Bluegrass Undercover (Bluegrass Brothers)

towel, and stuffed it into her beach bag. She closed her eyes for a second and felt warm rays of the evening sun on her face. She’d have to try to make it to the beach more often.
     
    Annie reached her one bedroom apartment in twenty minutes. She unlocked the deadbolt and threw her bag down on the chair in the living room. She placed her gun in the safe and walked into the small kitchen that overlooked the living room. The walls were white, as she’d never bothered painting them. This wasn’t her home. It was just a place to live.
    She opened the freezer and pulled out a Lean Cuisine at random. She tore open the box and tossed it into the microwave. As she walked through the living room, she turned the TV on to the Dolphins’ exhibition game and headed for the shower. Tomorrow she’d be one step closer to bringing down this drug ring.
     
    *     *     *
     
    Annie was worried that her gun might not work if she sweated on it anymore. The sun was so hot on her skin that the sweat running down her spine was cascading around her Sig tucked securely in her lavender bikini bottoms.
    She saw the kid and his buddies eyeing the ice cream stand and decided it was close enough to the meeting time to head up there. Diego hadn’t shown yet, but he could be waiting for them. She tied her hair back into a ponytail and slipped off her flip flops. She needed to be able to run if anything happened.
    Annie saw the second the kid recognized her. He ribbed his buddies and they all stared. Maybe she should have worn a one piece . She was meeting with kids after all. But, Diego really liked her bikini so the tiny bikini won out.
    “Hola, senorita. Let me take care of these kids and us adults can talk,” Diego said, appearing suddenly beside her as he ran his hand slowly down her arm. “Hey, kid. You all got the funds?”
    “Yup, twenty-five hundred, just like you asked for.” The kid handed a plastic shopping bag over to Diego who in return handed over his own shopping bag.
    Annie watched as the kids sauntered off, knowing that part of her team was waiting to follow them. As soon as they had Diego in custody, they’d arrest the kids and scare them and their parents into full confessions and lots of information.
    “Why put up with those brats?” she asked as she turned back to Diego, who was ogling her breasts.
    “Have to. I specialize in a new product. It’s steroids on steroids for young athletes. High school mostly, but our middle school market is picking up.”
    “Sounds expensive at five hundred a pop. Where do kids get that money?”
    “That’s the best part. The majority of our clients are middle to upper class. They just take it from their parents and are above suspicion. No one will question the star of the private school football team, and it reduces the risks on our end.”
    “How?”
    “Kids like this have more to lose if they talk. They also aren’t used to life on the streets, so the risk of violence is low. It’s a win-win for us.”
    “Do you make the drug yourself? It sounds very interesting.”
    “No. We import it from up north. Now, enough about them. Let’s talk about you. I got you something special.”
    “Ooh! What did you get me?”
    “A nice designer drug that gets you high as a kite but with the sensations of Ecstasy. How about we go back to your place and test it out? If you like it, you can show me your gratitude and I won’t even charge you for it.” He reached out and grabbed her waist with his hands. He ran them up her ribcage, stopping at her breasts. She counted to ten to try to rein in her temper.
    “So, if I have sex with you, you’ll waive the three hundred dol lar fee? Look at me. I think I’m worth more than three hundred. Throw in two more packages and you have a deal.”
    “You run a tough bargain, but you look worth it.” He pulled out three little pouches from his pocket down by his knee and slipped them into her triangle top.
    “Now, let’s go party.”
    “Sure thing, big boy.” Annie reached into her bag and brought out her cuffs. “You’re under arrest for the sale and distribution of narcotics. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in…” Annie’s head was snapped back by a strong slap to the face. A slap ? Who slaps these days?
    Diego took off down the beach in what could barely be described as a run. It looked more like skipping as his shorts kept falling down, causing him to miss steps while trying to