Blood Ties (Dinero de Sangre #2) - Lana Sky Page 0,76

Like he raced here, not expecting Jaguar to arrive so soon—a surprise I think the other planned for that very reason. He wanted to both unnerve him and catch him off guard. And he primarily wanted to speak to me alone.

I shudder at the potential reasons why, and decide to fixate on the only damn thing worth contemplating now. How the hell can I escape both men? Despite all of Domino’s taunts about what awaits me in Jaguar’s domain, meeting the man firsthand has cemented that I don’t want to find out. My throbbing lip is warning enough—Jaguar’s Guarida will make my time here, with him, seem like paradise and the thought of that utterly hollows me.

I go numb, reduced to staring blankly at the surface of the glass dining table as Domino shoves me into a seat beside him. Surprisingly, Jaguar takes one directly across from us without comment. Though I sense his gaze on me continuously, noting every little thing down to how many breaths I take.

Within minutes, Ines scrambles in, carrying a tray of tapas that she places on the table’s center along with a fresh bottle of wine and more glasses.

I reach for one, desperate for something to dull the fear I’m barely able to keep at bay. My fingers have just grazed the goblet when I see a shift of movement in my peripheral vision. Domino. If I’m not mistaken, he shook his head. Don’t.

“I don’t think I’m very thirsty,” Jaguar declares as I withdraw my hand.

If his refusal foils some plan of Domino’s, I can’t tell. His expression is more guarded than I can recall, even from his days at my father’s side.

“Where is Alexi?” he asks. “I would have thought you’d want to spend your time getting reacquainted with her.”

“Lexi-Lex, is taking a walk,” Jaguar says dismissively. “Let’s talk about Ada-Maria instead, shall we? As smooth a talker as you may be, Dom, I don’t think you need three extra days. In fact, given the state of her, who knows if you’ll lose control and render her unconscious for another week. I want her in the Guarida safe and sound tonight. If money is what you want, I’ll pay whatever you think she’s worth. If it’s the sex you’ll miss, I’ll leave Lex here to satisfy any need you may have—bondage included.”

“I don’t think she’ll like that very much,” Domino counters.

Jaguar chuckles, shaking his head. “She’ll like whatever the fuck I tell her to. Unlike you, I know how to handle my women. If I tell my Lex to walk, talk, and act like Ada-Maria here, I doubt you’ll be able to tell the difference. Unless her sexy little pout isn’t the only thing you want her for.”

“You promised me three days,” Domino repeats. “I want what I’m owed.”

“And you promised me that I could have Ada-Maria Pavalos in exchange for my assistance arranging a hit—albeit a sloppy one—on Don Roy. Do you realize how precarious a position it places me in? To go against a man so revered in our circle? Many, many of my enemies might assume I’m vulnerable and see it as a time to strike.”

“You wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t like the position it left you in,” Domino replies, his head cocked, brows furrowed. “Right at the top of the pecking order. If anyone dares go against you now, they risk getting the same treatment. No one will take that risk.”

“Not even you?” When his question is met with only silence, Jaguar sighs. “I don’t like fighting with you, Dom-Dom. No two brothers should ever let something as trivial as pussy come in between them.”

I stiffen when I realize he’s referring to me. The sick part? I don’t think he intends it as an insult. To him, that’s all I am—a hole to be bought and sold.

But does Domino see me the same? God, I hate that I still can’t get a read on him. I’m tempted to reach for the wine again and drain the whole bottle. My nerves are so scattered, my pulse racing. I feel my fingers twitch for my glass, but this time a firm, unmistakable pressure lands on my knee. His hand. The touch alone conveys his meaning—do not drink.

I let my hand fall to the table, and this time Jaguar tracks the movement, his eyes glittering with interest.

“I hate to pull the rank card on you, Dom-Dom,” he says. “Really, I do. But I am the leader of the Guarida, and