“Who are you?” I ask, keeping my tone casual.
“Luis, my name is Luis,” he stutters out, not moving from behind the crate he’s standing by.
“You got a last name, Luis?” I tilt my head to the side, while keeping a firm eye on his hands and what he’s doing with them.
“Luis Flores,” he says.
“How long have you worked for us?”
“Not long. A month.”
“A month and they already have you stacking crates?” I raise a brow. That’s not normal. It takes a while before anyone is trusted enough to do this job. A brick goes missing here, and then we’re short on the delivery on the other end and that’s never a good look for business.
“Y-yes,” he says.
“Who told you to come here tonight?” I ask him.
“I don’t remember,” he says.
That’s when I see his hand move and a glint of metal right before the fucker gets a shot off. I have my gun raised and a bullet fired that lands between his eyes. Lucky for me, he’s a lousy fucking aim, and his shot grazed past my shoulder. Fucking burns like a bitch, but I can tell it didn’t go through.
“You good?” Elias asks.
“Yep. Fucker was quick.”
“He was.” Elias turns around to all the other guys standing outside the container. “Who the fuck let this asshole in here?”
“I did.” One either brave or stupid asshole steps forward. “He was ready, had people vouch for him and all.”
“I want a list of names, everyone who vouched for him within the hour. And I want you to deliver it to me at the estate. Get someone to clean this mess up and replace the bloody bricks with clean ones. We’re not delivering messy shit,” Elias orders. “Right, now that that’s settled, I’m off.”
I follow Elias back to the car. I don’t utter a word until we’re sitting inside it. “You think he was working alone?” I ask.
“We’re about to find out,” Elias says. “Drive around the block, then park on the corner,” he tells the driver. “If anyone there was with him, they’re going to run and we’re going to watch them.”
I nod and smile. They will try to run. I look down at my arm. Blood drips down my jacket, which is now torn. “Fucker, this was a good fucking suit,” I curse.
“Pretty sure you can afford to replace it. Be glad he wasn’t a decent shot,” Elias says. “I never want to have to see Mom lose one of us.”
“Yeah, I don’t see that ending well for anyone,” I agree. Our mother would be destroyed, but our father? He’d turn this entire country red with blood.
Chapter Ten
I’ve never been one to worry when the men in my family go off and “run an errand” as they like to call whatever it is they’re off doing in the shadows. They’ve always come back, mostly unscathed.
Emilio left about an hour ago. I have no idea where he went or what he’s doing, and it’s starting to make me anxious. I don’t like this feeling. I know he’s fine. His family literally owns this country. What could possibly go wrong? And why am I even worried? So I kissed and dry-humped the guy.
This is why I avoid relationships. I don’t like being this kind of clingy or needy. I like independence. And yes, I get how I’m only independent on my father’s money. I know I wouldn’t have the life I do if it weren’t for my father and the things he does to make sure I’ve never gone without.
“You look like you’re about to throw up.” Eliana plops down next to me on the sofa.
“Thanks?”
“It wasn’t a compliment,” she says.
“I’m aware.”
“You know he’s fine.”