Page 116 of Liar

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My guard, Javier, and I are parked outside the hotel in Tijuana when Hayden calls. “You went to Tijuana?” is how he greets me.

I bristle at his commanding tone. “Yes.”

“Put Javier on the goddamn phone.”

“Bosswants to talk to you.” I hand the phone over to Javier then watch him wiggle and worm in the car seat as the Bastard lays into him. Whatever is being said has poor Javier’s face turning white.

A few minutes pass before he returns the phone to me. “Hang up and he’ll have my neck,” Javier warns. With a mental X through that option, I instead go on the offensive. “What did you expect me to do? Eduardo is hiding my injured brother from the Sureños. Diego needs to disappear before they find him. We’re in front of Eduardo’s hotel. According to the app, Diego is still inside. We’ll collect my brother then leave town.”

“Diego isn’t injured, Luciana. He set that fucker up so he can question him in private.”

“What?”

“Javier is going to take you somewhere safe until I get there.”

“That’ll take hours—”

“I’m on a helicopter right now.”

I frown in confusion.

“My business in Rome is temporarily resolved. So, like a goddamn fool, instead of catching a flight to Tijuana, I caught the first flight home to you.”

“Is that why you didn’t answer my call?” He was on a flight home ... to me?

I gaze out of the car window, a soft smile playing on my lips.

That’s when I notice them—three men climbing out of a pickup truck a few feet ahead. And one of the men is Ignacio.

Instinctively, I sink down in the seat then smack Javier on the leg, prompting him to do the same. I’m hoping the Lobo in the back seat follows. “Ignacio is here,” I whisper into the phone.

I hold my breath as the three men walk by then turn to head inside the hotel.

“No. Please, no.”

“Luciana?”

“What should I do, Hayden? They’ve gone inside.”

“Don’t fucking move. Capisci?”

I don’t answer.

“Say it,” he barks.

“I’ll stay in the car.”

Our call disconnects and I’m faced with two choices: break my promise and his trust or do as he says and trust him to protect my brother.

But how can he possibly do so from a helicopter?

“Please don’t,” Javier speaks up from beside me. “We’ll only make matters worse by charging in there.”

“Wait. I know.” I fumble with my phone then dial Eduardo. Please. Pick up. Hurry.

With each ring, my panic climbs. And then, he answers—in garbled, nonsensical words before the call disconnects.