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“Understood,” I say, forcing a hint of eagerness into my tone. “They won’t know what hit them.”

“Exactly,” Juan replies, his smile sinister. His confidence sickens me, but I keep my mask firmly in place. “Don’t be late tomorrow. Pedro will tell me if you are.”

“I’m never late.” I tilt my chin up slightly.

“Adiós, hermana.”

As soon as he leaves, my mind shifts gears. I must warn Ice. Urgency is a living thing inside me, clawing its way up my throat. There’s no question in my mind that I need to contact him immediately, but how? We never exchanged numbers, a precaution against this very kind of complication. And where would Ice be now?

I glance down at where my watch should be, then remember that Vicki has it. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I glance at the time. Velvet closed an hour ago, so Ice will be long gone. Vicki too. But maybe she’s still awake. She put her number in my phone one night, telling me, “Just in case you want to hang out.” I was supposed to call her for a girls’ night out, not to stop a gang war.

After scrolling through my contacts, my thumb hovers over Vicki’s name. There’s no going back after this call. I’m betrayingmy family to save a man who’s nothing more than a storm of leather and dangerous promises. And hot, ridiculously good sex.

I hesitate, wondering how Vicki can even help me. I doubt she knows where Ice sleeps. At least I hope she doesn’t know. I’ve been assuming I’m the only girl he’s slept with at the club, but I could be completely wrong about that. Still, I have to find a way to warn him.

Suddenly, everything becomes clear. Vicki knows Tank. He knows everyone in UVMC, including Ice. If anyone can get a message to him, it’s Tank. Vicki will definitely have his number. Maybe she’s even with him right now.

I steel my nerves and press the call button. The line rings, and with each passing second, my resolve hardens. I can’t let fear dictate my actions, not when there’s so much at stake.

“Hello?” Vicki’s voice fills the air.

“Oh,gracias a dios,” I breathe out, relief washing over me. “I need your help. It’s urgent.”

“Isabella? What’s wrong?” she asks.

I hear rustling in the background and a male voice asks, “What’s going on?”

“Is that Tank?” I ask.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Tell him I need to talk to Ice immediately.”

“What’s going on?” Concern tinges her usual carefree tone, and I imagine her green eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“What did she say?” Tank asks in the background.

“She wants to talk to Ice. Says it’s an emergency,” Vicki says to him.

“It’s urgent, I need to see him right now.” My words tumble out, each one heavy with the weight of what I’m about to reveal.

“Is this about whatever happened in the VIP room?” Vicki’s question drags up memories of raw passion and stormy sex, but there’s no time to dwell on that that now.

“No,” I cut in sharply. “It’s about something my brother is about to do to the club.” I can feel the gravity of the situation pulling at me, an invisible force grounding me to this pivotal moment.

“What’s about your brother?” Tank’s gruff voice comes through the phone.

“He’s planning to attack the club. I need to see—”

“Shit,” Tank curses as something crashes in the background. His voice is muted for a second as he calls, “Babe, get my pants.” Then it gets louder as he says, “Isabella, meet us in the parking lot of Velvet. I’ll call Ice and tell him what’s going on.”

“Right now?” I ask.

“Yes, right now,” he says, sounding exasperated.

Relief mingles with a fresh surge of adrenaline. “Give me thirty minutes.”

“See you soon.”