I was delighted.Have I just made a friend?
We talked about the area and Elena rattled off recommendations as though she’d been dying to tell someone about them. There was the café by the harbor with ‘life-changing’ pastries, a tiny taco stand that only opened after sunset, and a supposedly perfect beach, as long as you got there before anyone else.
We checked out together and exited the store. Outside, the air was warm and heavy. My driver straightened subtly when he spotted me emerge with someone.
Elena noticed. “Does he … belong to you?”
“Yeah, he’s my driver,” I admitted sheepishly. I still wasn’t used to the idea of someone chauffeuring me around.
Her smile didn’t falter. “Better than having to walk everywhere.”
“We should do something,” I blurted out impulsively. “Like a girls’ night. I don’t know anyone here who isn’t technically on my boyfriend’s payroll.”
Her expression shifted. At first I thought it was pity but it looked more like sympathy mixed with understanding. Interesting.
“I’d love that!”
“I’m down for anything. Especially if it involves snacks and a glass of wine.”
She giggled. “I think we can manage that. I’ve got a bunch of sisters and cousins who’d be delighted to meet you as well.”
“Sounds awesome,” I said, buzzing with excitement.
“You’ll love them!”
We exchanged numbers and as she walked off toward a sleek black SUV parked down the block and I noticed two men inside. I got into my own car, grinning from ear to ear. It felt like I was experiencing something genuine and unfiltered for the first time since I’d arrived here.
I made a friend — an actual friend.
Imagine that.
Chapter 29
Addy
Ididn’texactlyplanon wreaking havoc on a criminal operation. In my defense, though, I was bored and Ididbring muffins.
The compound was significantly larger than I’d originally assumed. From the villa’s terrace, it had looked scenic and well-maintained — palm trees, winding gravel paths and the ocean shimmering beyond the hills like a screensaver — but once you stepped outside, it was clear ‘private estate’ didn’t do it justice. It was more like a discreet island kingdom than an estate.
The landscaping alone could have hidden a small militia. Bougainvillea climbed stone walls in violent bursts of pink and orange; tropical birds darted between mango trees as though late for appointments; and somewhere to the left, I could hear generators humming in the distance, pretending not to power something illegal.
Scattered across the lower half of the property were several large buildings — not rustic sheds or charming guesthouses, but broad, low warehouses built from concrete and corrugated steel. They were painted a sun-faded neutral color suggesting there was nothing to see but actually meaning the opposite.
Naturally, I was going to investigate.
Distracting Sasha and the rotating lineup of extremely large men assigned to “casually exist near me at all times” was easier than expected. Once I told them I was planning to bake, which wasn’t technically a lie, they left me to my own devices.
I baked a batch of muffins — I couldn’t show up empty-handed, after all — and slipped out of the side terrace as though I were starring in the world’s least athletic spy movie. Escaping was easier than it should have been, probably because I wasn’t even leaving the compound. I had made it about halfway down the winding path when I heard it.
The low electric whir of a golf cart.
I froze in my tracks, the muffin box wobbling dangerously as a golf cart occupied by four of Sasha’s men in dark shirts and sunglasses rounded the corner ahead.
I dove behind a hibiscus bush.
In hindsight, I should have picked something with more structural integrity. I quickly learned that hibiscus is decorative,nottactical.
I crouched there, muffins pressed to my chest, while the golf cart rolled past at a leisurely pace. One of them glanced vaguely in my direction and probably noticed the suspicious rustling of leaves, but then — blessedly — they kept going.