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  I weaved my way through the house, passing several armed men. I’d just reached the open French doors leading outside when a burst of husky, feminine laughter had me stopping in my tracks. The sound flowed through me and settled right in my gut, setting off warning signs. My feet started me moving forward again, but my steps were slower this time. Leaves and rocks crunched under my booted feet as I moved across the brick walk. My eyes scanned the area, and my whole body felt tight with an unknown tension.

  I rounded the large tree that shaded about half the courtyard, and the first person I spotted was Miguel. Based on the files the D.E.A. had on him, I knew he was fifty-eight years old, although he appeared much younger. He had minimal flecks of gray in his pitch-black hair, and only a few age lines graced his face. His figure was trim. He really was in his prime. In fact, at this moment, wearing a pressed pair of khakis and baby blue polo, with a genuine smile on his face, I’d guess women would consider him good looking.

  Across from him was Alejandro. The elder Álvarez was polished and almost debonair. The younger was a punk. He wore tattered jeans several sizes too big, cinched tightly at the waist with a giant belt. His oversized basketball jersey was tucked in at the front but then hung sloppily down to mid-thigh, and the gold chains around his neck were quintessential douchebag. Add in the aviator glasses and his whole persona screamed he was trying too hard.

  “Tomás, welcome back. I assume there were no complications today.” Miguel asked, his hand outstretched to shake mine.

  “Yes, sir. Everything went as planned.”

  “Wonderful. You know Alejandro, of course. And this beautiful woman is Gabriela.”

  My vision was consumed with the woman who stepped forward, her arm looped through the man-child’s next to her. Hair of varying shades of brown, from light to dark, was curled and fell down around her slender shoulders, a few tendrils cupping her perfectly sized breasts. She was absolutely stunning, and everything in me screamed danger.

  She smiled at me, and there was a flash of a calculating look behind her chocolate brown eyes that disappeared quickly. A look that said she was sizing me up. Who was this woman and what was she doing with Alejandro?

  I shook my head slightly when I realized Miguel had moved closer to me and was speaking low. Shit, I didn’t need this distraction.

  “I want you to take Alejandro to the club with you tonight and show him the lab.”

  Internally, I groaned. The dance club was a legitimate business, but it also housed a back room, the lab where some of Miguel’s drug supply was cut. Considering the way his nephew spent money, I didn’t think it was a great idea to give him unlimited access to a fuck-ton of pure drugs. If shit went missing, it was my ass on the line.

  “Tio, we gotta get going, man. I promised to show Gabby a good time tonight.” Alejandro practically whined.

  Miguel waved him off good-naturedly. “Go, then, enjoy yourself.”

  His placating smile turned serious. “Remember, I want you to meet Tomás later this evening though. No excuses. This is el negocio de la familia, family business, and you need to make that a priority. Do you understand?”

  Alejandro sighed like an over-dramatic teenager. “Sí, tío. Yo te entiendo. I understand.”

  My eyes tracked the couple as the man-child led his lady friend away. The green dress she wore hugged her curves, dipping in at the waist before flaring out over her hips. It barely covered her ass and her long, toned legs had my fingertips itching for a single touch. She hadn’t spoken a word, and it had me intrigued, because she had absorbed the entire conversation around her.

  What was she trying to learn?

  Chapter 3

  After that first night, Victor had negotiated a deal with Alejandro and Mikey, getting me on as a full-time dancer. And now that I was dating Alejandro, I was a frequent visitor to Miguel’s home. Between there and Sweet SINoritas, I would have thought I’d have gotten some whiff of Ernesto, but I kept hitting dead end after dead end. I knew it wasn’t like I was going to accidentally stumble across my missing brother in one of the bedrooms, but I was slowly losing hope.

