling like I was walking through a courtroom, the men the jury. And ‘Guilty!’ was their verdict.
As soon as I got close enough, Dante yanked me to him. I shrieked, almost dropping the container. He laughed and pulled me onto his lap.
“You shouldn’t be so rough, Dante,” Bazza reprimanded him. He was sitting across the table from Marino, shaking his head at Dante. “You don’t yank a lady onto your lap. Be nicer, malo.”
“Don’t call me malo,” Dante answered. “I’m a man, not a li’l boy, while Clara’s no lady.”
“Hey!” I turned on his lap and gave him a glare.
He smiled mischievously back at me. “Well, you aren’t, you’re my hot as fuck biatch.”
“Dante!”
“Stop wriggling about, you’re giving me a boner.”
I instantly stopped, my face burning up so hot I felt like I was going to melt. The younger guys sniggered. I clutched the container to my chest, wishing I could disappear.
Dante pulled the container out of my hands and placed it on the table, opening it up. “Sweet! Brownies,” he said, oblivious to my discomfort. He pulled out a brownie and stuffed it into his mouth, muttering, “Pass me a beer, babe,” with his mouth full.
“You can’t—”
He stiffened. “Don’t say it.”
I clamped my mouth shut, his anger silencing me. I looked around the table. Everyone had stopped talking and were now staring at me, probably waiting to see what I was going to do. It felt like a test, and I wasn’t sure I was going to pass.
I swallowed nervously and leaned towards the beer. Dante’s grip on me loosened as I removed a can from the pack. I handed it to him, the smile he gave me reassuring me I’d made the right decision. Although everything in me was screaming he shouldn’t be drinking.
But he shouldn’t be with me either.
And I had to stop acting like his teacher.
Because I wasn’t anymore. I was his girlfriend, which meant I needed to treat him like an equal, not pick and choose what he could and couldn’t do.
But it was so hard.
Dante cracked open the can and skulled it, then rammed the empty can on the table, squashing it with his hand. Marino let out a cheer and did the same, the two cousins so much alike it was eerie.
Needing a distraction, I turned my attention to Marino. “You and Dante could almost be twins. Are there others who look like you two?”
Marino nodded. “Cousin Luka’s kids look just like us.”
“That’s my uncle,” Dante said. “My mum’s brother.”
I turned my head to Dante, rather surprised. “Aren’t you and Marino first cousins?”
He shook his head. “Nah, Bazza and my mum are first cousins.”
My eyebrows shot up. “That would make you and Marino second cousins?” I said, expecting him to be a closer relative.
Dante gave Marino a soft punch on the arm. “But we’re more
like bros.”
I looked over at Bazza. He was staring down at his beer with a frown. I glanced at Marino, thinking it was weird that he didn’t resemble his father, not even a smidgen. I wondered what Marino’s mother looked like, though he couldn’t take after her since she wasn’t Dante’s blood relative. Unless she was related to Dante. Or maybe Marino was the result of an affair. I made a mental note to ask Dante, now curious why Marino looked so much like him and not his father.
“You really should stop wriggling about on me,” Dante said, breaking my line of thought. “You’ll make me come.”
My eyes widened. “Dante! Stop being rude.”
He sniggered. “They don’t care, hell, those hippies will fuck in front of you without batting an eyelid.” He gave Marino another light punch. “Aye, cuz?”
“Stop calling us hippies.”
“Well, you are. All free love and long hair.”
“Still not hippies, and there’s nothing wrong with fucking in front of other people, as long as they don’t take issue with it. After all, I ain’t fucking them.” He thrust his hips up, causing China to bounce on his lap. “I’ll be fucking my China doll.”
“Marino,” Bazza growled. “What did I say about inappropriate behaviour?”
“You can’t talk. I heard loads of stories about what you used to get up to in the seventies and eighties.”
Bazza thrust a finger at his son. “That’s in the past and I don’t want you talking rubbish when we have guests.”
“Why? Those dudes don’t give a toss,” he said, indicating to the suits. “While Clara’s probably heard way worse from Dante.” He turned to me. “Did Dante tell ya what we did over summer in Dargaville?”
I shook my head and looked at Dante, who was grinning wide. “What did you do?”
“Fucked up a storm,” Dante said. “The chicks were lining up for us. It’s how Marino met China.”
“No, I met her well before that,” Marino said. “We got together a while ago, split up, then got back together again that night.”
“So that’s why she chose you over me. Makes sense now, since all the babes flock to me. I’m like a magnet and they’re like... metal?”
Marino laughed. “And to think you’re a poet.”
“And you know it,” Dante snorted out a laugh. “Anyway, I would’ve let you have China. She’s not my type.”
“You’re not mine either!” China cut in.
Dante smiled at her. “I obviously am if you’re with Marino, but you’re defo not mine. My type has tits.” He placed his hands on mine. I smacked them off, getting more laughs from the younger guys.
“I’ve got tits,” China snapped.
“No, you have mosquito bites.”
Marino and China’s brother burst out laughing.
China’s hand whipped out, hitting Dante across the head, then she hit Marino. “Stop laughing! You should be defending my honour!” She hit Marino again, who was going bright red from laughter.
He grabbed her wrists, stopping her from hitting him a third time. “It doesn’t mean I don’t like your tits.” He let go of her wrists and placed his hands on her breasts. “Fits perfectly.”
China stood up and walloped him across the head, this time making him yelp.
“Why’d you do that for?!” he yelled out, rubbing his head. “I complimented you.”
She glared down at him. “That wasn’t a compliment, you pig.” She spun around and stalked off.
Marino jumped up and ran after her. “Why am I a pig? I said your tits were perfect!”
