Page 9 of For Cowgirls and Kings

“I can take him,” Jonah offers, but I only stare at Davie until his fingers wrap around the leather.

“If I have to do work I don’t especially love, you’re going to go down with me,” I state before I turn and head for the house.

He nods, not arguing another second, and I leave him to stumble over the task until Jonah inevitably helps him out.

Wish I had someone who would take over for me when I’m struggling.

“Oh thank god! He does know how to answer the fucking phone.” I roll my eyes, and wait for Valentina’s tirade to continue. Just like it always does. “Does he know how to show up to work when he’s expected to be there? Does he know how to run an empire with little to no experience? Does he know how to not be a raging asshole? I’m thinkingnotto all three.” I can just see the red stain of anger on her cheeks.

“Anything else?” I ask.

“Motherfucker, do not fucking test me.”

“I’m ten minutes away,” I state, ignoring her growing tantrum.

“Ten minutes? Fuck, Mateo! You should have been here two hours ago, when I first fucking called.” It’s always something with Valentina. She barks, you jump.Or you die.

But she can’t kill her own brother, which is the only reason I don’t worry about her losing her mind at me. I’m safe. For now anyways.

“V, is the place burning down?” She hates when I try to talk rationally to her.

“No Mateo, you know it’s fucking not. I’m not talking to you on the phone, just get here, now.” Before I have time to comment on the fact that she’s the one who called me, she hangs up.

I’ve barely taken a handful of calming breaths before I’m pulling into the enormous casino lot, shiny cars glittering in the afternoon sunshine. People who go to casinos during the day time are a special breed of messed-up.I would know.

I don’t bother parking, but instead pull up to Valet where they meet me before the tires come to a complete halt.

“Mr. Reyes, so good to see you. Can I have anything brought to your office for you?”

“No, thank you.” I don’t even have to open my own door—people scramble around me like ants in a hill making way for their leader.

What I wouldn’t give to be a different fucking bug, in an entirely different world.

“They’re becoming a major problem Mateo, don’t you see that?” Valentina’s hip cocks, the silky navy dress offsetting the stark red on her lips. She reminds me of Jessica Rabbit, always decked out in gaudy finery and a sassy attitude. Men fall at her feet, but I see nothing but a spoiled brat, always wanting to play god and ruin whatever lives she can get her hands on.

“I don’t.” I lean back in the forty thousand dollar, black leather chair she demanded I get for the office, and steeple my fingers against my chest. Her eyes widen, the fake lashes brushing her thin eyebrows, and a stray coil of her auburn hair.

“They’re fucking stealing from us!”

“They stole from us. Once, and it was barely anything. Do I think it’s okay? Obviously not. But people steal from wealthy establishments—especially casinos—all the time.”

“You’re weak.” She spits the words, but I keep my face neutral. I refuse to let her get a rise out of me.

“It’s not weak to see the bigger picture. And the biggerpicture here is that it’s not worth stirring up a hornets nest, just to get a few pennies back. Let them have it, and next time we’ll be ready to stop them while they’re in action. We’re not a cartel, V, no matter how much you like playing mob boss.”

“How fucking dare you. I do what’s necessary to keep this family legacy alive. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty over it either!”

I snort at that, sitting up. “I’d love to see you get your hands the tiniest bit dirty, sister. I don’t think you even know what a cow looks like, what dirt feels like.” She’s always been into the money and glam, leaving the ranching side all to me. Not that I’m complaining.

It’s the one thing in my life she hasn’t ruined.

“The real money is here Mateo, not on some plot of dirt. I stay here because it needs someone to run it.” She won’t back down, even if I gave her concrete proof she’s wrong—which is why I always fold. It’s not worth the headache.

“What do you think we should do about them then?”

“Elimination.” She crosses her arms with finality, and I want to laugh. But that’ll only poke the beast more.

“Absolutely not. You can’t just go around killing people, V.”