of wonder when he spoke again. “Are too.”
My lips fell open in a gasp, but he had already turned away as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just threatened to turn my world upside down. “Stop doing that!”
“Doing what?”
“Flirting! It’s against the rules.”
He looked at me with a frown that seemed genuine. “Whose rules, Lou?” He waited for my response, and the sounds that emerged from my throat resembled a stalled car that wouldn’t start. When he flashed that smug, satisfied smile, I knew he’d gotten me again.
I wisely chose to ignore him this time and traded the skates for my sneakers. I still had an attitude by the time he dropped me off home, but he didn’t seem to mind when he kissed my cheek before telling me to behave. The Impala roared as it sped away, and I smiled as I watched from the sidewalk. He and I both knew there wasn’t a chance of that.
I WATCHED LOU THROUGH THE rearview mirror as I drove away and wondered what she’d do next to provoke me. I gritted my teeth as anticipation flowed through me like an electric current. I felt alive knowing that I had something to look forward to. It took me longer than I liked to remember why I came running in the first place.
That damn T-shirt had to go.
Lou’s breasts had grown at least two cup sizes, and before today’s stunt, I had been blissfully unaware. I could barely keep my mind or my eyes off them, forgetting for brief moments that they were attached to my best friend. My onus.
The reminder was usually enough to sober me. At least until I saw her again. It wasn’t unheard of to be attracted to a friend, but when the stakes were this high, I’d have to be a fool to do something about it.
And cruel.
And if I had my way, which I intended to, Lou would never know why.
We were connected to the very last stitch. Letting Lou go would be like severing a limb. She belonged with me.
An hour later, I found myself in a hotel room sitting across from Jacobo Jiménez—the infamous cocaine supplier that Fox so hungrily coveted. Right now, it was more of a face-off since we’d not only kidnapped him for this impromptu meeting but we’d also been indirectly stealing from him all these years by stealing from Thirteen. Jiménez was younger than I expected, having accomplished as much as he had. His reputation certainly preceded him. Jacobo Jiménez was not only cunning and ruthless but also a shrewd businessman. And Fox was salivating at the jowls for a chance to do business with him. So far, we’d been getting by on the scraps we’d managed to commandeer from Thirteen, but that was no longer enough for Fox.
“My brothers tell me you’re ready to negotiate.”
“They did a good job assuring me I had no choice,” he returned in a thick Colombian accent.
I looked him over ensuring that he remained unharmed. Fox would have had us all killed for ruining his deal if Jiménez had been hurt. We’d treated him better than any captive, stashing him inside this lavish hotel suite in the middle of Manhattan for the past week. It took a week of reconnaissance during one of his rare visits to the States before we snatched him from his town car out in Miami. It had been a long two weeks since my mind never left New York and Louchana Valentine. I knew she’d be pissed about my absence, but she also knew I didn’t have a choice. In a better world…well…let’s just say a lot would be different.
“So let’s talk.”
“As impressive as you’ve proven to be,” he drawled, “you’re a little beneath the pay grade to converse with me.”
Shane shifted irritably while I took the insult on the chin and relaxed against the cushioned armchair. We were positioned catty-corner to the pale blue tufted couch Jiménez sat on as if he were actually in control, and maybe he was. There was a reason he’d climbed so high in a world so low. Shane continued to stir in the chair next to me, not looking the least bit hospitable. Even though he ranked higher than me, his people skills were nonexistent, so we both agreed I’d do the talking. The terms and what we were willing to offer were predetermined, anyway. The only thing left was Jiménez’s cooperation.
There was only one way he was walking out of this