Chapter Eighteen #3
The moment Guadalupe stepped aside, several tiny red dots appeared on Salvadore’s forehead and over his heart.
Her heart nearly stopped. Without thinking, she reacted, rushing past Guadalupe to stand in front of her brother, blocking the lasers.
Like Guadalupe, she threw her arms out and shook her head.
“Larado, no. It’s all good. Stand down.”
“Get the fuck away from him,” Larado snapped. “I’m not playing around here. That man threatened you.”
“You don’t understand,” she protested.
She felt hands at her waist. Fingers tightened, and Salvadore began to gently move her aside. She resisted. “Stop,” she hissed. “They will shoot you. These guys don’t play around.”
“I’m well aware,” Salvadore said. “I took that into consideration when I decided to pay you a visit. I found, after the things my mother revealed about your childhood and the kind of person you are, that I wanted to meet you.”
“I’ve felt the same way ever since I found out about you when I was ten,” Harlow said.
“Get away from him,” Larado said.
“I’m not going to let you shoot him,” Harlow reiterated. “If you can reach Wilder, let him know what’s happening.”
Larado swore again under his breath. Harlow heard Guadalupe gasp. “Someone is behind the two of you.”
“Falcon,” Harlow guessed. “Please just let me talk to Salvadore. He’s my brother. This may be my only chance.”
“The man threatened to kill you,” Larado pointed out again when Falcon remained silent.
“Let’s find a way to work this out,” Harlow pleaded. “Please contact Wilder.”
“You’ll abide by whatever he says?” Larado pushed.
“Absolutely,” she agreed. She knew Wilder would take her needs into account. He would want her safe, but he would think of a solution. She noticed he didn’t ask Salvadore.
“Guadalupe, would you mind taking the seat close to the window? I don’t want to risk you being caught in a cross fire.”
“I’m not about to start shooting with my mother and sister in the room,” Salvadore said.
There was the merest hint of sarcasm and annoyance in his tone, but he didn’t move.
He also hadn’t removed his hands from Harlow’s waist. She didn’t feel tension in him, but his hold was firm, as if he might throw her out of the way at any moment.
“Guadalupe, are you armed?” Larado asked as the woman did as he requested and seated herself close to the window.
“I have a knife on me but not a gun,” she admitted.
“Remove it and put it on the small table in front of you, please,” Larado said.
For the first time, Falcon spoke. Although Harlow recognized the language as Arabic, she didn’t understand what he said. She had the feeling he was objecting to Larado trusting Guadalupe to only have one weapon on her. Larado responded in the same language.
“I’m not a threat to Harlow,” Guadalupe assured. “I came here to prevent anything from happening to her.”
“Another problem,” Larado reported, clearly annoyed. “Zahra is outside, insisting on coming in.”
“That’s my fault,” Guadalupe readily admitted. “I wanted someone to know we were here in case things didn’t go well.”
“Do not allow that little hellion into this mess,” Falcon snarled into his radio. “Tie her up, gag her and throw her in my van.”
“You sure you want to do that, Falcon?” Larado said. “She’s liable to find a way to blow up your van.”
“Do it,” Falcon confirmed.
Salvadore burst out laughing. “Sounds to me like you have trouble with your women.”
“Your mother was the one who set this entire scenario in motion,” Larado shot back.
“Here’s what we’re doing. Harlow, move the chair about five feet from Guadalupe and sit there.
Stay right there. Delgotto is going to sit in a seat facing you.
He’ll be in the light, an easy target. You have exactly ten minutes to talk and then he’s gone. ”
“Once we’re done here,” Harlow said without moving, “my brother gets to leave unharmed, and no one calls the cops or follows him. He’s allowed to return to his home.”
Larado looked as if he might shoot her. “Harlow, don’t keep pushing. This man threatened to kill you. Wilder is giving a huge concession here. We’ll let him walk away, but no one is happy about it.”
Salvadore leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Let’s do what they say. I would have shot me by now if I were the one making the decisions here.”
She knew Falcon heard, but he didn’t say anything.
She took a breath and forced herself to step away from her brother.
She had so many questions for Salvadore.
She didn’t want to waste one second of her time, and she knew Larado wouldn’t give her a moment over those ten minutes. She hastily moved to the chair.
Salvadore seated himself in the only chair in the light, facing her and his mother. Unlike her, he looked relaxed and easygoing. Smiling encouragingly at her.
—
Harlow sat in the swing chair, rocking slightly, allowing the peace of the night to enfold her.
It was a beautiful night, the sky shades of deep blue and purple.
A slight breeze fanned her, lifting the hair around her face and whispering over her skin.
She needed the serenity of her beloved Sierra.
She knew Wilder wouldn’t be happy with the confrontation in the studio.
He definitely wouldn’t be happy that they had been forced to interrupt whatever important mission he had agreed to do.
And she did feel a teensy bit guilty that Zahra had been put in Falcon’s van.
That was going to be an interesting story when Zahra told it to all of them.
She had to admit the guilt came from the amusement she felt every time she thought of Falcon having to face Zahra’s wrath.
She might be small, but like Raine, she was mighty.
The men were used to getting their own way.
She was fairly certain Zahra had a lot to say when they finally released her.
She sighed as she saw the lights of his truck moving up her drive.
Wilder had texted her that he was on his way home.
He’d told her to go to bed if she was tired, but there had been no way to get to sleep.
For one thing, she wanted to tell him the things Guadalupe and Salvadore had revealed to her.
She found she actually looked forward to sharing.
Mostly, she was extremely happy that he had once again come through for her when she needed him to. He’d proven his loyalty to her and his awareness of what was important to her.
He parked the truck and slipped out. She found him breathtaking.
She always would. That first sight of him seemed to rob her of breath.
It had been that way from the very start.
She studied his face. He looked tired. But there was no anger on his face as he walked up the steps of the porch to stand in front of her.
She flashed him a welcoming smile. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
“Me too, mon rêve. It’s been a long day for both of us.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry that I had to have Larado interrupt whatever you were doing. I just needed you to find us a solution. I’m so grateful that you did.”
“I appreciate the trust, Harlow. You do realize you were in a very dangerous situation.” He made it a statement without judgment.
She nodded as he took the seat beside her. “I sent the text to Larado…”
“Late. He was already in position. We had far more alarms than Delgotto found and dismantled. He did have an entry point to the studio we didn’t know about, thanks to Guadalupe. My men were already in position. They followed him into the studio using the same entrance.”
Wilder hadn’t been in her studio, but Larado had probably given him a blow-by-blow account.
She knew Salvadore had thought he’d dismantled all security cameras, but he was wrong.
Wilder and Rainier had destroyed the footage.
She was certain both had viewed it from every angle multiple times.
She knew they had been protecting her, but she liked to think they were protecting Salvadore as well.
“Guadalupe makes me so sad. Their lives were so screwed up thanks to the senator and my mother. Salvadore avoided talking about them for the most part, but when he did, I could feel the rage in him. That hatred runs deep. Honestly, Wilder, I can’t blame him.”
“I can’t say I don’t understand because I do,” Wilder admitted. “I felt that way toward my father and his men.”
“I appreciate your understanding so much.”