by Kaylea Cross
The Venenos had eyes and ears everywhere on this island. Throughout the islands, and back on the mainland too.
A shadowy figure appeared out of the twilit alley where Hani had just delivered some product to one of his best dealers. A man, wearing a hoodie, the hood pulled up to conceal his face.
Hani tensed behind the wheel of his truck, ready to peel out of there, but relaxed slightly when the man stepped into a dying ray of sunset filtering through the trees next to the rundown building in Happy Valley. Another guy from the crew Hani ran.
The man approached the truck, stopped and waited while Hani undid the window a few inches. “Howzit, brah?” Hani asked, speaking in Pidgin.
“Ho, brah. Dere’s a haole wahini askin’ ‘bout you. Not from ‘roun here.”
Hani frowned. A non-local white woman was asking about him? “Asking what?”
“Wants to know who runs da black tar.”
Lots of people sold black tar heroin here on the island. “How d’you know she means me?”
“Been showin’ a picture of ‘notha haole girl. Wants to know who sold her da black tar. Then she ask who sold dem da black tar.”
“Fo’ real?” Ballsy of her, walking into a place like Happy Valley and asking those kinds of questions. Questions that could get you killed here.
A nod.
That was a helluva lot of detective work for a haole woman to be asking on these streets. Maybe she was a reporter looking for a story. “People talkin’ to her?” He had a hard time believing they would. The addicts and street people here wanted to stay anonymous. They didn’t talk to cops, reporters or outsiders.
The man shrugged. “Dunno. Just heard ‘bout it. She offering money. Thought you’d wanna know.”
Hani didn’t like it, especially the money part. People here were desperate. Was she connected to this Juan guy or the cartel somehow? They were sneaky, ruthless. He wouldn’t put it past them to use a woman to try to get the intel they wanted. “Thanks, brah.” He needed to find out who this haole woman was and put a stop to her meddling.
“K’den.” He walked away and melted back into the shadows.
Hani’s phone rang. He glanced at the display, dread squeezing his throat when he saw the number. Juan. “Yeah,” he answered, steeling himself.
“I’m in town and been doing some research. Heard some white lady’s looking to find out who’s selling my product in your area.”
Hani clenched his jaw. Juan had probably paid the woman off to do it. “I heard. I’ll take care of it.”
“Also heard your cousin’s in town.”
He went rigid in his seat. He was well aware that Kai was in town. His tutu had called to tell him yesterday. “And?”
“You watch your tone, cabrón,” Juan snapped. “I told you what would happen if your cousin showed up here. Now he has. So this is a test. Are you loyal to us, or the fucking DEA?”
Hani knew the answer to that. But he didn’t dare say it. “I’ll handle it.”
“You’d better. I’ve got eyes on you at all times, muchacho. You take him out, you get the bounty. If not…” He let the pause build, making the threat plain. “Bullets are cheap. Would cost me less to put a couple in you and get a new distributor, plus it minimizes the risk. Know what I’m saying?”
Yeah, Hani did. “I said I’d handle it.”
“We’ll meet after it’s done. You’ve got seventy-two hours, starting now.” The line went dead.
Hani curled his fingers tighter around the phone and took a deep breath even though it felt like a concrete slab was lying on his chest. Three days to have someone kill Kai?
There was no way. Absolutely no way he could do it, or be involved. Which left only two options.
Hani could warn him. Except doing that would alert Kai to what he’s been up to, and then his cousin would have no choice but to alert the authorities, including the DEA. Hani knew him. That boy scout part of Kai’s personality couldn’t be overridden, not even for family.
So really, Hani only had one choice. He had to get Kai to leave. Scaring him away wasn’t an option. Nothing scared Kai. Hani had to figure out a way to shove him off the island. Push him away for good, for both their sakes.
His chest felt full of lead as he raised his phone and dialed Kai’s cell number. His tutu had given it to him the other day.
“Maka,” his cousin answered.
