“We think,” Rafael said slowly, “you’re new here.”
“And we think you’re overextended.”
“And we think,” the shorter one added with a grin, “you’re going to pay for that.”
The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
At that exact moment, Addy leaned slightly into me. It wasn’t deliberate seduction — though my cock certainly took note — just instinctive contact-seeking. Her shoulder brushed my chest and her delicate fingers hooked lightly into the front of my shirt, as though she needed balance.
Rafael took a measured, deliberate step back.
“We came to say hello. And to let you know … This doesn’t stop here. You don’t get to settle into this island like it’s already yours.” He smirked and studied me with cold, hard eyes. “Your shipments will keep bleeding. Your people will keep disappearing. And next time,” he added, glancing once more at Addy, “we won’t be this polite.”
Every muscle in my body tensed. My men tightened their formation, their fingers twitching on the triggers of their weapons. One wrong move and this place would turn into a bloodbath.
Rafael held my gaze for one long second. Then he nodded once and walked out.
His companion followed. The door shut behind them, and silence filled the space they had left behind.
“That was … interesting.” Addy’s gaze was still trained on the door. “Maybe these guys need a cocktail to relax a bit or something. Jeez.”
Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I tried not to lose my shit but failed disastrously. I turned to face my men, my jaw clenched so tightly it felt as if it were about to crack.
“And where the fuck were you?”
My voice cracked through the boutique like a whip, sharp enough to make even the shop owner flinch behind the counter. My men straightened up instinctively, but there was no going back now.
“You had two entry points,” I continued, stepping forward slowly and deliberately, measuring each word. “Two. And only one job. Watch the perimeter, control access, and yet somehow—” I gestured toward the door with a tight, humorless smile, “—we had guests.”
“Boss, we were taken by sur—”
“I don’t give a fuck what distracted you,” I snapped, raising my voice just enough to make the threat underneath it unmistakable. “You don’t get distracted. You don’t leave positions unless I say so.”
One of them shifted, his jaw tightening. “There was a disturbance down the street. Looked real.”
“They wanted you gone,” I continued quietly. “And you gave them exactly what they wanted. Do you understand what that means?”
No one answered.
“It means,” I said, stepping closer, “they walked into my territory, looked me in the eye, and tested how far they could push before I pushed back.”
My gaze moved between them, slow and deliberate.
“It means you failed.”
The word hung heavy in the air.
“And if anything had happened to her—” my voice dipped, something darker threading through it now, something far less controlled, “—there wouldn’t be enough left of you to explain yourselves.”
Silence. Absolute, deafening silence.
“This was your first and only strike,” I said finally, already turning away. “Next time you fuck up, I will put you down like a fucking rabid dog. Now go and double the perimeter. I want no blind spots. If anyone so much as breathes wrongly within fifty yards, I want to know about it before they do.”
“Yes, boss.”
I dismissed them without waiting for anything else. Addy was still standing exactly where I’d left her, watching me with those wide, perceptive eyes that saw far too much and yet somehow still not enough.
I exhaled once, dragging a hand through my hair before I walked back to her.