Page 41
Story: Brutal Knight
Carlos snorted a chuckle and Antonio’s lip curled. "Of course they want Benny. We all want Benny. You think you’re giving us something new?”
“Except, I know where Benny is.”
They both stilled, Carlos suddenly losing his interest in the buckle, and their sharp eyes were on me. “Where?”
I shook my head. “I tell you what I want first, then you tell me if it’s worth Benny’s location.”
Antonio’s eyes darkened. “That’s not how this works.” Carlos, all serious now, stepped closer, closing in on me, and I knew that things had suddenly became serious. We may have a friendly relationship but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t gut me.
“Okay,” I tried to maintain some kind of control. “He’s in Nogales. He’s staying in the market where all the tourists go.” Nogales was a city right over the Texas border. Benny thought he’d be able to wait out the transition in rank, then return to weasel his way back into Bourbon’s good graces.
Yeah, good luck. The guy had no idea how much the new leadership hated him.
I’d gotten this information from Rook, but Poppy had confirmed it. I handed Antonio the envelope. “The address is in there.”
He took it without opening it, and slipped it in the back pocket of his jeans. “Gracias, sexy.”
“Now,” I said, my heart pounding, this was the whole reason I was here instead of waiting for Rook to return, “for what I need.”
Antonio raised an eyebrow.
I held my ground. "This information doesn't come for free," I hissed.
Antonio grabbed my hand and, instead of hurting me like I expected, he threaded his fingers through mine and pulled me flush against him. His eyes wandered over my face. "You sayin you ready to switch sides, Mami?”
“I'm saying, I need information, too.”
“And what kind of information would the Knight's newmujerneed from us?”
My eyes flashed. “I'mnothis newwoman.”
He gave me a lazy smile. Probably, in his eyes, I’d just confirmed it. Too bad I didn’t give a shit what he thought about me and Knight. “But,” I tried to figure out how to play this. “I do need information about him. He disappearsevery day, into a house in your side of the city. I need to know where he goes.” I’d gotten this information from my girls and hadn’t shared it with Rook.
Again, the secrets were going to sever our relationship. I hated that I was putting this between us but I couldn’t gather the courage to tell him why it was so important to me. I swallowed down the suffocating knot in my throat. “Tell me what it is. What is there?”
“It’s Knight’s property?” Antonio gave me a skeptical look.
Knight had property all over the state due to his family history, history that preceded any current mafia territory lines. He was the only one who could go in and out of cartel land without repercussions.
I was ballsy enough to go into cartel territory but I couldn’t directly follow him—he would catch me. And I couldn’t send any of my girls there. Not only were things too dangerous right now, but the address was “protected”.
Meaning, no one could touch it, except Knight.
What was so important to him? I had to know.
“Yes.” I nodded. “A house. I think people live there, but I’m not sure.”
Carlos made a dismissive noise.
“He’s going to seea la otra?” Antonio’s grin grew bigger. “Another woman.”
“Does it matter to you? Just find out and tell me.”
“What’s the address?” Antonio stared at my lips, still keeping me pressed against him.
“183 Sunrise Road.”
Antonio chuckled. “I know that area.” He held up the envelope I’d given him. “This information isn't worth that.”
“Except, I know where Benny is.”
They both stilled, Carlos suddenly losing his interest in the buckle, and their sharp eyes were on me. “Where?”
I shook my head. “I tell you what I want first, then you tell me if it’s worth Benny’s location.”
Antonio’s eyes darkened. “That’s not how this works.” Carlos, all serious now, stepped closer, closing in on me, and I knew that things had suddenly became serious. We may have a friendly relationship but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t gut me.
“Okay,” I tried to maintain some kind of control. “He’s in Nogales. He’s staying in the market where all the tourists go.” Nogales was a city right over the Texas border. Benny thought he’d be able to wait out the transition in rank, then return to weasel his way back into Bourbon’s good graces.
Yeah, good luck. The guy had no idea how much the new leadership hated him.
I’d gotten this information from Rook, but Poppy had confirmed it. I handed Antonio the envelope. “The address is in there.”
He took it without opening it, and slipped it in the back pocket of his jeans. “Gracias, sexy.”
“Now,” I said, my heart pounding, this was the whole reason I was here instead of waiting for Rook to return, “for what I need.”
Antonio raised an eyebrow.
I held my ground. "This information doesn't come for free," I hissed.
Antonio grabbed my hand and, instead of hurting me like I expected, he threaded his fingers through mine and pulled me flush against him. His eyes wandered over my face. "You sayin you ready to switch sides, Mami?”
“I'm saying, I need information, too.”
“And what kind of information would the Knight's newmujerneed from us?”
My eyes flashed. “I'mnothis newwoman.”
He gave me a lazy smile. Probably, in his eyes, I’d just confirmed it. Too bad I didn’t give a shit what he thought about me and Knight. “But,” I tried to figure out how to play this. “I do need information about him. He disappearsevery day, into a house in your side of the city. I need to know where he goes.” I’d gotten this information from my girls and hadn’t shared it with Rook.
Again, the secrets were going to sever our relationship. I hated that I was putting this between us but I couldn’t gather the courage to tell him why it was so important to me. I swallowed down the suffocating knot in my throat. “Tell me what it is. What is there?”
“It’s Knight’s property?” Antonio gave me a skeptical look.
Knight had property all over the state due to his family history, history that preceded any current mafia territory lines. He was the only one who could go in and out of cartel land without repercussions.
I was ballsy enough to go into cartel territory but I couldn’t directly follow him—he would catch me. And I couldn’t send any of my girls there. Not only were things too dangerous right now, but the address was “protected”.
Meaning, no one could touch it, except Knight.
What was so important to him? I had to know.
“Yes.” I nodded. “A house. I think people live there, but I’m not sure.”
Carlos made a dismissive noise.
“He’s going to seea la otra?” Antonio’s grin grew bigger. “Another woman.”
“Does it matter to you? Just find out and tell me.”
“What’s the address?” Antonio stared at my lips, still keeping me pressed against him.
“183 Sunrise Road.”
Antonio chuckled. “I know that area.” He held up the envelope I’d given him. “This information isn't worth that.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200