The sound of that familiar, deep voice hit Hani like a punch to the gut. He swallowed hard, fought the rush of emotions and memories away. “Hey, cuz. It’s me.”
A pause. “Hani?” Wariness was clear in his voice.
“Yeah. Tutu said you’re home for a visit.”
“Got in yesterday.”
“How you been?”
“I’m good,” he answered cautiously. “You?”
My life is a jacked-up, steaming pile of shit. Thanks for asking. And I’m about as close to rock bottom as a person can get. But I don’t want either of us to die, so I have to do what I can to stop this. “Doin’ good. You busy tonight? I was thinkin’ we could meet up somewhere.”
The silence that followed weighed heavy on Hani, pressing the anvil of guilt harder into his chest. It was the first time either of them had offered an olive branch to the other since their falling out years ago. When Kai told him they wouldn’t have any kind of relationship until Hani cleaned up his life and turned legit.
God, how he wished he’d listened to his cousin.
“I’d like that,” Kai said after a long pause, taking Hani by surprise. “But I’ve already got plans.”
Stupid, to feel a rush of disappointment. Yet he did. “No worries. We can—”
“I’ve got a friend staying at the Grand Wailea. I’m going there for dinner at eight-thirty.”
Hani hesitated, then forced himself to keep going. “I can meet you there. Just to say hey, catch up a little.” He’d have to be careful on his way over there, make sure no one was following him.
“I don’t know.”
Desperation quickened his heart rate. “It’s been a long time, Kai. Too long.”
His cousin sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, it has.” Another pause. “All right, meet me in the lobby then.”
Hani released the breath he’d been holding. Kai probably thought having a third person there would act as a kind of icebreaker, but whoever it was represented the equivalent of a human monkey wrench in Hani’s plan. And yet…
Goddamn it, he missed Kai. Missed him like hell, and had all this time. Hani had to do the hard thing soon and shove Kai away hard enough to make him leave the island. But before that happened, he was selfish enough to want some time with him. Not a lot, or it would make his plan impossible. So he’d take what he could get.
“Okay,” he said. “Meet you there.” He checked his watch. It was seven-thirty now. He had just enough time to run home and change if he was going to make it down to Wailea in time.
“All right. See you.”
“See you.” Hani lowered the phone to his lap, the sting of tears burning the back of his throat. He cleared it and swallowed, forced all that shit away as he started his truck and drove to his place.
He was so deep in his thoughts about Kai and what he would have to do, that only partway there did he remember about the haole woman who’d been asking about him, and Juan’s warning that he was being watched. Hani kept checking his mirrors but it was too late now to discern whether or not anyone was following him, because this part of Kahului was busy and there was a line of cars behind him. He swore under his breath, dots of perspiration breaking out over his upper lip.
Vowing to be more careful from now on, he stayed vigilant as he parked behind his luxury townhouse and headed inside. Showered, shaved and changed into a dress shirt and khaki pants, he got back in his truck and headed for the west side of the island.
A few cars stayed behind him on the highway there, but the one directly behind him wasn’t tailgating as if afraid of losing him, and none of the others were passing
to try and get closer. His gut told him he was still in the clear, though there were plenty of other ways the cartel could track him.
He relaxed, the nerves buzzing in his stomach now mostly to do with the upcoming reunion with Kai. Shame crawled through him, threatened to smother him. He’d made bad choices in his life and it was way too late to fix any of them now. He was in too deep. There was no escape. He was nothing but a pawn of the Veneno cartel, and an expendable one at that.
Maybe Kai can get me out.
As soon as the desperate thought flashed into his head, he dismissed it. He’d done shitty things and trafficked dope for a living because until now it had been easy money. Kai was already in enough danger. Maybe their tutu as well. For once in his life, Hani had to put someone else’s wellbeing before his and think of the only two people he really cared about in this world.
The streets of Wailea were quiet, filled only with the wealthy tourists who paid obscene amounts of money to stay at this luxurious part of the island. He only ever came here on business, whether for meetings or to deliver shipments of product to his dealers who sold to the people who stayed there. And the Grand Wailea was the area’s crown jewel.
