Vindictive #4

5. perseverance

I impatiently stare at my phone and wait for the text to come through. Nothing. It's been an hour. I fight the urge to call her. On the off chance Gary's guy had gotten to her...that's something I can't explain away. I grit my teeth and push myself off the floor of the closet. She's dead. She must be dead.

Her and the fucking kid she's got nesting in her uterus.

I needed that fucking money and now she's dead.

New clientele. That's what the fuck I need. Which meant I'd have to start going to these dinners and events with Gary again—Christ. I'm sick of his friends leering and groping at me with their fat paws. If they weren't trying to fill my pockets, they weren't worth my fucking time. I bite my lip. I could call Samuel. He'd definitely know some people.

I stare at his contact name until my eyes blur, and then I finally tap it and call him. It takes six rings for him to decide he feels like talking.

"You're breaking contract," he says smoothly. I can hear the amusement in his tone, so my shoulders relax. Samuel's iffy as hell sometimes. "You must miss me."

"Sam—"

A voice in the background makes me stop. Definitely female. She keeps talking. I hear a muffled sound, as if the phone is being moved or put down, and then her laughter. Then she moans. Definitely someone he's fucking. The phone's picked up again and Samuel's voice fills my ears.

"Your terms were no contact for at least three weeks after receiving your product."

"I know, but something happened." Another moan. I ignore it. "Do you think you can talk to some people? Hook me up with anyone interested in buying?"

"I only handle the drugs, Milan. Not the people you sell it to." He says something else that I didn't catch.

"You have to know someone."

He breathes heavily into the phone. "Yeah, baby, real good."

"Samuel."

"Milan—" He laughs away from the phone. "Shit. Come here...put it in. Slower."

"Are you really going to fuck somebody while on the phone with me?"

"Jealous?"

"Annoyed. I need clients, Samuel, or neither of us are getting paid."

He blew into the phone. "Do that again."

"Samuel!"

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll see what I can do. I make no promises. If I pull through, you owe me."

"Fine, whatever."

"No." He sounds serious. "I risk a lot for you, and now you're going against the grain and calling me when you're not supposed to. These were your terms, Milan. How can I do business with someone who can't follow their own stipulations?"

"If I was calling for dick—"

"But you're not. And I have someone right here riding mine without issue. I'll see what I can do. I will call you if I have something. If you don't receive a call by the end of the week, assume I was unable to get what you ask for."

I let out a small breath. "Alright. Fine. Thanks."

"And baby?" He was back to his charming self, I see. "Send me a picture later for my troubles."

I hung up as he laughed.