Page 9 of Hidden But Not Safe

The next day, Julio bragged to the crew about Meg’s ability to put a condom on with her mouth, which confirmed the box she’d picked up had been used. Naz would have preferred not to know.

He tried his best to ignore Meg in general, but it was difficult. She hung around them all the time when she wasn’t dragging Julio to the trailer to take care of his dick.

A couple of times, Naz found a Post-it near him when he woke up. He was the only one who slept in the warehouse, and no one typically bothered him. That Meg had managed to get close enough to leave a note, twice, without waking him left him rattled.

Both notes had been pointless. The first said, ‘Thank you for the shoes!’ with a drawing that was probably supposed to be shoes but looked like blobs to him. The second had been a smudged press of lipstick lips but no words. He’d shoved it into his pocket with the other and assumed it was another thank-you.

Naz didn’t need her gratitude.

She was chaotic, and Julio seemed into it. So did most of the other guys. They made him twitchy with their constant talk about what her pussy would feel like.

At least she stayed in the trailer during their meetings with the dealers. Having her around was distracting, and Naz couldn’t afford that. It would cut into his ability to spot issues early.

Julio had been put in charge of distribution to the dealers. If the crew got hit right after a delivery, it could cause a shit ton of loss. Naz had stepped up during a few hits with other crews in the past and had picked up on a cop raid once as well. The cartel had asked Ramiro for him specifically when Julio’s crew was put together a few months ago.

The shipments of fentanyl-laced drugs came in as pills and powder. Naz touched the stuff as little as possible. He’d been forced to use drugs in his past, but he hadn’t liked the way they made him feel.

Meg had been with them a few days when the next shipment dropped. She came into the warehouse while they were sorting and hopped up on an unused corner of the table, lifting one of the baggies with a hum in her throat.

“You ever test the product?” she asked.

Half the crews Naz had worked for wouldn’t touch the stuff. The other half were a mix between addicts and occasional tasters. Fentanyl lacing could be unpredictable. All the crews kept a few Narcans on hand in case a dealer tried the product and reacted badly. The nasal sprays didn’t work perfectly on fentanyl, but since they were available over the counter, the cartel figured it was worth a shot to avoid the results of an overdose.

Julio was the occasional taster type. Naz had only seen him high a handful of times since joining his crew. He made himself scarce whenever it happened. Julio became even more of an asshole when high.

Julio approached Meg, pulling her thighs apart and moving between them. “Want to fuck me while high?” he asked.

She let out a surprised giggle; its happiness raised the hairs on the back of Naz’s neck. Most of the time, Meg seemed to fake being happy. Her smile this time was the one he’d only seen once before, that first day, when she caught him taking a picture of his middle finger.

Julio blinked at her as if he was seeing that smile for the first time. His hands cupped her head, tilting it up so she’d look at him. “How old are you, baby?”

Her smile shifted back to looking forced. “You’re asking me that now?”

Julio tightened his hold. “Is fucking you going to send me to jail? That’s all I want to know.”

She smirked at him. “Want me to start calling you ‘Daddy’?”

His hand slid down to her throat and squeezed in warning. “Don’t fuck with me.”

Her hand fumbled for his wrist. “Relax. I’m nineteen. Your dick is getting young pussy, not jail-time pussy.”

His thumb stroked her neck. “If you’re lying to me, I’ll make you regret it.” He released her to grab the bag of powder. “Now, want to feel good?”

Her lips widened again, but the grin looked strained. “Fuck yeah!” Her eyes slid Naz’s way, but he made sure he looked somewhere else.

Seb surprised him by opting out of the drugs and settling beside him instead. The dark-skinned, dark-haired newest addition to their crew was still a mystery to Naz. He was some type of cousin or some shit. Naz didn’t really care. At least Seb paid attention when it counted.

“Not one for drugs?” Seb asked him.

Naz figured it was obvious enough he wasn’t and didn’t answer.

Meg was wearing that tube top and the shorts that showed her underwear. The other guys whistled at her when she bent over for her turn to snort. Naz was glad he didn’t have much of a view.

“Careful,” Seb murmured. His eyes laughed at him when Naz met them. “It’s pretty obvious she catches your attention.”

Naz would need to try harder to ignore her.

He was trying so hard that he had no warning when her dainty hands wrapped around one of his, trying to tug him up.