Chapter 6: A job offer

Meredith’s POV:

Gustav might be cunning and I am in no position to go against his will for now. Dixon and I are literally at his mercy. As of the moment, what I have under my sleeves is the will to survive this freaking situation. But first things first. I’ve watched this kinds of scenes unfold in many shows like True Crime and NYPD.

This is the freaking part where I don’t allow him to intimidate me even if I am scared shitless. He wants me to feel that way by sending his men inside the same room as we are but he also wants to send a point across the board with me---that he has the upper hand of that there is nothing that I can do not unless I find a loophole.

I met Gustav’s eyes with confidence even if I am shaking inside. If this man sees that I am afraid, he’d only have the reason to terminate not only Dixon but also me. Nope. That shit cannot happen! Not in a million years!

“Tell me, what extremes can you handle for your brother?”

I leaned in, “for Dixon…anything.”

I watched as his amusement for me grow by the minute. If there is one thing that school and any other formal education had given me, it’s being street-smart. It’s a trait that is acquired through s many years of rubbing elbows with the residents of East Harlem and the ‘low lifes’ that were actually nice people when you get to know them.

He chuckled when he heard what I said. “Really? I like that attitude. I know I wasn’t wrong.”

“With what?”

Gustav’s smile faded, he leaned back to his colossal chair and when the light hit him in the right spot, I saw how he looked like. He’s a senior and aside from the name Gustav, I know nothing about him. Which is why I am baffled as to why Dixon, a fifteen year old teen would be associated with someone like him who lives uptown in a fucking brownstone.

He toyed with his long fingers. This man is huge and he doesn’t look local at all to me.

“Meredith, Meredith…you know what? I am going to tell you a little secret. By now, judging by the look at your face, you are wondering if we took the wrong boy.”

*Finally. *

“Yes! Yes! Thank God, that came in your senses! Oh, thank you. Thank you,” I was stammering as I saw a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. My hopes were instantly up at the thought that they had it all wrong, that there was a mix up of names. “Because, what are the odds, right? Dixon is a pretty popular name and he is in high school.”

Another chuckle came from him, this time, menacing and it sent up shivers down my spine. I dread whatever was coming next from his mouth. “Honey, you don’t know what your sweet brother has been up to this past few months, don’t you?”

“N-no..I mean, he is at school and works---”

“Part time?”

“Y-yes,” I swallowed. It’s not rocket science, but Dixon is my brother and as long as possible, I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt. “How did you--?”

“Pft. Teens these days are pathological liars.” He cut me off twice in a row.

“What are you trying to say?”

Gustav met my eyes and I saw how cold and sinister he was. “Newsflash, your brother has been our mule and he and his gang owes me around two hundred thousand dollars worth of drugs.”

I shook my head. “No. That’s impossible.”

“You don’t have to believe me now. But do me a favor, when you go back to your apartment. You might want to check his stash. I bet he had wads of money there. I believe he had been helping with your expenses and he told you that you could go back to college when he earns more.”

Ah. Shit.

This was a lot to process but it all made sense now. Dixon had been chipping in lately and what this stocky and shady man had been telling me now were all accurate. I suddenly felt violated at the amount of information they possibly have about us.

But a gang? Two hundred thousand dollars and a mule? That doesn’t sound like Dixon. I was trying to put two and two together to see where I went wrong with raising my brother. Maybe I was to relaxed and maybe because I was always working, he didn’t have the right guidance and stuff but still.

To be honest, I don’t know how to feel. Dixon all of a sudden became a stranger to me. I realize that because I was so focused with earning money for the both of us, he lost a sister. Maybe it was all my fault that he became entangled into this mess and he became associated with the wrong people because no one told her how it was supposed to be done.

He is right. To see is to believe. So, I might as well do an ocular inspection when we get back home.

If we can get back home in one piece.

Just minutes ago, I was almost raped and thrown to the hounds. “Who are you people?”

The man clapped his hand once in delight. A smile pasted on his face but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah. I thought you’d never ask,” he offered me his hand, to which I stared with distrust, “Meredith, take my fucking hand.”

It wasn’t a request, this man was used to command people. When I took his hand, he took his hand back to his lap and he looked at me very intently, perhaps he didn’t want me to miss anything. “ I am Gustavo Pallino. Maybe you have heard of my name before. You live in East Harlem. That sad place is where most of my customers live.”

“No, I haven’t.”

He smirked at me. “Do you live under a rock?”

“I really don’t.” I was telling him the truth. I was too busy checking our own life to bother other people’s lives let alone have a small chat to know who he is. I am still convinced that they got the wrong teenager. Not my Dixon.

“Well, let me tell you who I am.”

He did do that and that was the most boring and jaw dropping ‘introduce yourself’ session in my whole life. So, this man runs the biggest drug ring in East Harlem. But that doesn’t answer the question why he was so interested in me. He could have just demanded that we pay what we owe him , right?

Hell, I am having a very bad feeling about this. And here’s the thing, my instinct rarely goes wrong. Well, sometimes, but my point is, I think I know where this is all going to.

“I want you to work for us.” Gustav dropped it like a hot potato on me and he managed to somehow made its sound like he didn’t grabbed me in the alley and he had my baby brother hidden somewhere in his house.