“Well,” she said lightly, though there was a hint of something else in her voice now. “I’m glad I wasn’t in their shoes right about now. Damn, you can be scary.”
My laugh was short and humorless. “That’s one word for it.”
She tilted her head and studied me. “You’re mad.”
“I’mfurious.”
“Same difference.”
“It’s not,” I said flatly. “Mad is an inconvenience. Furious is a problem.”
Her mouth twitched. “Good to know I should be more concerned.”
“You definitely should be,” I agreed without hesitation.
That wiped the humor from her expression just a little. I stepped closer and put my hand back on her waist, grounding us both in this moment.
“You remember how I said this isn’t exactly a normal environment?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah. That was implied by the guns.”
“Those men,” I continued, ignoring her comment, “are part of the local familia. They’re the only other organization on this island with enough reach to be a problem.”
Addy’s eyes narrowed. “Define problem.”
“They control territory. Routes. People. Same as we do.”
“So … they’re like competitors?” Her brows drew together.
I let out a quiet breath. “That’s a very mild way of putting it.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “What’s the less mild version?”
I watched her for a moment, considering how much information she needed and how much would only burden her unnecessarily.
“My uncle claimed this territory before I got here,” I said finally. “Puerto Rico was … strategic. He moved in fast, secured enough ground to make it ours on paper.”
Her brows knit together slightly. “On paper doesn’t sound very reassuring.”
“That’s because it isn’t. What he handed me here,” I continued, my tone remaining even, “is not a gift. It’s a problem.”
Addy blinked. “Oh.”
I huffed quietly. “Yeah.Oh.”
“He expects me to hold it. Expand it. Fix whatever isn’t working.” I paused briefly. “And right now, quite a few things aren’t working.”
Her gaze sharpened, her curiosity cutting through the lingering tension. “Including…?”
“Including the fact that the local familia isn’t exactly a fan of us being here in the first place.” I shifted slightlyand sighed. “They’ve been here longer. They know the terrain, the people, the routes. We moved in fast, but fast doesn’t mean stable.”
“So they’re pushing back?” she asked, her eyes wide, but I could see the cogs turning in her pretty little head.
“Yes.”
“How?”
I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening just slightly.