The Heart System

Chapter 642

Drugs, maybe. Cocaine, probably. That would explain the weird secrecy and the stupid little backroom door with the DON’T ENTER sign on it. So Dakota was not here for some romantic mystery or some private meet-up. He was here to buy drugs.

Fuck.

That was not the version of the night I had been hoping for.

Still, if I could catch him doing this, that gave me something useful. Maybe not enough to ruin him completely, but enough to pressure him if I needed to. And if Dakota was really tied to Brok, then this could be my way in. I could use it to blackmail him, get him to hand over the password for that safe in the pawnshop office room, and maybe learn something bigger from there.

I stayed frozen in place for another second, listening to the end of the conversation while my mind started building the next move.

Hearing footsteps behind me, I quickly moved away from the door and acted like I was heading to the restroom myself. A half-drunk guy stumbled past me and pushed the restroom door open, assuming I was following him in, but I gave him a small gesture to show I was not, so he just shrugged and shut the door again.

"Hmm," I muttered, glancing back toward the door with the sign. "Guess I’ll wait and see."

So I did.

I moved away from the restroom corridor and headed over to the vending machines near the wall. They were just across from the bathroom, only a few steps away, which made them perfect for keeping an eye on who went in and out. From there, I could watch the whole corridor without looking too suspicious.

I shoved ten bucks into the machine, which honestly felt like robbery, and grabbed a soda. After popping the lid open, I took a sip and stood there like I was just casually browsing the machines for something else to buy.

A few minutes passed. Maybe five, maybe ten. Time felt slower while I was waiting.

Then a man walked up behind me.

At first, I assumed he was going to the restroom, but he kept going past it and stopped in front of the door marked DON’T ENTER. He knocked in a specific rhythm, two quick taps, a pause, then two more taps.

"There you fucking are," someone said from inside, although I still could not see him. "Get inside."

"Jeez, I’m here, ain’t I?" the man replied as he stepped through the door.

I moved closer as soon as the door opened a crack and pressed my ear against it again.

"There it is," Dakota said, sounding pleased. "Nice."

"Now the money, Dak."

"When have I ever robbed you?" Dakota muttered. "Give me one example."

"Fuck. Here. Take it."

A few seconds later, I heard a loud sniff.

"Fucking hell," Dakota said, sounding way too happy. "You guys earned this shit. Woo!"

"Money, Dak. Now."

"Fine, fine. Here," Dakota said. "Don’t spend it on hookers, alright?"

"Shut up."

"Oh, and," Dakota added, his voice dropping a little, "boss won’t hear about this."

"He won’t. Now get the hell out."

Boss.

That had to mean Brok.

So Brok had no idea Dakota was running some kind of side business with cocaine. That was excellent blackmail material. The problem was how to use it. I could not just barge in and take a photo of him holding the packet, because he was not going to wave it around for me like an idiot. I needed actual proof, and I needed to catch him in the act.

Patience, then. I couldn’t rush this and ruin everything.

I stepped away from the corridor and headed back to the table.

"Evan!" Melvin said as soon as he saw me. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Following the guy," I replied. "Beers come yet?"

He shook his head. "I drank both while waiting for you. You took forever."

"Good," I said. "Then we are leaving."

"What? Why?"

"We are done here."

Melvin stared at me for a second, clearly confused, but I was already getting up and looking toward the exit. I had what I needed for now, even if it was only half of the picture. Dakota was dealing drugs behind Brok’s back, and that meant there was another angle I could use later.

For now, I just had to leave before I got greedy and messed it up.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

It was seven thirty when I knocked on Penelope’s door. I was early, sure, but I didn’t want to go back to the penthouse only to drive all the way here again. My plan was simple: wait around until her birthday party started, hand over her present, and then just book it.

She lived in a small apartment on the third floor, the top level. Honestly, it didn’t look like a good place. Hell, my old, shitty, rundown apartment had to be better than this one.

I knocked on the door with her present in hand and waited. I heard some shuffling from inside, followed by the sound of someone actually running. Then, the muffled noise coming from the TV, I couldn’t tell what was playing, suddenly stopped. A second later, Penelope opened the door.

"Ugh... shit, it was you?" she groaned. "I stopped just because of you? You’re fucking early, you retard!"

"Nice to see you, too," I smiled as I watched go inside.

She was wearing a tight, thin tank top with no bra underneath, leaving her nipples completely visible against the fabric. Her fake tits were still as huge as ever, practically spilling out of the low neckline.

I stepped inside, taking in the messy apartment. The kitchen was immediately on the right, the living room stretched out straight ahead, and the bedroom door was on the left, with the toilet situated just next to it. Clothes and clutter were scattered around the small space.

After putting the gift down on the kitchen counter, I walked toward the living room. Penelope didn’t even follow me; she just went straight back to sitting on a pillow on the floor right in front of the TV.