They disappeared inside the house to a chorus of laughter. Even the two suits were chuckling, only Bazza looking unimpressed.
Marino’s father shook his head. “I tell him he can’t speak to women like that, but the stupid boy never listens.” His gaze shifted to Dante. “You’re the same. You two need to stop being so rude and learn some manners.”
“I wuzn’t bein’ rude, I wuz just stating a fact. You can clearly see China’s flat as a pancake.”
“It doesn’t matter how big or small she is, you don’t talk about women’s parts like that,” Bazza growled. “What if she said your dick was tiny?”
“But it’s not.” Dante thrust upwards. “Clara can testify to that.”
Having had enough of his rudeness, I pushed off his lap. “I’m going inside.”
Dante grabbed my wrist. “Nah, don’t go.” He went to pull me back down.
I yanked free. “Bazza’s right. You not only disrespected China, you disrespected me.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What are you talkin’ ’bout? I didn’t disrespect you.”
I glanced at the other men, who were all listening in rapt silence. I leant my head down and whispered into his ear. “Thrusting up at me like that as well as grabbing my breasts in front of people.”
He screwed his face up. “What’s so wrong ’bout that?”
“What planet do you live on? Not only is it rude, it’s highly inappropriate behaviour.”
“Can the lectures, you ain’t my teacher,” he snapped, the anymore unspoken. “You’re my bloody girlfriend, so start acting like it.”
My eyes widened. “You are so rude!”
“No, what’s rude is when you tried to stop me from having a beer.”
“I gave you it.”
“Only cos I bit your head off,” Dante growled, his temper heating up.
I didn’t reply, knowing that was true.
Bazza tapped the table, grabbing my attention. “Looks like you’ve both said and done things the other doesn’t like, so let’s call it even.” He detached a beer and slid it across the table to me. “Have a beer and relax, there’s gonna be a lot more serious things to fight over, don’t get hung up on the small things.”
I smiled at him, appreciating the comment. Even though I didn’t like beer, I took the can and sat down in Marino’s seat. Dante muttered something, pulling my attention back to him. He reached past me and grabbed another beer, giving me a challenging look. I exhaled, knowing Bazza was right that it was a small issue, but also knowing that Dante’s challenging nature was a big one.
I pulled the tab on my can, not happy that all the men were still looking at me. I lifted the beer up, saluting them. “Cheers,” I said, just wanting to break the awkwardness.
They all replied back with a cheers, well, all but Dante, who was already drinking his second beer. Needing another distraction, I took a drink, forcing myself not to grimace, but God, it was disgusting. I reached past Dante and grabbed a brownie out of the container, biting into it to get rid of the bitter taste.
One of the suited men pushed to his feet. He was tall, dark and had an aquiline nose, along with long black hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. He said something to Bazza in Croatian. Bazza nodded. The man indicated to his blond friend, barking out what sounded like an order, then walked off, the other suit following him into the house.
Bazza refocused on me. “Marino’s mother and I were high school sweethearts like you two.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
“She’s dead.”
I winced. “Sorry.”
He waved a hand. “Nothing to be sorry for, our relationship ended years ago. Hope yours fares better.”
I nodded and took another bite of the brownie, glancing at Dante to see if he was still mad. He was frowning down at his beer can, not looking happy. I swallowed down the brownie, an uncomfortable silence once more falling over the table.
Luckily, the two suits emerged from the back door with a bag and a suitcase. The dark-haired one tossed the bag onto the table, muttering in a thick Croatian accent, “Grab a roll each, you get the rest after the job’s finished.”
China’s brother grabbed the bag and pulled out ... money. He passed it to Bazza, who took three rolls, only Dante not taking anything. Bazza tossed a roll to me.
I caught it. “What’s this for?”
“Dante’s pay,” Baz
za said.
“Sweet!” Dante trilled, practically ripping the money out of my hand. He counted through it. “Five hundred bucks! Ta, cuz!”
“You’ll get twice as much once the job’s done.”
Dante’s eyes went wide like mine. “Why so much?”
“If we succeed, Craven will earn a shitload more, plus the risk is all on our shoulders. So, follow the plan and you’ll get fifteen hundred all up.”
“Choice! No more scrounging for food.”
“And now you have a woman, you have to take care of her properly. If you want to keep your lovely lady, stop pretending to be an adult, and act like one.” Bazza’s cloudy gaze moved to me as I finished the brownie, his use of woman and lady reaffirming he knew I was older. Even half blind he could tell. Maybe Dante was right about his cousin accepting me. It made me swallow that much easier.
He pushed out of his seat and nodded at everyone. “Have a good night, I’m off to deliver a batch to some mates. Catcha later.”
The suits followed him, muttering in their own language.
I glanced at Dante, catching China’s brother staring at me. The leather tie holding back his blond hair had come loose, allowing a few of his dreadlocks to escape. He looked like a really young Mikko Lindström from HIM, minus the towering height, River only a few inches taller than me.
Needing a distraction from the unwanted attention, I picked up another brownie and took a bite out of it, the rich chocolaty flavour almost making me groan.
Dante grabbed my hand as I went to take a second bite. “How many have you had of those?”
“Two.” I yanked free from his grip, not amused he was stopping me, his tone still harsh.
“That’s too much for you.”
My eyebrows winged up. “Is that so?” I took another bite, thinking he had a nerve telling me how much I could eat.
“Well, yeah, you should only have had one.”
I leaned closer to him and took an even bigger bite, River sniggering behind Dante.
Dante shook his head. “You are gonna be so smashed off your face.”
I stopped mid-chew. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s obvious.”
Jagged Pill (Broken Lives Book 3) Page 6