He drove up to the luxurious main entrance and handed the keys to the valet, glancing behind him as he stepped out into the sultry night air. A few cars behind him were familiar. Again, none of them concerned him. He would go meet Kai, play it cool, pull him aside for a minute and say something awful to make a clean break, then something else to try and make him leave the island tomorrow.
As he turned toward the open entryway into the hotel lobby, he spotted a familiar figure heading his way. A few inches taller than him, built like a freaking linebacker.
The rush of emotion he’d been trying to hold back burst free, thickening his throat, and his whole plan crumbled around him. Unable to help himself, he broke into a smile and walked faster, drawn to his cousin like a junkie to his next fix.
Kai stopped, his expression closed. Distant. But as Hani came nearer his cousin’s face changed, split into a reluctant grin that made Hani’s heart catch. “Hey,” Kai said.
Overcome by a sudden wave of emotion, Hani walked right up to him, wrapped his arms around those massive shoulders in a back-slapping hug. His chest ached, ready to split open. “Good to see you, hoahānau,” he said, his voice rough.
Kai hugged him back. “You too, man.” He half-turned away from Hani and reached out a hand to someone standing behind him. “And this, this is Abby.”
Hani’s smile slipped, freezing in place as he stared at the newcomer. She was about five-five, with short, platinum blond hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a purple dress that made her pale skin glow. She was pretty, and not Kai’s usual type at all, since he always went for leggy brunette model-types…
Yet the unmistakable pride on his cousin’s face as he looked at her with that smile made Hani’s stomach sink. He’d seen that look once before, when Kai had brought a girl home during his time in the Marine Corps. He knew what it meant, because he knew Kai better than anyone. Even their tutu.
“Hi, Hani,” she said, offering her hand politely, everything about her radiating poise and confidence. This one wasn’t shy. She knew who and what she was, and she looked him straight in the eye when she spoke to him. “Nice to meet you.”
He shook her hand, numb inside. “Yeah. Same.” Fuck. Kai was in love with her. Or if not, well on his way there. They both had a long history of shitty relationships. From what Tutu had told him about Kai’s most recent relationship with some girl named Shelley, Kai hadn’t been happy in a long time. But it was obvious he was happy now, with Abby.
More guilt piled onto the growing mountain he carried on his shoulders. He hadn’t even considered that Kai would be meeting a woman, let alone one he was involved with. Hani didn’t want her or his cousin getting hurt because of him. What the hell was he going to do now? He couldn’t say the things he needed to in front of her, it would cause too much of a scene.
Kai slid an arm around Abby’s shoulders and pulled her in tight to his body, the gesture possessive and protective all at once. “Let’s head down to the restaurant and get our table. Then we can catch up.” He turned away with Abby.
“How the heck do you pronounce it, anyway?” she asked.
“What, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a?” Kai laughed at her dumbstruck expression. “It’s the Hawaiian name for the reef triggerfish. Our state fish.”
The answering smile she gave Kai made Hani’s insides writhe. Dammit. That was the fanciest restaurant in the whole place.
What now? He shouldn’t have come. Shouldn’t be here at all, it was too risky. And how the hell was he supposed to pull off his plan now, in that setting with all kinds of people around as witnesses? Stupid. God, why was he always so stupid? “I can’t stay for dinner,” he blurted out.
Kai stopped and looked back at him in surprise, frowning. “Why not?”
“Something last second came up on my way here. But I’ll have a quick drink with you first, before I go.”
Those deep brown eyes held his for a long moment, the warmth in them cooling. Then Kai nodded. “All right.”
Hani exhaled a long, quiet breath as his cousin turned away and kept walking. He couldn’t tell Kai off here. So tonight was a reprieve of sorts, but it didn’t change the inevitable. Tomorrow he would have to tell Kai what he’d come here to say, no matter how much it would gut him to do it, and hope the hell it was enough to work. Hell, he had to try.
