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“You trust him?”
“Would he be working for me if I didn’t?” I frowned at him.
“You trust me, right?”
“Yeah, because I know where your family lives, where your girl lives. I know your bank info and where your family hid your cousin after killing that kingpin in the Philippines. One fuck-up on your end, and you’re wiped off the map with one phone call.”
He turned onto the street and shook his head with a dark laugh. “That’s fucked up. You know that, right?”
“I do.” I tugged at the collar of my dress shirt. “What’s leverage if there is no fear behind it?”
“I hate that I can’t disagree with you.”
“And that’s why you’re my number two, because you know I could end you at any moment.”
“You want to go to church first?” He raised a brow in the rearview mirror. “Because you seem like you need a little Jesus right now.”
“I’ll save my confession for when I need saving.” I waved him to keep going.
“There’s a reason white folks get a rep,” he muttered, and I smirked as I scrolled through my emails.
A short time later, the sun had set, and we were tucked in the shadows across the street from the airport. The private jet touched down slowly and came to a compete stop on the tarmac. The doors lowered, and an armed flight attendant stepped out first and looked around.
“Who are we watching, anyway?” Alejandro strained to see.
“No clue.” I sighed, annoyed once again that my time was being spent here and not at home. “Just watch the street for anyone coming and going, and I’ll watch the gates.”
“Yeah.”
We sat around for an hour, then an entourage of vehicles arrived with Castillo. A group of men stepped out of the cars. They created a lined barrier and blocked my view of who was being removed from the plane. Moments later, they crawled back behind the tinted windows and drove off, leaving me curious as to what the hell I’d just witnessed.
“That was anticlimactic.” Alejandro puzzled over it.
“Indeed.” I felt my phone buzz and saw it was a text from Castillo.
Castillo: Go home.
I tossed my phone aside and hit the seat in front of me.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Daniel
“It’s a tactical bra.” Olivia held up her sketchbook. “See, it holds two small handguns, a claw ring,” she made a punching movement, “Mace, and right here, this small pad can read your heartbeat. When it gets to a certain level, it sends out a distress signal with your location.” I couldn’t help but smile. She tried so hard to help and was always coming up with something. “Now, I know there are versions of this out there already, but mine will be specific to the ladies of the house.” She lowered her favorite non-prescription glasses. “But I’m not just doing this for Shadows. I’m paving the way for all women to feel safe out there.”
I caught Mike’s face as he looked over her shoulder, and he shook his head at me with a smile as he pretended to make an uncomfortable stretch in the area of his chest. We were all so proud of our smart little lady. In spite of the fact that her idea was totally unfeasible, which she’d only know once she had to wear one herself, it was pretty cool.
“Okay.” I nodded, admiring the impressive sketch she made. “What will you call it?”
“Boobtrapment?” Mark stopped to glance at her sketch. He held a box in his arms and laughed as he continued through the room.
“Uncle Mark,” Olivia scolded him, “they’re called breasts.”
“I’m out.” Mike tossed his hands in the air. “I can’t—nope, I’ll not hear such words from my little niece’s mouth.”
Keith came in from outside and took a quick glance at Olivia’s sketch. He made a noncommittal sound and hurriedly left the room without comment.
Smart man.