“What happened next?”
“I came home—came here, I mean. I got this place and watched over my mum and Gianna, and that should’ve been it, but I couldn’t let it go. I was seething, man. Fucking fuming, you know? It was all I could think about.”
Mickey stood. Benito thought he might come to him, but he didn’t. He drifted to the opposite wall and leant against it, gesturing for Benito to keep talking.
“I couldn’t let it go,” Benito repeated. “I had a contact I’d left behind. Someone who hated Asa more than I did.”
“Your boss?”
“My wingman... at least he was until he stuck a blade in me. He was king after me. Still is, actually.”
“And you hate him?”
“For a long time, but I respect him now.”
“What changed?”
“Everything. I told you. I had a plan. I used my contact to track the product Asa was moving, and I robbed him blind. Took kilos and kilos from him and sold it on. Buried all the money in the woods.”
Mickey frowned, digesting. “How did you rob him?”
“I hit the muling runs. Fought every fucker he sent to protect the load until I got what I wanted. Then I’d drive it on to the coast and flog it cheap to the crews out there. It was a win-win for everyone except Asa.”
“Unless you got caught.”
“Yeah. About that.” Benito shook his head. “This shit is wild.”
“Can’t be worse than getting fried in a fire.”
“It was close.”
Mickey pushed off the wall. He crossed the room and joined Benito at the window. “When did this go down?”
“Friday. I had one more run to hit before I had enough.”
“Enough what?”
“Enough Ps to pay my bounty. When Asa shanked me, he offered me a price to get out for good. A hundred grand and I’d be free. Gianna would be safe and I’d never have to worry about him again.”
“Wow.” Mickey slow-blinked. “That’s a lot. My crew never moved that kind of money. I reckon the price on my head would be a couple of grand.”
“We played a good game. Asa still does.”
“But not you?”
Benito sighed. “I did the run on Friday, but it went tits up. My contact told me he’d been made, and Asa switched the crew who were moving the product. They were ready for me.”
“You got caught?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then how was it? Exactly?”
“They crashed their car and left their driver behind.”
“Dead?”
“No. Bleeding. I got him out and left him somewhere Asa would find him. Then I took the product and sold it, but it was too late. Asa already knew it was me. He’d known it all along.”