black Dahlia|| Craig Cody

27

Dahlia's pov
i wait anxiously for craig and deran to come back from jacking the trucks. nicky's dad decided to want a bigger cut out of nowhere. fuck that guy. "baby they're going to be okay you're gonna burn a hole in the floor" smurf says. she says "we also need to talk privately" i nod and follow her "with everything that's happened to you i made some decisions" she starts. i question confused "like what?" "like not having baz as my power of attorney anymore. you're gonna kill him sooner than late i bet" she tells me. i reply "who do you have in mind? J?" she shakes her head "us ladies have to stick together. you. if something happens to me...you're going to have everything. all my properties. all the money. it'll be your choice on what you do with it. Baz has proven to be all over the place. he's a prick. looking back at it. i wish i kept him away from you the way i kept him away from Julia and that mexican whore. i failed you. numerous times baby. you are my daughter. okay? even more now that you're with craig." i nod and she says "i'll call you with a meeting time. okay baby?" i nod "okay" and she goes to walk away. i tell her "i know you've been skimming off the top of our jobs for years smurf. the guys have been too stupid and busy with jobs to notice. but i haven't been. sobriety brought me clarity on a lot of things. i want all of my money. from this job and the other ones too." she smiles "you've always been the smartest one in the room. guess it's why J is the way he is. trust me baby. you'll get your money. we're partners now" why does it sound like a death sentence? i sigh "okay" and head out to see the guys hosing down craig and dean who are gross. i walk out and i cup his face "are you okay?"

he nods "fuckin oil babe" i nod and he heads inside and i go to deran "you okay?" he nods "got all the money" i say "that's not what i asked D" he sends me a smile "im alright." "ma can i talk to you?" j asks. i nod and he says as he pulls me to the side "yates is going to raid" "yates got fired how is that possible?" i ask. he says "i don't know but they told me earlier" i nod "i'll deal with it." i go to smurf and say everything. including my relationship with Hal. knowing yates she'll tell and make it something it's not. she nods "good job baby. connections are important. we'll get shit done" i nod and we warn the guys and we hide everything illegal really well. i dive to the bottom of the pool and hide money in the drain. once we're sure we're all set J does the signal. and the raid happens.

yates pushes me against the wall "get off of her" craig snaps. i chuckle "trust me baby im fine." she says "you know she's worked for the feds? yeah! my boss" "ooh shock value" i chuckle. "been snitching for years" she continues the lie. i ask "who's your boss again? last i checked you were fired so this raid is illegal and not sanctioned." she snaps "i still have my badge" "you were fired effective immediately...this ain't you being jobless" i say taunting her. she hits me and i smirk "you're so gonna be payin for that" and they find nothing and i say "bye now!" i watch as she asks to talk to j and he's pushed against the truck and snapped at. "babe don't" craig calls but im over there and pushing her away from him "do not touch my kid. go. now. Hal will be hearing about this too. so no matter where you want to go be an agent next...you won't be able to. hal is the head of all departments. FBI. ATF. have fun flipping burgers. all of you." taking note of all their badge numbers and names. glaring as they go. i ask J "you okay?" he asks "you work for a fed? the head one?" i shake my head "i did a job for my freedom years ago. i saved his life. so he owes me his and whatever i need is mine." walking back inside and smurf gifts J a gun.

i clasp his shoulder "ill teach you how to use it" Baz says "we not gonna talk about how you work for the feds?" i roll my eyes "the feds work for me" lighting a cigarette "yeah because that's believable" "Dahlia...explain" deran asks and says "and why doesn't smurf seem ready to kill you? why is no one but me and baz and j surprised" i reply "Deran remember that time when we pulled a job together and the cops were on our ass and i told you to run?" "yeah and you evaded them and had to hide out for over a week" he replies.

"i didn't hide out for a week. i was in prison." i start and he says "what?! why didn't you call? we could've had a lawyer for you!" i just told everyone else i was locked up and asked a favor and got my freedom for doing it. not how i got locked up. or when. "they didn't catch me. i surrendered. it bought you time to get away with the money. i wouldn't speak. so they wanted to throw the book at me. 10-20. i was going to make the call to you guys when i was pulled out for a visitor. it was Hal Vedder. head of just about every three letter government department. he knew me. my skill set. been watching over me. seen me do jobs. even the ones for you smurf. i have been tailed for years and didn't even know it. he was that good. he offered me a deal. i help catch this serial rapist, drug and arm dealing ring. and he'll make my sentence disappear. i took the deal. i wasn't being asked to rat on you guys. the only time i was asked about you guys was during my trial and i said nothing. he said if i didn't do it they'll slap those murder charges on me too. i went to the job. saved his life, got shot in the process and almost died" showing the bullet scar that's hardly visible from the plastic surgery. i say "i was paid a lot, my record was scrubbed clean, and hal vedder owes me his life. i make a call to him and shit gets done. he couldn't release pope because of the fame of the case. craig, deran, baz, you got early release because of him. he works for me now because i saved his life"

i dial his number and put him on speaker "what did you do now kid?" i chuckle "it's not about me. it's about that agent Yates and her group of colleagues" "what about them? they've been fired effective immediately. not in the offices or anything" he asks. i reply "they still have their badges and guns and had enough balls and audacity to come and raid our house. they didn't find anything of course. we're upstanding citizens and were wrongfully accused of some robberies and illegal gun ownership? yates put her hands on my son who they scared into talking to them illegally and well you know that whole story." he snaps "son of a bitch! tell your family im deeply sorry bout this. tell your son im sorry about her behavior. ill clean this right up" and with that he hangs up. i do the same and smurf says "good work" baz scoffs "how does she get praise? she just admitted to working with a fed!" "she didnt have a choice. and now...because of her smart working. the feds are under her thumb" she says. i go in the pool and get the money from the drain.

paul comes and demands his 150k. i roll my eyes "you'll get your original cut we discussed prior to us pulling this job. in 3 weeks in a locker in a bus station" craig offers me a towel and i take it and paul says "who made you boss?" smurf speaks up smirking at me from behind her cup of coffee "i did" i look to her not expecting her backing me up on this. baz says "smurf?" "not now baz. but paul she is right. why would we get a smaller cut than you?" "i could lose my job and go to prison for even giving you access to the money" paul says. i speak "we would've pulled this job with or without you paul. we could've been put in prison too. or even killed if found on that base. you don't get a bigger reward for the same risk" i add "3 weeks. bus station locker." staring him down and he nods "3 weeks" and leaves.