she was picked to be one of his packages. The only thing I can think of is it’s because Eva would go searching and maybe kick up a storm. Generally, the women Andrés sells are loners, women who won’t be missed, women who have no one in their lives. It makes it easy for him that way. Women who are forgotten quickly, therefore, make no waves. He’s all for the quick, easy, and dirty.
With Eva’s tenacity, she wouldn’t stop until she found Ivy. So, if Andrés wanted Ivy so badly, he had to take Eva—a package deal. I’m beginning to see that now. My concern? What’s so intoxicating about Ivy that Andrés would take on someone like Eva to ensure he acquires her? I have no answer, but it’s burning like fire in my mind.
Walking past the stairs to the lower bunker, I glimpse down. The lights are on. I realize Void’s down there with the cargo. I know I have to check that situation out as soon as possible, but first, I need a shot of something.
Striding up to the bar, Pepper’s serving. The one shoulder, black lacy see-through bodysuit she’s wearing isn’t doing it for me today. Don’t get me wrong, Pepper’s fucking sexy as hell. With her long, chocolate brown hair flowing over her back, and her dark shadowed eyes looking me up and down as I walk up, she’s letting me know she’s ready for anything I ask of her, but today, I’m not feeling it. All I can think about is Eva in my room and how much she’s affecting me.
“Rough night, Prez?” Pepper asks in her sickly-sweet voice. She grabs the tequila bottle, which is exactly what I need right now, and starts filling a shot glass, then Pepper slides it over to me.
I grab the glass, tilting my head in acknowledgment, then straight down the hatch. The liquid burns, but I welcome the intrusion, letting out a groan as I slide the glass back to her.
“Top up?” she asks.
“Would love one, but I got shit I gotta handle. Get ready for me later, though. I’m gonna need a whole freaking keg by the time this night is through.”
She weakly smiles. “You got this, Prez. You always do.”
Pepper’s faith in me feels good. I’m glad someone thinks I am doing something right, even if Pepper doesn’t understand the full story. “Thanks, Pep.”
I spin on my heels, heading straight for the stairs. I need to deal with the cargo and talk with Void. See what the situation is before he has a damn coronary, and I’m down one VP. Stomping down the stairs, my tension levels are through the roof. All I want to do is go back up to my room and settle things with Eva.
I left on a bad note.
Somehow, I need to earn her trust, but how can I do that when I’m blatantly lying to her? I’m in over my head. Any damn minute I’ll be getting a call from Andrés. That’s a certainty. I need to play my cards right where he’s concerned. Maybe I should ride out to see him. Try and smooth this pile of shit over. It would appear more legit if I did.
And I will—right after this.
Walking into the Bricking Room, Void’s sitting outside of the Brick Cell with his head in his hands. Exhaling, I stride up to him.
Void’s eyes shoot up to meet mine as he grits his teeth. “I sure hope you know what you’re fucking doing.”
Rolling my shoulders, my eye twitches—I hope so too.
“Is the cargo secure?”
Void stands, letting out an exacerbated exhale. “Yeah.”
“Then open the door.”
Void pulls on the giant wall made of bricks to open up a small cell. It’s dimly lit, but it has a bed, a sofa, a television, bar fridge, and a bathroom set-up in the corner. It has a metal pole in the middle of the wall running horizontally all the way around, with a set of handcuff chains linked to the metal bar. From there, you can locate everything in the room. You just have to walk around to reach what you want. It’s like a private hotel suite, but make no mistake, it’s a prison.
Our own deluxe way of bricking someone behind a wall. When the door shuts, it’s like they are encased behind the brick wall. They can’t be heard on the outside, they can’t hear anything on the inside.
It also has speakers installed, so we’re able to talk to the occupant, play