Better for his cousin to hate him forever than Kai or his girlfriend winding up dead from a Veneno bullet.
****
Inside her rental car parked out of sight of everyone coming and going from the fancy hotel, Diane stared at the picture on her phone that one of the people she’d bribed had texted her. It was definitely the same man she’d followed here.
Hani Maka. The name of the man who trafficked the black tar heroin that had killed Bailey.
He’d just gone inside a few minutes ago. She hadn’t been stupid enough to follow him in there. Too many witnesses and who knew how many security cameras. But she had managed to snap a few pictures on her phone when he’d met up with a couple.
She’d been here yesterday, doing some recon. The hotel was hosting a big pharma conference. From her research she’d learned that one company in particular was a big manufacturer of fentanyl. The poison the cartel thugs mixed into their heroin and cocaine.
That shit had killed Bailey. Diane was trying to identify a target here at the conference. She’d narrowed it down to someone from NextGen Pharmaceuticals. The CEO of the company was here. He had to know what his poison was doing to the world, but he and his shareholders didn’t give a shit as long as the profits continued to roll in.
Diane focused on Hani’s picture once more. She hated how good-looking he was. She’d wanted him to be ugly. As ugly as the evil inside him that drove him to make a living distributing poison that killed people’s children.
Had Bailey known him? Would he even remember her if Diane confronted him?
Didn’t matter. Tamping down the hot rage, she scrolled to the next photo and enlarged it. Hani had met another big Hawaiian guy, who was with a woman.
Diane focused on the woman. She was dressed in business attire, a teal blouse and black pencil skirt, and she had something around her neck. A lanyard.
Squinting at it through the glasses she used while driving, a shock of cold ran through her when she read the credentials. Abby McKinley. NextGen Pharmaceuticals. And she was meeting with Hani.
Why the hell would a NextGen employee be meeting with a known drug trafficker? Unless…
She swallowed as a combination of anger and revulsion twisted her stomach. Unless the cartel was working with NextGen to supply the toxic drugs to make addicts and keep demand for their poison high.
Shaken, she started her vehicle and began the drive back to Kaanapali where she was staying. Halfway there, the anger and revulsion had turned into d
etermination. She turned right at the highway and drove across the island, heading to Happy Valley. Once there she found a parking spot near a vacant house and got out to start her canvassing.
Wearing the same wig and outfit from earlier, she tucked her pistol into the loose waistband of her jeans—she was losing weight like crazy, still having no appetite—and went in search of the addict she’d last talked to. The street people here knew things other residents didn’t.
She found him a block from their previous meeting, in the midst of shooting up. He clenched and unclenched his fist as he lowered the needle and removed the elastic band serving as a tourniquet, looked up at her with bleary eyes and scowled.
“Why you here, haole?” he ground out, his expression hostile and suspicious. “I told you not to come ‘roun here again.”
Diane was well aware that the word was meant as a deliberate slur. It was laughable. She was so beyond the realm of words hurting her, he had no idea.
She crouched next to him, heart pounding, and held up her phone—along with a hundred dollar bill. “I just saw Hani talking with this man. He looks like he might be a local. Do you know him?”
The man stared at the money for a moment, then squinted hard at the picture and broke into a chuckle.
Diane frowned and lowered the phone. “What’s funny?”
“Oh, man. Ain’t seen him ‘round here for years.”
“You know him? This guy?” she tapped the big Hawaiian in the photo. Or at least, he looked Hawaiian.
“Yeah, haole, I know him. Moke from ‘roun here. Grew up in the neighborhood. Name’s Kai. They’re cousins. Heard from someone that he’s with the DEA now.”
Diane gasped, her muscles grabbing tight. “DEA?”
“Yeah. That’s what people say.”
Holy shit. This was so much more corrupt and twisted than she had ever imagined. This DEA agent was working with the cartel and the pharmaceutical industry? “They’re cousins,” she repeated, wanting to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood somehow.