“Considering that’s my fucking alcohol, I feel like our roles should be reversed. Doesn’t matter. What did you find out this week? Dictator is being ridiculously cryptic, and then he beat me within an inch of my life after he found out I went out with the ‘Montgomery girl’.”

His facial expression was hidden behind his mask. This time he wore a plain black balaclava. I didn’t complain; he once wore a silicone horse head. The shit he wore on his head was so strange, but I was in no mood to comment on them. The only thing I ever saw were his green eyes and–sometimes–his thick brown eyebrows. When his eyebrows were visible, I could usually guess his facial expressions.

“Your fault for being late.” He threw back his glass and poured another. “As for the girl, she’s Maria’s heir. Mr. Vaughn had a close relationship with her.” He stroked the cat in his lap and lit up a cigar from my stash. He had no boundaries, but at some point, I got used to it. “Do you think...”

“Ew, what the fuck? That I just tried to bang my aunt? No way in hell. He probably sees her as another Maria. Whatever is going on with her, I’m not allowed to know.”

He shrugged. “The dirty side of the business has been in rocky waters from all these men we’re taking out lately. He probably wants to get to her first. I’ve been here since before Maria died and he sang her praises daily. They were strong partners in crime. The whispers, though, are about some ‘girl’ and how her being brought in needs to happen sooner rather than later. I assume that’s your fuck buddy.”

If only she was my fuck buddy. Well, I wanted more from her than that. She was interesting and mouthy–two things I never encountered with the girls on campus or around me in general. They all wanted to drop their panties for me as soon as they saw me, but she didn’t And damn, if that didn’t piss me off.

I leaned back in the chair, taking a swig of the drink while digesting his words. “What else is in these whispers? Dictator doesn’t tell me shit and you’re some of my only ears here.”