Iker raised his hands. “And tell them what? That her friend was in trouble? If they’d turned up looking for her, Miller would have reassured them she was with me of her own free will. Miller was certain Miss King would drop everything and come for her. At the very least I figured it would give us enough time to search her apartment without interruption. If Miss King actually turned up looking for Miller, well, all the better. We could have a little talk.”
“Why not just snatch her?”
“Come on. You and I both know it’s not that easy to just kidnap someone. You have to study them, work out their schedule, figure out when they’ll be alone and vulnerable. This way held far less risk for me. Even if she did tell someone, Miller would deny it all.”
“So you really think this Matilda King has your money?” Rogan asked.
“She’d better,” Iker said ominously.
“How much are we talking about?”
“One point two million.” Iker watched Rogan assessingly. “Now, you want to tell me why you care about all of this? And don’t tell me it’s all for a friend. You’re like me. We don’t have friends.”
Dylan stepped forward. “Because Matilda King is my girlfriend. You harm one hair on her fucking head and I’ll kill you.”
***
“Well that could have gone better,” Rogan said as they stepped out the back door and into the alleyway. The meeting had been held in the back room behind a laundromat.
“Sorry,” Dylan said. “I lost my temper.”
“I thought you’d have better control over yourself,” Rogan replied with a hint of censure.
“I should. But just the thought of one of them touching Tilly, it makes me feel murderous.” He clenched his hands as fury rolled over him.
“All right. Well, it’s done now. We just have to make the best of the situation.”
“What’s Fizz?” Dylan asked as they walked back towards the car.
“New drug. Looks like candy and it fizzes on your tongue. Iker has secured a supply and he’s been trying to convince me to buy it off him. I’m not selling shit that’s so new we don’t even know all the side effects. Plus, they’re marketing it to kids and I don’t sell drugs to kids.”
“He’s not happy about it,” Dylan commented.
Rogan snorted. “Iker can kiss my ass. He’s just pissy because the Russian mob is refusing to get on board as well. He thinks I have some influence on the mob’s boss.”
“Do you?”
Rogan slanted him a look. “Anisimov’s his own man. He makes his own decisions.”
“I thought the Seven Sinners didn’t have big numbers here anymore?”
“They didn’t,” Rogan said grimly. “Until they made a deal with the Fuerte cartel. Now they’re like fleas on a dog. You get rid of one and twenty more appear.”
“Are they creating problems for you?” Dylan asked.
Rogan grew tense. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
It didn’t sound like nothing. But then, what did Dylan know?
***
“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Tilly held her hand against her chest as an older man stepped into the limo. His face was deeply tanned and lined. His white hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
“Jimmy, what the hell are you doing here?” Aedan sounded annoyed, but there was a small smile on his face.
“Saw the limo here and thought I’d stop in,” he said in an Australian accent.