  Miguel was actually quite charming and attractive. I could see where his nephew got his looks. He could, however, learn a lot from his uncle about how to charm a woman. The man I’d met today, on the other hand, Tomás, was… rugged and harsh looking. His angular jaw was covered with two or three days’ worth of growth, and his nose was slightly crooked. It was his piercing, almost-black eyes, set deep beneath prominent eyebrows that captured my attention though.

  After his gaze had caught mine, I forced a smile to my face. He studied me like I’d studied him, only I knew it was happening. My skin tingled, even while alarm bells went off. He was something different.

  Intense.

  Brooding.

  Intriguing.

  Overly observant.

  Definitely someone I needed to avoid.

  I’d straightened my shoulders and kept watching him with a critical eye, trying to determine what it was about this man that didn’t fit. When his eyes moved back to Miguel, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. My fingers began to ache, and I discovered I’d clenched them in a fist. I wiggled them to get blood flowing again and then wiped my sweaty palms on my dress.

  When Alejandro led me away, I resisted the temptation to look over my shoulder, but the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and the feeling of being observed by Tomás stayed with me long after we left the courtyard.

  “Gabby, are you even listening to me?”

  “Sí, papi,” I cooed, batting my lashes at Alejandro. He was easily led with only the tiniest bit of flirtation. I only had to smile and rub my boobs against his arm while I cuddled up close, and he practically ate out of my hand. It was almost embarrassing, really.

  “What did I say then?” He asked, petulantly, shooting me a look.

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. Lord, he was such a child. With four older brothers, I’d become an expert at half-listening to what men said and keeping up with the conversation. “You were telling me how excited you were that your uncle finally seems to be including you in more of the family business. This back room sounds interesting. Can I come with? See what it is you’re doing? Maybe I can help you impress your uncle. Not that I think you need help. I bet you’ll do amazing, papi.” I patted his arm and smiled animatedly, beaming in fake pride. The more Alejandro knew about the family business, the better my chances of finding Ernesto. Every day, millions of secrets were spilled during pillow talk. The only problem was dreading said pillow talk.

  “No, you can’t come with me. Not tonight at least. Maybe some other time.”

  I pouted for effect. “Fine.”

  When we reached the Porsche, he opened my door for me. The first time he’d ever done such a thing. Maybe some of his uncle’s charm was finally rubbing off on him?

  I realized my mistake when he reached past me, opened the glove box, and pulled out a gun. Alejandro carrying a weapon made me nervous.

  “What—” I unconsciously moved into a defensive pose, preparing to knock the firearm out of his hand if it became necessary, “—are you doing with a gun?”

  I cursed inside my head when my question came out shakier than I expected. My shoulders sagged, and my racing heart skipped a beat before he did nothing but holster the weapon behind his back, under his baggy shirt. I remained guarded, even though the firearm was out of sight.

  “I’m protecting what’s mine.” He puffed out his chest like a rooster showing off.

  “Protection from what? We’re on your uncle’s property behind a secured gate.”

  Alejandro’s expression was one I couldn’t decipher. “You never know,” he said, before striding around to his side of the vehicle. He stood at the open door, staring at me.

  “Are you getting in or not?” he asked in a sharp tone, one eyebrow raised.

  I slid into the passenger seat, still trying to figure out where this suddenly
menacing behavior rose from. I remained silent the entire drive back to my house.

  “I’ll be back to pick you up at eight,” he said before peeling away.

  He didn’t walk me to my door.

  I’d been home about twenty minutes when a knock sounded. I slipped the chain off to let Victor in.

  “You okay?” He asked once inside.

  “I told you I could handle things. You can’t keep just dropping by. If Alejandro or any of his friends see you…” I trailed off.

  Victor, normally the calm brother, ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I fucking hate this.”

  I laid my hand on his arm. “I trust you to have my back. But you also have to trust that I know what I’m doing. Please.”

  He studied me in the sunlight streaming through the front windows. Finally, he sighed. “You call me the second something doesn’t feel right. Don’t try to be a hero, Ines.”

