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My hand throbbed almost immediately, but I jerked up his head by his hair, lifting my head and glaring at different men.

Emiliano and Antonio stood just a couple of feet away, my commander fighting the amusement I noticed flickering in his eyes.

“This kind of shit will not be tolerated. Any disobedience and your punishment will be much worse. Get him the fuck out of here, but not without a parting gift. Antonio. It’s your choice. I’m in a charitable mood.” I rose to my feet and raked my hand through my hair. “Pick a group of five. After that, we leave in thirty minutes.”

“It’s bright daylight outside,” Antonio reminded me.

“Don’t worry. I do know what I’m doing.” I patted him on the chest before taking my time exiting the building the same way I’d come in.

Once outside, Emiliano was suddenly right by my side.

Meanwhile, I was holding my stomach, envisioning what body part Antonio would begrudgingly cut off the man.

“What the fuck was that?” he growled.

“What had to be done.” Christ. I didn’t recognize my voice.

“Maybe you didn’t pay attention to the information Antonio provided by the building you’re determined to hit is wired for sight and sound. Doing it under the cover of darkness is dangerous, but in the middle of the day? You either want the team to get caught or killed. I wasn’t going to say anything in front of the soldiers, but you need to rethink this.”

I stopped walking and turned toward him. “Maybe you don’t remember, but my father actually spent time with his little girl doing hobbies. Since I didn’t like to go fishing with him, I managed to convince him to allow me to tag along on certain less dangerous jobs. I learned quite a bit about security systems and explosives during my formative years. I assure you I chose this building for a reason.”

He reared back. “They don’t keep much product inside.”

“Correct, at least if the information Antonio provided is true. If not, then I guess I’ll be forced to face the consequences for his incompetence.”

He dropped his head, half laughing. “You are entirely different being back home.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you cradle your dead’s father head in your lap.” I was forced to take a deep breath. My heart ached all over again.

“You do know Torres will retaliate.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” Although I wasn’t certain what I was wishing for any longer. The dangerous game was one I had no business playing and everyone knew it, especially the woman sworn to uphold the law cowering inside. “One last thing. Drop the body of the asshole who shot my father outside his front gates.”

“Genevieve.”

“As of now, you’ll call me ma’am or Madame Morales.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I heard the edge in his voice and softened. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Emiliano, but I need to maintain a persona as if I do.”

“I get it. Are you okay?”

My hand ached like a son of a bitch.

“No. Get me the fuck out of here. I’m going to throw up.”

CHAPTER 10

Jago

Smoke remained in the air, the stench assaulting my nostrils.

A huge crowd remained, all vipers gawking at a crash scene. Anger was just beneath the surface, but I refrained from acting on my need to crush bones until it was determined what the hell had occurred.

One thing was certain; the small warehouse had been attacked on purpose.

“What the fuck?” I shoved my way through what had once been the set of doors leading into the nondescript warehouse. The facility onCarrer de Petritxolwas small and out of the way, rarely used for anything but overflow. There were simply too many logistics nightmares in using the ten thousand square feet. However, since my father had been into art for years and with the street being located in an area known for its art galleries and bistros, I hadn’t bothered selling it.