17. Nash
17
NASH
T hat woman is irritating as fuck.
And I hate the fact that she can kick my ass too.
What I hate even more is that I liked it. It’s hot. No. She’s hot.
I also don’t like that she can read me. She was right. When I had the knife at her neck, I was hard. Which was confusing. I’ve never had that happen before. You’ve also never held a knife at the neck of a beautiful woman before. But all the shit she told me about in the ocean. Fuck. I was not expecting that.
I grab my phone from where I left it and call Brooks.
“We need to talk about Ellie.”
“Again?”
“What do you mean, again?” I ask, annoyed.
“You keep calling me about her.”
“That’s because I’ve been kept in the fucking dark. And you sent the most irritating woman in the world to me.” I moan. Brooks chuckles. “You’re a fucking asshole.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I did keep you in the dark. It wasn’t my intention, it was Ellie’s decision, not mine,” he explains.
“You set me up, brother. The fucking government,” I say angrily.
Brooks sighs. “Now you know why I couldn’t say anything.” I get it. I fucking get it as I pace in my bedroom. “Ellie can look after herself. Honestly, you don’t need to worry about her.”
“I know. She made me fight her in the ocean.”
“She did what? And you’re alive?” Brooks exclaims.
“Yes. She’s going on a date with some cartel member tonight.”
“She’s doing what?”
“See, I’m not wrong in thinking this is bad,” I tell him.
“Okay. I feel like we are having two different conversations. Firstly, why do you keep fighting with this girl? I’m so confused,” Brooks states.
“Me too. We made a bet. She said she would follow my lead if I won, which we all know is the right way. And if I lost, I would have to trust her and let her do things her way,” I explain.
Brooks bursts out laughing. “You made a bet with an assassin.”
I still. “Wait, an assassin? I thought she was an agent.”
Silence falls between us. “I thought you said she told you everything.”
“Ellie said she was a honey trap for the government,” I answer slowly.
“Yes,” Brooks confirms.
“And something about jewels.”
“Right,” Brooks answers.
“She never said anything about being an assassin,” I tell him.
“You know what a honey trap is?”
“Yes,” I answer, annoyed by his question.
“Don’t you think that is an assassin?” he asks.
“That’s a killer. It’s not like she’s a sniper or something,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Brooks is silent for a while, and then I hear him mumble something to someone who must be Sophie. “If she wanted him to know she would have told him.”
“Wanted me to know what?” I ask Brooks.
He lets out a huff. “Fine. If she kills me, it’s on you,” he tells Sophie. Who is killing him? “You shouldn’t worry about Ellie, she can look after herself.”
“Her using her looks isn’t going to be able to take down the cartel. There are plenty of hot chicks in Mexico,” I explain to him.
“It’s interesting you mention her attractiveness.” Brooks chuckles.
“She’s a fucking honey trap, isn’t that her job to look hot?” Brooks continues to laugh at me. “Fuck you, motherfucker, this isn’t funny, that woman is going to get me killed,” I warn him.
“She won’t. You remember hearing about Persephone,” Brooks asks.
“Yes, but what does that have to do with this?” Then it hits me. “No. That woman in there is the most feared female assassin? You have got to be kidding me. No fucking way. No.”
“Her brother is ‘The Shadow of Death’.” Fuck. “I’m surprised you have lasted this long.” Brooks chuckles again.
“Me too,” I answer slowly. I’ve heard the stories, but I never thought it would be her. Guess that’s why she’s so good, people underestimate her. “Look, Ellie loves her brother, and he loves Grace Clark. She won’t do anything to mess that up,” he explains to me.
“You’re telling me I need to trust her tonight on this date, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I am. Let her do her thing. Don’t get in her way. She’s survived this long and has taken down worse men than the cartel. I’ve seen her in action, trust me, she will survive this.”
“Just not sure I will.”
“We will protect you if things turn south. There’s a helicopter on standby to take her and the jewel to the private plane in Cancun. If you need it, make sure you’re on it,” Brooks explains. Fuck.
“Fine. Good luck in whatever the hell you are doing.”
“Thanks, brother. Oh, and one more thing,” he says before signing off. “Don’t sleep with her.”
Watching Ellie get ready for her date was making me crazy, so I headed into the bar, busying myself with paperwork in the office until it was time for Ellie to arrive. I hated the itch of anticipation sliding over my skin. No. She can handle herself, why the hell am I worried about her? She could probably handle herself better than I could knowing about her reputation. My mind is lost in everything that has happened today as I replay it.