  I kissed him on the cheek, let him out, locked the door, and slid the chain home.

  I hadn’t mentioned Tomás.

  Chapter 4

  Warm, scantily-clad bodies moved and gyrated on the dance floor, and the air was filled with the rhythmic beats of music blasting out of the speakers around the room. I lounged in the corner of the VIP section sipping a gin and tonic, impatiently waiting on Alejandro to arrive. I glared around the room, surveying the area for undercover cops trying to make a bust, as well as any of Miguel’s enemies. I noticed several of his associates sprinkled around the VIP area, gorgeous women hanging on their arm. These were men whose goal was to make money and get power. My job was to take both of those things away.

  On a second pass around the room, I spotted her.

  Gabriela. I tracked her movements as she and Alejandro weaved in and out the crowd. Her dark-chocolate hair was pulled up in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her skin was on display in the backless, curve-hugging dress she wore, which caused an interested twitch beneath my belt. I squashed the sensation even as I watched her hips shake to the music when they stopped for Alejandro to clasp hands and shoulder bump some of his friends.

  “That’s one hot piece of ass with our boy, eh esé?”

  I turned to stare down Rico, who reclined in his chair, feet propped on the red plush ottoman in front of him. He coolly sipped his beer, gaze also locked on Gabriela. Irrational jealousy flared, which I quickly stamped out.

  I shrugged. “Not my type.”

  Rico sent me a smirk before sipping his beer. “I hear you get to teach junior some of the family business tonight. I’m glad it’s you on babysitting duty and not me.”

  Glad for the switch of topic, I shrugged again. “He’s still young and more concerned with partying than business. Maybe he’ll grow up soon, but it’s doubtful.”

  “You better not let boss man hear you talk that way,” Rico warned.

  “I’ve expressed my concerns with Miguel. He thinks the kid will come around with patience and guidance.” I took another sip of my watered-down drink, still observing the couple across the room.

  “Still, better you than me.”

  Honestly, babysitting was better than some of the things I could be required to do. I sat up a little straighter when Alejandro leaned over to whisper in Gabriela’s ear. She frowned at whatever he’d said, but gave a stiff nod in response.

  It was my turn to scowl when he and his buddies moved away from her, leaving her standing there. What the hell was so important that he left her alone? I relaxed a few moments later when she smiled brightly and waved over another woman. They animatedly chatted before heading out to the dance floor.

  I knew my attention should be on conversations going on around me so I could pass off intel to Landon, but my focus kept drifting back to the gorgeous woman laughing and rolling her hips to the music.

  Distractions like her could get me killed.

  I forced myself to move, to wander around and mingle with Miguel’s associates. After ten minutes, and learning nothing that I didn’t already know, I gave up. When I looked back out to the dance floor, it took a moment to locate Gabriela. Some drunken ass was harassing her. I watched as she attempted to blow him off, but he wasn’t taking the hint. Without thinking, I stomped down the steps and through the crowd, elbowing my way past all the dancing couples. I ignored the dirty looks being shot my way, zeroing in on Gabriela.

  When I stepped within earshot, I heard her bite out, “Vete a la mierda. How many languages do I need to speak for you to understand I’m not interested? Now, go away.”

  For a moment, I was both impressed and turned on. Who knew telling someone to fuck off would sound so sexy? My arousal swiftly switched to rage, though, when the inebriated piece of shit grabbed her arm, hard enough she winced.

  “Let her go,” I ground out, my fists clenched at my side in an effort not to punch the bastard.

  Two sets of eyes shot in my direction. Relief flashed across her face while the jackass holding her arm sneered at me.

  “This doesn’t concern you, man.”

  I took another step forward, putting myself nose to nose with him. “If you don’t take your hand off of her in the next two seconds, I’m going to break your fingers.

  “One. Two.”

  I grabbed his free hand and snapped both his thumb and pinky outward, and felt the bones break. He roared and released his hold on Gabriela, cradling his now-broken digits to his chest.

