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Salazar sniffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, right. Whatever.” Nate didn’t bother to mask the contempt in his voice. “Let’s do what we came here for.”

“As you wish.” Salazar turned his gaze to Rita. “You changed your hair.”

“So nice of you to notice.” She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the stack of papers clutched tightly in her left hand. “Can we skip the conversation and get to the point?”

Salazar chuckled. “You always were a pushy broad.”

“I prefer the term assertive.” Rita glared darts at him. “Does your father know what you’ve been up to?”

“What do you think?”

She made a sound of disdain. “He’ll be so disappointed.”

“That’s assuming he’ll ever find out. What the old man doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” He peered down his nose at her, his upper lip peeled back in a sneer. “I gave you a chance, and this is how you repay me.”

Rita’s face scrunched up. “You’re kidding, right?”

Apparently not, if the righteous indignation in his voice was any indication. “I paid you well, treated you like family.”

“Family?” Her voice shot up an octave. “You used me as a drug mule!”

“Oh, like you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t,” Rita said through gritted teeth.

“She really didn’t,” Dorcas added. “She’s kind of naïve that way.”

“Shut up. I’m not talking to you.” Salazar shifted his focus back to Rita and extended his hand. “You have something of mine. Give it back.”

With a petulant huff, Rita tossed the stack of papers to the ground by his feet. A binder clip prevented them from scattering. “I’ll give you the drive after you release my mother.”

His features hardened. “You’re in no position to negotiate.”

“I think I am.”

“Rita!” Dorcas hissed. “Give him the drive.”

“Not until he lets Mamá go.”

Salazar’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “You’re exhausting my patience, little girl.”

“Yeah, well, you exhausted mine the second you shot at my sister.” She reached into her pocket and drew out the drive. “What’s on this, Brett? It’s got to be pretty important for you to do all this.”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“I beg to differ. I bet the police—at least the ones who aren’t crooked—would love to get their hands on this.”

Nate gave her a dirty look. Damn it, this wasn’t part of the plan. If she kept it up, they wouldn’t get out of here without shots being fired. “Shut up and give him the drive, Rita.”

“No. I’m tired of everyone telling me what to do. You, Dorcas, Mamá.” She gestured to Salazar. “This jerk. Everyone treats me like I’m some sort of child.”

“That’s because you’re acting like one.” Dorcas snatched the drive from her sister and held it in the air. “All I want is your guarantee that you’ll let us walk out of here. And you won’t send anyone after us. We forget about you; you forget about us. Deal?”

Brett nodded. “Consider it done.”

“That’s our only bargaining chip,” Rita warned. “He’ll go back on his word the second you give it to him.”