20. Grey
GREY
A ndre decided not to alert anyone to what we’d discovered. I didn’t disagree, but Jorge should get the chance to be there for his sister. He was more Parker’s man than mine, but I never did have any issues with him.
“I’m calling Jorge,” I warned, turning off airplane mode on my phone and pushing the door open to the last birdcage.
“Abso-fucking-not.” Andre skewered me with a glare. “The best way to uncover what Blanca knows is to do this without her brother.”
I squared my shoulders. “Normally, I would not give one fuck about what you’re about to do. This shit is not my problem. Usually . But you’re going to open us up to Vicente by alienating our people if they think you’d question and kill their families so easily.”
Lafe stepped up to my side, canting his head slightly away from Andre. Now that we were back on the island, he was much calmer. He started to wind down on the plane, and after I had my fun and allowed him to join in, he relaxed and almost seemed like he would fall asleep.
Most of the time that would be good for him, but we had shit to deal with right now.
“You’re the one who understands the motives of spies best. Will this put us in a worse position?” Lafe asked in a way that said he knew the answer. We all did. Andre, more than fucking anyone.
He shoved past me into the birdcage, bracing his fists on his hips and pushing his suit jacket away from his body. Once he was several feet away, he faltered. He was strung so tight, the cords of his neck stood out.
After a few minutes, he turned around and paced back.
“We have always operated under kill first, ask questions later ,” he stated, then held up a hand when both Lafe and Amorette opened their mouths.
“I understand that now is different. As much as it opens us up to danger to deny Jorge the opportunity to attend the investigation, or at least be made aware of what his sister is accused of. Doing this with him here places us in just as much damage. If she’s guilty, she could stay tight-lipped next to her brother.
Afraid of hurting him or believing he’d save her. ”
“She’s not like that,” Amorette seethed, marching toward him. Her hair was mussed and her lips were still swollen from Lafe kissing the shit out of her. Fuck, that had been a much-needed release. It made dealing with all of this a hell of a lot more bearable.
“Not to hurt your feelings, Amorette, but you don’t really know her,” Andre fired back.
“What, because you’ve spent some time with her over the last few months–not that much–you think you know her character?
You think you’re a good judge of who would throw their family and friends into shark-infested waters? ”
Amorette’s chest turned bright red in her anger, and she went toe-to-toe with Andre, bumping his stomach with her chest. “Yes, you arrogant prick. I do think I’m a good judge of character.
I’ve spent plenty of time with her, and I refuse to believe she’d do this!
” Her eyes were wild. Our wicked little love hoped Blanca wouldn’t do this. And Andre spoke my thoughts exactly.
Curling one hand around her neck, he softened as he leaned into her. She puffed up her chest, not ready to let him calm her down.
“Amorette, I understand you believe that. You want it to be true, though you’re forgetting one essential piece of information.
” He paused, then sighed when she didn’t ask.
“In our world, most people who flip on those they love, or at least respect, do so because there’s no other option.
She could be a good person and still make the decision to ruin us to save someone she loves more. ”
She gasped, stumbling back. Her eyes were dry of tears, but her face was ashen.
Lafe pushed me out of the way and wrapped her up in his arms, rocking her from side to side while murmuring against her hair. I couldn’t make out a fucking word he said.
What the fuck was this?
Andre watched them with solemn eyes. Then it hit me.
Fuck, he basically just accused Amorette of possibly being in something similar to this. All to get his point across. “You’re a fucking bastard,” I snarled at him.
He didn’t pull his attention away from Amorette and Lafe twined together. “I know. Call Jorge. I’ll have some men go to Blanca and bring her here.”
Vicente will die.
I wasn’t invested before, at least not like Andre or even close to Parker.
Both men had tried to manage the Institution in their own fucked up ways.
While I was happy with my place in it. I would have been over the moon if Vicente was taken out, might even have liked to get in a few shots during his downfall, but I loved the hotel I’d worked from the ground up.
And the fights were my lifeblood.
But after all of these games fucking with my family, I was done .
Andre better get ready, because I wasn’t going to sit out any longer.