  I took the opportunity to gently push her behind me.

  “Motherfucker, you broke them,” he choked out.

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t make idle threats. Maybe next time you’ll keep your fucking hands to yourself. Now get the hell out of here.”

  The man stared at us with hatred, and glanced around at the people watching the show. We’d attracted a crowd. He was either smart or sober enough to realize it was a mistake to engage any further. When he walked past us, still cradling his hand against his chest, he spat out, “Puta.”

  I swept my arm out in front of Gabriela to block her lunge for the idiot, a growl erupting from her before she bit out, “Bastardo.”

  He shot a glare at us over his shoulder but kept moving.

  “I had things under control.”

  I huffed out a small laugh. “Yes, I could see that.”

  Gabriela crossed her arms over her chest. It took all my energy to keep my eyes locked with hers and not let my vision drift southward. “I did. He was seconds away from a knee to the nuts. He would have been writhing on the floor if you hadn’t interfered.”

  “A knee to the nuts huh?” I smirked.

  “I have brothers who taught me how to defend myself.” Her voice was filled with pride.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Alejandro and his buddies had returned. Where the hell had they been this whole time?

  Just as I was about to lay into him for leaving his girlfriend alone, Gabriela spoke up.

  “Nothing, papi. Tomás just asked Estelle to dance.” She looped her arm through his, while her other hand went to his chest and began tracing imaginary lines back and forth with her finger.

  I stared at the change that had come over her. Where minutes ago she’d been feisty and ready to unman some jerk, now she was simpering and submissive. Why the pretense? Why didn’t she want Alejandro to know what had actually happened? He continued studying me, his body tense, but I remained impassive. Suddenly his muscles relaxed, and he broke out into a huge smile.

  “It’s about time you loosen up a little and enjoy yourself. You’re always so uptight and serious, Tomás.” He laughed and nudged one of his friends. My gaze, however, remained on Gabriela, whose eyes briefly darted over to meet mine before quickly re-focusing on Alejandro. I didn’t know what the deal was with her, but I’d play along. For now.

  I gave a small smile and shrugged. “What can I say. Sometimes all it takes is a beautiful woman.”

  Gabriela’s friend, who’d been quietly standing off to the side, blushed at my w
ords, even though we both knew this was a ruse.

  I reached out to her. “How about that dance?”

  She took two small steps forward and placed her hand in mine, smiling a little uncertainly. I led her away from the group to the edge of the dance floor just as a Spanish love song began to play. I was a shit dancer, so we mostly just swayed back and forth, my arms awkwardly at her waist and her hands on my shoulders like we were in middle school.

  “Thanks for what you did for Gabby back there,” her voice was so soft I had to strain to hear her over the music.

  Estelle was pretty. Her blonde hair hung limply down her back, and her blue eyes were set a little too close together, but she had a nice smile. She didn’t set my blood on fire like her friend, though. A fire I needed to put out immediately. I couldn’t afford to piss off Alejandro or Miguel.

  “Not a problem. I do have a question though.”

  She peered up at me with caution in her gaze. Like she wasn’t sure she should be answering my questions. I wondered if she was hiding something. If they both were.

  When she remained silent, I took that as a sign to ask. “Why didn’t Gabriela want Alejandro to know what happened just now?”

  Estelle laughed, which entirely transformed her face from subtly pretty to beautiful. “You must not know a lot about women. We don’t want our men to worry unnecessarily. If Alejandro had known that some man harassed her while he was gone, he would have been upset. He would have blamed himself that he hadn’t been here to protect her. Also, he might be less inclined to leave her alone.” She giggled nervously. “Not…not that she doesn’t want to spend time with him, but no woman wants her man hovering over her constantly. Besides, Gabby really can take care of herself.”

  Every word she said made sense, but I wasn’t buying it. Gabriela was too quick to shift gears.