Page 81 of Liar

My attention narrows on Hayden and the two men half-dragging, half-carrying their highly intoxicated cartel boss inside.

“Qué mierda,” Javier mutters from beside me.

Hayden’s suit jacket is missing, and his dress shirt is unbuttoned from the neck to midchest. His hair is a wild, disheveled mess. I’m staring at a surprise stranger.

He casts half-slit eyes on me and offers me a lopsided grin. “Waiting up for me,cuoremío?”

He’s totally hammered.

He breaks free of his men and stumbles toward me, swaying back and forth with each step.

Javier springs into action. “Need help to your room, Boss?”

Hayden looks from Javier to me to the cards on the table, then locks half-slit eyes with Javier. “You’ve had your time now I’ll have mine. Leave us.”

“Bosssss,” someone slurs.

Javier doesn’t back down. “She should go to bed.”

“And not be up all night, under the pretense of playing cards.”

“Pretense,” I say.

“Tell him.”

I scowl at his commanding tone.

“Tell him why you’re waiting up for me.”

“Go to your room.” This order, from Javier.

I should give them a piece of my mind for ordering me around. But Javier’s worried, with good reason. A sober Hayden is frightening. An unpredictably drunk one? It’s hard to imagine. But if Hayden wants me to admit I’ve been waiting for his return, he’ll hear so in private.

“I’m fine right here.”

“Luciana,” Javier hisses.

Everyone holds a collective breath as Hayden stalks by me on unsteady feet then falls into the seat I’d vacated. He picks up a joker, glares at it, then tosses the offensive card across the table.

I hide my smile.

“You’ve done well tonight,” he addresses his men. “Now leave us.”

They stumble and stagger from the room, leaving behind Hayden, me, and Javier.

“You still here?”

“Hayden,” I warn, stepping in. “I admit it. I was waiting up for him.”

“You call him Hayden?” Javier looks horrified. Does anyone call him anything but Boss or Bastard? “I’ve said his name before.”

“Not to his face.”

“I’ve called him Bastard to his face, and I’m still standing.”

Javier’s gaze falls on Hayden. Several seconds pass, then the fight seems to go out of him. “I understand now,” is the last thing he says, before leaving me alone with his boss.

“What does he understand?”