Page 19 of Bratva Jewels Box Set

Mateo nods, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

“They can’t find a trace of her anywhere, she’s a ghost.”

Mateo frowns. “What, nothing?”

I shake my head.

“Shit.” He rakes his fingers through his hair.

I can see it hit him as those chocolate eyes darken with worry.

“You think she’s involved in something bad, don’t you?”

I stay silent.

“Tomas, tell me,” he asks, raising his voice at me.

“What have we let into our lives?”

I know he cares about Zoe—a lot. Especially as I suspect he has started to develop a crush on her.I’m not blind.We alwayspromised we would be honest with each other no matter what. So, he’s not going to like what I’m about to say regarding her.

“I’m worried that we might have opened Pandora’s box by bringing her into our lives.”

Mateo’s face falls at my honesty. Before he stands up and walks around my desk to where I’m sitting in my chair. Then I feel his fingers dig into my shoulders, and slowly he starts to massage the tension away.

“You think it might be something bad?” he asks me.

A groan falls from my lips as his fingers work their magic against the tension I’ve been harboring in my shoulders.

“Why would someone delete her from everything? Who would have that kind of power?” he asks. “CIA, FBI, the government?”

This makes me chuckle.

“I’m being serious here, Tomas, someone tried to kill her. Someone has wiped her off the face of the earth. She’s a long way from home, judging by her accent, and she speaks a million different languages. She is crazy smart and knows how to defend herself as she demonstrated the other day with her kick to your balls.”

I do have to agree her reflexes are quick.

“And those nightmares she’s been having about not being able to escape,” he says softly.

“Cariño, you think Zoe is a secret agent?” I tease because I don’t want him to worry about what Enrique and I truly believe her to be. I don’t think he could handle it.

“Don’t you “Cariño” me, Tomas. I know you think she’s hiding something. You don’t trust her.”

I hold out my arms to him, begging him to sit on my lap. He does, and I wrap myself around him.

“It’s not that I don’t trust her,” I say, trying to choose my words carefully, “It’s that … I think she’s caught up in somethingbad and you can’t afford any scandals. I’m trying to protect you, my love.”

Mateo gives me a skeptical look before pressing his lips against mine, willing mine to open for him. His warm tongue licks the edges of my lips before plunging in, giving me a searing kiss.

Then he pulls away. “I love you, Tomas Ramirez. I love that you are looking out for me. I love that you are concerned about my career and my public profile. And I’m thankful every day that we met each other at that party.”

The party that Mateo and I turned up to with a woman on each of our arms. The same party that was made up of elite professionals who liked sex and who liked to experiment with sex. The same party where we both let the world see that we were attracted to the same sex as well as the opposite. The same party where we joined in on an orgy and found each other.

“That was a good night,” I say, biting his nipple through his thin T-shirt, making him groan.

“Yes, yes it was. I remember watching you walk into the room with a woman, and as soon as I saw you, I knew I had to have you.” Mateo moves off my lap and sits back on my desk, placing a foot on either side of my chair.

I roll forward so I’m right between them, my chest at the same level as his crotch. One of his feet moves from my thigh to my crotch and gently rubs me.