Chapter 5 Kya #2
“I—” I start, but there’s no good excuse for being caught with my ear literally to the wall.
“Save it.” His voice is low, not angry but not exactly thrilled either. “You want to know what’s going on.”
I nod, watching him sigh.
“Here’s the short version, Summit Development isn’t just buying up properties around town. They’re funded by cartel money. We believe they’re using construction and development as a front to laundering cash and are setting up smuggling routes through the old mining tunnels.”
My mouth drops open. “Cartel? As in drug cartel?”
He finally lets me go. “Yep,” he confirms grimly. “And now they’re trying to get their people on the city council to make their operations even easier.”
“Holy crap,” I mutter. “I had no idea it was that serious.”
Lee studies me, his expression grim. “Knowing this information is dangerous, Kya. Listening at walls gives you information you may not want. I’m only telling you this because now that you’re running the bar, Summit’s goons are likely to zero in on you. You need to be careful.”
A chill runs down my spine, but I shake it off.
“I want to help,” I say, surprising both of us.
“This isn’t your fight, Kya.”
“Maybe not,” I say, stepping closer. “But it’s my town, and whether you like it or not, I’m already in this.”
His eyes narrow as he studies me. “You think you can go toe-to-toe with a cartel?”
“No,” I admit. “But I know how to listen. I know people. And this place is a watering hole for the whole damn town. That means I hear things. And if I can help you spot patterns, track conversations, flag who’s been talking to who? Then yeah, I can go toe-to-toe in my own way.”
His expression shifts—just a flicker—but it’s there. Respect. Maybe a little exasperation, too.
“You always were stubborn,” he mutters.
“You like that about me,” I fire back.
That earns me the ghost of a smile.
He jerks his chin toward the back. “Come on then. Might as well hear it from the source instead of through walls.”
Heat rises to my cheeks, but I follow him back to the meeting room. The men look up as we enter, a few eyebrows rising at my presence, but Stone just nods as if he expected to see me.
I settle into a chair in the corner, trying to absorb everything as Josie lays out potential approaches from challenging the rezoning questionnaires to investigating campaign finance violations, and even gathering data for a potential RICO charge.
She taps her pen against the table. “Here’s what I suggest. First, we establish a legal defense fund for residents facing pressure from Summit.
Second, we file public records requests for all communications between Summit and council members.
Third, we challenge the rezoning questionnaires as misleading and potentially fraudulent. ”
“And if that doesn’t work?” Axel asks.
Josie meets his gaze steadily. “Then we prepare for a longer fight. Class action suits take time, but they can be effective. Especially if we can prove corruption or criminal activity.”
The discussion continues for another hour, detailed and methodical. I’m impressed by Josie’s command of the legal landscape and her clear-eyed assessment of what they’re up against. She doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges, but she also doesn’t back down from them.
“I’ll take the case,” she says finally, gathering her papers. “But I need everything you can get me—financial records, testimony from residents, any evidence of wrongdoing. The more ammunition I have, the better our chances.”
Stone nods. “You’ll have it. We’ll start organizing the community defense fund today.”
“Good.” She stands, extending her hand to Stone. “I’ll be in touch with next steps.”
As the meeting breaks up, I slip out to the main bar, needing a moment to process everything I’ve heard.
Summit Development isn’t just some faceless corporation trying to gentrify our town, they’re a criminal enterprise potentially involved in disappearances, maybe even murders. And now I’m right in the middle of it.
Holy crap, Kya. You really got yourself in deep shit this time.
The sound of footsteps makes me look up to find Lee approaching, his expression thoughtful.
“You okay?” he asks, leaning against the bar across from me.
I nod, though I’m not entirely sure that’s true. “Just… processing.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” he acknowledges. “Devil should have read you in before handing over the keys. I doubt this is what you signed up for when you bought the bar.”
“No,” I agree. “And you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be giving Devil a swift kick to the shin the next time I see him. But this is what’s happening, and I’m in it now.” I glance up at him, studying the lines of his face. “How long has this been going on?”
“Summit showed up about a year ago,” he says. “Started small—buying foreclosed properties, offering to ‘revitalize’ the downtown area. By the time we realized what they were really up to, they’d already sunk their hooks in deep.”
“Jesus,” I whisper, sick to my stomach.
Lee watches me carefully. “You sure you want to be involved in this, Kya? It’s not too late to walk away. Sell the bar back to Devil, use that lottery money to start over somewhere else.”
The question catches me off guard. “How do you know about the money?”
He grins. “Small town, remember?”
I nod slowly, considering his question. Do I want to be involved in this? I came back to Stoneheart to deal with my mother’s estate, not to own a bar or get caught up in cartel business.
But then I think about the town. Not just as it is now, but as it was. For all its flaws and painful memories, this place shaped me. And there are good people here who don’t deserve to be pushed out or terrorized by some faceless corporation.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say finally. “This is my home too.”
He nods once, then starts to speak again when Duck calls his name from across the room.
“Coming,” he calls back, then turns to me. “We’ll talk more later. Lock up tight tonight. And if anything feels off, anything at all, you call.”
“I don’t have your number,” I point out.
The corner of his mouth twitches. “Check your phone.”
He rejoins the others as they file out, Josie already deep in conversation with Stone and Axel about next steps. I watch them leave, one by one, until the bar is empty again. Only then do I pull out my phone to find a text from a new contact.
Lee
Call if you need anything, Kya. I mean it.
I stare at the screen, a complicated mix of emotions swirling in my chest. Despite everything—the danger, the uncertainty, the history between us—something about knowing Lee is watching out for me makes me feel safer than I have in years.
Damn it.