Page 33

“Yeah.” I consider asking him not to tell Vapor about me and Isabella, but it’s bound to come out. I’m going to have to face the firing squad on that one. Fang’s going to be less pissed off since he already knows, but I’ve got a feeing the others will give me a lot of shit.

“Let’s ride,” I say, mounting my bike, the familiar leather of the seat grounding me. Tank follows suit, sitting behind me, mercifully not stabbing me in the ass. I kick the engine to life,and it answers with a roar, shattering the quiet of the lot outside Voodoo.

As we tear away from the strip club, the night blurs past us. But beneath the growl of my bike, a quiet fear builds in my chest. Isabella’s walking right back into the lion’s den. I just hope it’s not a huge mistake.

I pull up to Vapor’s house and slide my bike into the row out front before killing the engine. The porch light casts long shadows across the lawn, a morbid welcome mat for the war counsel we’re about to hold.

“Everyone’s already here,” Tank mutters, his voice low and edged with steel. He knows what’s coming, and I don’t think he’s happy about it. When the bomb went off at the old clubhouse, he lost some friends. We all did. It’s time we get some payback.

“Let’s go.” I swing my leg over the bike, and Tank follows suit.

Walking toward the house, we reflexively clench our fists. Unified against a common enemy, we’re ready to go into battle as brothers. Juan may be the devil in disguise, but we’re the demons here to drag him back to hell where he belongs.

Chapter 10: Isabella

Waves of sunlight shimmer off the asphalt as I park my car in the lot outside the warehouse. I rub my palm across my wrist where myabuela’swatch should be resting. Amidst the chaos of last night, I completely forgot to ask Ice to give it back. I haven’t heard from him since last night’s charged encounter, but I’m hoping he will contact me today. Until then, I’ve got to be careful.

I’m early. Juan’s cunning eyes could be watching me, or he could have someone following me. So far, I haven’t noticed anything unusual, but paranoia is becoming an increasingly persistent shadow, following me everywhere I go.

As I stride towards the looming metal doors, the low hum of activity from inside the warehouse fills the air. I rest my hand on the doorknob and take a deep breath, trying to steady my thundering heart.

When I pull the door open, several workers glance at me before returning to their work. Everything seems the same as always, which is a relief. Ever since Juan left my cottage, I’ve been worried about walking into a trap. I must have been convincing enough to ease his suspicion.

“Isabella!” The sound of Pedro’s voice slices through the morning stillness. I turn to find him jogging over, his brow creased with concern.

“Hey, Pedro.” I offer up a smile even though I don’t feel like it. “What’s up?”

He hesitates before speaking, his gaze flickering to the ground and back up. “I’m sorry… but I had to tell Juan you left early yesterday.” His voice is a low murmur, meant only for my ears.

“Ah, don’t sweat it,” I reply with a casual shrug, though my insides twist with unease. Trust is a luxury in this line of work, and loyalty is everything. I don’t blame him for telling my brother the truth when he came looking for me.

“Is everything okay?” Pedro’s brown eyes hold mine, but I don’t detect anything nefarious in his gaze. I think he still trusts me.

“I was just visiting a sick relative,” I lie smoothly, the words rolling off my tongue with practiced ease.

Pedro frowns slightly, confusion etching lines on his face. “But I thought you were the one who was sick.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d let me leave if I told you the real reason I had to go,” I admit, injecting a dose of feigned sheepishness into my tone. “Sorry I wasn’t honest with you.”

His expression softens, the heavy weight of his responsibilities momentarily lifted by his belief in my sincerity. “That’s okay. I understand why you were worried. Just don’t make a habit out of it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I assure him.

“Is she okay?”

“Uh—” It takes me a second to process what he’s asking. “Si!My cousin’s mom is feelingmuy bientoday.”

“That’s great.” His eyes exude a sincerity that almost breaks my heart. I never heard the story about how he got caughtup in the cartel, but I make a mental note to ask Maria about it the next time I see her.

“We should get back to work before Juan catches us standing around,” I say lightly.

“Isabella… you don’t need to lie to me,” Pedro whispers. “I like you, and I respect you. I can’t lie to Juan, but I do want to protect you. Come to me if you need help. Okay?”

“Thank you, Pedro,” I murmur, the gratitude genuine even as my mind races with the implications of his offer. My lips curl into a small smile, but it feels heavy, laden with unspoken secrets.

“Anytime,” he responds, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning away.

As I walk toward the tables covered in cocaine, every cell in my body screams that I should run away as far and as fast as possible. But I need money to escape, and now that Juan has cut off my ability to dance at Velvet, I’m not sure how to get it. That’s a problem for later; right now I need to focus on my work.