6. Dante
6
DANTE
J oseph Grayson, my second-in-command, raises a questioning eyebrow as I storm into the office and lay waste to the pile of papers on my desk, sweeping them onto the floor in a blind rage. My iPad and laptop swiftly follow, and from his vantage point on my black leather couch, he regards me with something dangerously close to amusement.
“She’s awake then?”
I clench my fists and lean across my empty desk, grinding my knuckles into the polished glass. Right now, I’d kill any other man who spoke to me with such confidence, but Grayson isn’t like any other man. We share a history together—a long, violent, and bloody one. In our business, that creates an unspoken bond, which is exactly why I’m allowing him to open his fucking mouth and still stay breathing.
With my silence showing no signs of quitting, he wanders over to the bar in the corner and pours out two neat shots of tequila. He returns and places them both on the table in front of me.
“Drink this. You’re going to need it. Emilio wants a debrief.”
“Emilio can go fuck himself.” I pick up the first shot glass and drain it in one, slamming it back down with a crash.
My brother’s relentless scrutiny into every facet of our organization is a constant source of irritation to me. It’s unnecessary and invasive. He handles the deals, and I ensure that they’re adhered to. Our partnership offers me the opportunity to satisfy certain proclivities of mine. I don’t give a damn about narcotics, but I do have a certain skill set, and it’s my culture of fear that has allowed us to rule this game unchallenged for years.
Still, it’s safe to say that there’s little love lost between us. We tolerate each other because it’s mutually beneficial. Beyond that, the family ties really start to unravel.
“He wants to know what went down in Miami.” There’s a questioning look on the American’s face, and the unspoken truth hangs heavy in the air.
There’s no transparency with Joseph. He knows something’s up, and I can tell his suspicions are leading him right to the source of my anger tonight. To the seemingly incorruptible angel lying naked in my bed.
“How did Garcia find me?” I say, switching tack. “How the fuck did he know I was back in the US?”
“One of Nicolas’ men.” He tosses me a couple of photographs. “Turns out he was a double-crossing son of a bitch. He’s been passing Garcia intel. You can see from those that he’s already been dealt with.”
I glance down at the blood-soaked images. My cousin has a propensity for knife work that might even rival mine. Still, I owe him for getting me out of that hospital alive. I went in expecting to leave a bullet lighter. Instead, I’ve come away with more baggage than I can handle.
“Did he learn anything?”
“Not much.” I watch him bend down to pick up the remains of my iPad from the floor. “Garcia’s been lining the pockets of several prominent DEA agents this past year. It explains why his merchandise has been flowing so freely and ours hasn’t.”
“And the leak from the other night?”
Joseph shakes his head. “I’m still looking into it.”
“What about Myers?” I say, referring to Eve’s father. “Is he compromised?”
“Not as far as I know.”
So, he’s not a dirty cop. That’s something, I guess. It’s true what they say—a code of honor does exist amongst thieves. The lowest of the low are always cops on the take.
I decide to keep quiet about their connection for now. Eve’s an innocent, in more ways than one.
“Who is she anyway?” asks Joseph curiously.
“An irritation.” I hold out my shot glass for a refill. Rejection is a new experience for me. I’ve never had to work for a pretty face. Usually, they’re primed and ready just looking at this body, and that’s before they find out who I am. First, I entice them in with my darkness, and soon they’re begging me for my pain. Something tells me the rewards will be worth it with her, though.
I could have stayed kissing her all night. It took everything I had to stop when she begged me to. My frustration came damn near close to overwhelming me. I was right. She has the body of a goddess underneath her clothes—all smooth and lush, and ready for corruption. I wanted nothing more than to sink my dick into her soft folds and lose myself completely.
“I’ll put together a dossier on her,” says Joseph. “Name?”
“Eve.”
“Surname?”
Prick-tease…cunt…angel…
“Miller, I believe.”
As if I didn’t know. As if her fucking name hasn’t been circling around my head for days and days.
Something strikes me then. Why has she elected to take a different surname to her father’s?
Is she lying to me?
Is he a lover, after all?
My hand convulses around my shot glass. Jesus Christ, I need to calm down.
“I take it she’s the same woman from the liquor store last week?”
My head snaps up. “How do you know about that?”
“Your brother’s men aren’t the most discreet,” he says mildly, tipping more tequila into my glass. “They couldn’t shut up about her.”
“They better do, or else.” I knock back another. “Whatever you find out, it stays between us. I don’t want Emilio on one of his paranoid witch-hunts. I want her kept off his radar. She’s got nothing to do with business.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Any news from Colombia? ”
“The latest P.I. report came in an hour ago.”
“Give me the highlights.”
“The lead’s a dud.”
“Shit.” It’s a bitter pill to swallow. Fifteen years on and this girl is still eluding me. “Tell the team to keep on searching, and I want Garcia and his whole operation shut down by sunset tomorrow. He’s making a fool of us. I should have taken my own team in the first place. You and I are heading back to Miami to see to it personally. We’ll start by having a chat with those crooked DEA agents. I want my plane fueled and ready within the hour.”
“What about the woman?”
I down the next shot before answering. “She stays exactly where she is. Tell Valentina to keep an eye on her. That damn door stays locked. She’s not to leave my room under any circumstance.”
The time for niceties is over. I’m done backing off. If Eve Miller thinks I’m a monster, I’ll happily reinforce that belief. She’ll soon discover just how cruel and manipulative I can be. Forty-eight hours of solitude should give her more than enough time to reflect on my parting words. When I return from Miami, I expect her to acquiesce to my every desire.
When I return, she better be begging me to fuck her.