Anything For Grace

Chapter 13

I sit up. Why would he know about them? "I've heard of them, yes, why?"

"This might sound crazy, but I need eyes and ears out there."

"You want me to infiltrate a whole gang?" I questioned with wide eyes. I leaned in, "You're fucking kidding me, right? What, you're scared they're going to steal your blueprints? Trust me, they're not interested in this type of business."

"No," he shakes his head. "No. It's more than that, I know."

"What do you want with the Kings?"

"I need information about their whereabouts and who else knows Columbus like you?"

"Who also doesn't want to go to jail?" I point to myself.

He sighs, "Penelope, I know this is huge to ask you, but I've seen your record. All of it. You've gotten out of every case and with my power in the system, I could make your record go away and also, I could protect you."

A light-bulb figuratively bursts above my head. "If you've seen my record, why didn't you fire me or better yet, why did you hire me?" It's a written rule that ex-convicts cannot get work, but he overlooked that fact.

He nods his head. "See it as a second chance."

I scoffed. "A second chance..."

"More like a way out of that lifestyle." He explains. "I didn't view you as a criminal, but as a mastermind, which leads me to believe you're well over-qualified for this position."

I puckered my bottom lip. "Listen," I collect my fingers. "I cannot infiltrate a gang without raising suspicion. I have a daughter to take care of and me being locked away under some prison is not going to help. I don't need your protection because I can handle anything on my own. I've done it for twenty-four years and I will continue to make it for another."

"Penelope, what would it take for you to consider?"

"Nothing, my daughter's life is at stake if I do this."

"I'll double your pay."

I knit my eyebrows. "Throwing money at me isn't going to make me sell my soul."

"Triple."

"No."

"Quadruple."

"What the fuck?!" I blurted.

"I'll pay you five times more."

I squinted my eyes. "What-" The Kings are the worse gang around here and he wants me to put my life on the line, for what? Then it clicks. My face softens and I could see the desperation resonating off his face. "They're your rivals."

"What?"

"Yeah," I nod my head. "I was wondering how you've accomplished all this money overnight because your rags-to-riches story wasn't adding up. You're in the same business as the Kings. You sell drugs." I slap the table and chuckled in victory. I finally figured it out.

"I never said that." He leans back, defeated.

"You didn't have to," I shake my head. "It makes sense. You weren't poor. I know poor and you never screamed humbleness. I saw through your bullshit."

"You can't say anything. That would be a breach of the NDA." He tries to threaten, but I wouldn't say anything anyway. I do believe in not telling someone else' story.

I loved holding the cards in my hands because I could deal any shitty combination and it'll be golden. "How do I know I'm not being used as a pawn? Shit can go left and it will. I'm not going down for something I'm not in control over."