***
“Hey,” Jorge wheezed as he ran up the stairs from the commons. “What’s going on?”
Blanca was already in the last birdcage, and Andre agreed to wait for Jorge before questioning her. I hated to break it to Amorette, but the stark fear in her eyes as she was led up the stairs didn’t look good for her.
I had my arms crossed at the mouth of the hallway.
Glancing toward the birdcage, Lafe still had Amorette tucked in against his side, but now he was restraining her instead of consoling her.
Their not-so-hushed whispers echoed down the hallway, but the sounds were too muted to make out any actual words. She was about to lose her shit.
“We’ve been made aware of some very troubling details,” I started, returning my gaze to Jorge.
He and Blanca were half-siblings, like my brothers and me.
It didn’t matter for us, and it didn’t matter for them.
Jorge doted on his little sister and spoiled her whenever he could.
I’d never cared, except now. If Blanca was a plant, it was likely Jorge was in on it since they were so close.
“Come on.” I jerked my head down the hallway.
“What’s going on?”
I glanced at Jorge. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt or wariness present. Parker would know his tells better than I would, but I didn’t see anything of concern. Not yet.
Once we were through the doors, I pressed a button on the wall to close and lock the doors to the commons. The only way Jorge was leaving was with our permission.
We weren’t going to have this conversation until he was unarmed and secure.
He didn’t ask again, and when we reached the last apartment, Amorette opened her mouth.
Probably to give Jorge a heads-up. She was a mouthy little bitch when she wanted to be, and didn’t give a fuck what we wanted if she thought it was the right thing.
Lafe caught her attempt and maneuvered her until her back slammed against the wall, and he crashed his mouth to hers. That was one way to shut her up.
I’d slowed down and a grin tugged at my lips, watching him try to manhandle her.
Lafe had given me a distraction to get Jorge into the apartment without Amorette interfering.
I glanced at Jorge, who was riveted by the same sight, except he had a furrow in his brows.
I wanted to do this the right way, but, fuck it. This show was more exciting.
Lafe wasn’t as good of a fighter as I was.
All it took was a well-placed kick in the nuts and he released her with a groan.
While she watched in horror as he was bent over, gasping for air, I pushed Jorge into the apartment and shut the door behind us.
Lafe could bring Amorette in once we had Jorge secured.
Still, he’d shown a new protective side, so he might try to keep her in the hall.
He would know what it was like to watch someone get hurt—or do the hurting—when it mattered to you. Lafe seemed to want to save her from that.
This apartment was different from the others. There were three interrogation rooms off the main area. All had two-way mirrors for us to watch if needed. Concrete walls and flooring were exposed since we hadn’t given a damn about finishing it.
Our enemies didn’t deserve any comfort.
“We’re locked in. I’m not going anywhere. Now, tell me what’s going on.” Jorge shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his feet.
“Weapons.” The gun on his belt was obvious, but after searching him, I found two other knives. He didn’t put up a fight, either. Jorge was curious, but he wasn’t stupid.
Walking over to the wall, I reached for the switch to show the room Andre had taken Blanca, but I stopped an inch short. Glancing over my shoulder, I met his gaze, and crushed his world.
“Vicente claims Blanca is a plant. He gave her exact name.”
Jorge’s mouth dropped open in shock, then he furiously shook his head and advanced on me.
“No! That’s a fucking lie!”
I could have stopped him, but I let him get within a few feet of me, then I flashed out a hand and caught his neck. We spun, and I slammed him against the wall next to the glass. “Restrain yourself, or you’ll be put in the next room,” I said coldly.
Taking over the Institution was a good enough plan. We needed to at least attempt to play this the smart way for it to work. That was for Andre’s benefit. And Amorette’s.
If Jorge pushed me too far, I’d make an example out of him and pummel his ass until he leaked every secret in the recesses of his mind.
Building loyalty was our first choice, but Vicente was right. Fear was also an excellent motivator.
Spit collected in the corners of his mouth as his face turned red. He didn’t struggle, in any case. Leaving his arms down, he waited as I squeezed just a little tighter. He dropped his gaze, and I released him.