The phone on my desk rings and I pick it up.
“Um, boss, we have a problem. Manuel Gomez has arrived,” Jose says.
I still. No. This must be a coincidence. Ellie wouldn’t be that stupid to be on a date with Manuel Gomez.
“I’ll be right down,” I tell him.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I rush downstairs to the main bar area and head over to where Manuel is sitting.
“Manuel, long time no see,” I say, greeting him warmly. I know all the cartel men, making it my mission to know them when I arrived. I understand how this town works, if you want to operate your business in peace, you need to be accommodating to these men. “What brings you to my bar?”
Manuel laughs as he shakes my hand. “I’m meeting someone,” he says, grinning widely.
Fuck.
So, he is here to meet Ellie. How the hell did she get a date with him in such a short time? My eyes run over him again and I notice he’s dressed down a little more casually than the normal suit he wears.
He then leans forward a little and whispers, “A beautiful woman.”
I raise my brows in fake surprise. I’m sure his wife doesn’t know about this, but to be fair, from what I’ve heard she’s living in Europe now that their two sons are grown. Not that I should be surprised, the cartel men do whatever the hell they want and who they want. It amazes me the number of women who fawn over these men, hoping to get some scraps for a better life. What they don’t know is many get sucked in by the money and the men, and once the cartel has their claws sunk into you, they will sell you to the highest bidder and traffic you to whomever and wherever they want. You are nothing more than a transaction to these men.
Then Manuel slides over a wad of notes to me. A thousand American dollars.
Shit.
“My lips are sealed.” I grin, pretending to zip them as I pocket the cash.
“Knew I could trust you, Nash. Send over your best bottle of champagne and whatever food you think will impress the woman.”
I nod as I walk away from his table and back toward the bar. I leave my back toward Manuel as I talk to Jose, my second in charge.
“What’s he doing in here?” Jose asks.
“Apparently, on a date.” A slew of Spanish curse words falls from Jose’s lips. “I know, here, this might help.” I slide the American bills over to him.
Jose shakes his head. “My life is worth more than that.”
“I know. Fuck,” I swear, running my hand over my head. “We can’t kick him out. He also wants a bottle of champagne and something nice to eat.”
“Let’s hope they don’t stay long,” Jose mumbles as he takes the cash and heads to the fridge to grab the bottle of champagne.
Movement to my right catches my attention as I’m on high alert and everything in me stills.
What in the fuck.
Ellie looks like a fucking wet dream as she strolls in as if the sandy path is a Parisian catwalk, her blonde hair bouncing in time with her robust tits, that at any moment seem to want to escape the confines of her dress. She’s wearing a bright red micro mini that is like a second skin as it clings to every curve of her body.
Fuck me. She looks like sin.
The hem of her dress is borderline indecent, and my eyes track her long legs that disappear beneath the fabric. What the hell does she think she is doing dressing like this? I don’t like that she is looking like that for him. Not that I’m jealous or anything. Those blue eyes clock me, and an arrogant smirk falls across her lips, she knows she looks good. And she does as she makes my dick twitch to life. What the fuck? Does my dick have no sense of self-preservation? The entire bar falls silent, watching her walk in as if they, too, are mesmerized by what they see. This gets Manuel’s attention, and he looks up from his phone, his mouth falls open, and his tongue is practically falling out of his mouth as his eyes bulge, and I know the man has probably got half a bar under the table. Any living male would seeing her.
I watch in slow motion as Ellie greets Manuel in perfect Spanish and flawlessly starts flirting with the man who is probably old enough to be her father. Manuel isn’t an ugly guy, I guess. He’s fit, looks after himself, and is a little vain, some would say, but he is also ruthless. That pretty boy face hides the monster that lurks beneath him easily, but I guess he doesn’t know the monster that is luring him into her web as we speak.
“Who the hell is that?” Jose asks as he hands me the bottle of champagne.
“My new house guest and pain in the ass.”
“She was the favor from Brooks?” I nod. Jose whistles. “What the hell is she doing on a date with Manuel?”
“Fuck knows.”
“She is going to get herself or you killed.” Jose chuckles.
“Thanks,” I answer sarcastically.
“You’re fucked. I’ll shed a tear at your funeral.” Jose smirks before turning away.
I am so fucked.