He swallowed his disgust. Slang was for losers. “Save the street talk for your lower-level contacts. You’re above that.”

“Thanks to you—but the lingo comes in handy during deals. What’s up?”

“I’m past due for a status report on the last shipment.”

“It’s still in distribution. I was gonna call you once the inventory was gone.”

“Transactions are slower than usual. You sure there wasn’t any trouble at the pickup point?”

“Nope. It was smooth. Not a soul in sight. But everybody’s on different schedules during the holidays. Getting the word out that we have merchandise has been slower.”

“The holidays are over.” A homeless man across the street wove down the slippery sidewalk, and Wolf grimaced in disgust.

Another druggie who’d lost the battle to get clean—if he’d ever bothered to enter the fray.

What a wasted life.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Razor sounded miffed.

Wolf refocused.

Maybe his comment—and inherent insinuation—were out of line. There was no reason to doubt the trusted lieutenant who was his face on the streets. Razor owed him—and the man knew it. Without his intervention, Razor would be just another hash mark on the OD list, one more nameless statistic.

Instead, he was positioned to take over an operation that would bring him wealth beyond his wildest dreams—as long as he stuck with the program.

Continued cooperation was the key to both their futures.

Better backtrack.

“Nothing. Sorry. It’s been a busy holiday season. I’m overdue for a vacation.”

“You’re headin’ toward a permanent vacation. Hang in and keep your eye on the prize.”

Wolf arched an eyebrow.

Once upon a time, he’d been the one offering pep talks.

Another sign he should hand over the reins soon and fade out of the picture.

“You’re right. A few more months, and my kingdom will be yours.”

“Don’t rush on my account. I don’t know if our contacts are ready for new management.”

“They will be. I’ve been laying the groundwork. You should start grooming your own second-in-command.”

“I’m workin’ on that.”

The wind picked up, and Wolf set off down the street at a brisk pace. “I’ll be in touch when the next delivery is scheduled.”

“Same pickup place?”

“Yes. It’s easier than changing locations with every shipment.”

“I don’t like it out there—especially alone. I’m not a country boy.”

“After what happened in October, solo is safer. You ever have any hassle about your grunt guy going missing?”

“Nah. Going missing is a way of life here. I’m more worried about the other missing persons.”

Wolf frowned as he crossed a street, detouring around a discarded syringe. “Why?”

“I hear the cops are still poking around.”