Page 103 of The Crowned Garza

“Something like that.”

“Then I’m not going anywhere.”

“For fuck’s sake, Tillie. Now is not the time to be stubborn.”

As the men advance toward us, he tries to nudge me off, but I remain planted.

Until he’s face to face with the suited man, the two stone-faced goons posturing behind him.

“Don Luciani,” the man greets. “You are a hard man to land a meeting with.”

“I don’t take meetings with the cartel.”

Something glacial coasts coolly across the man’s features. “Tell me, why are you determined to fix what is not broken?”

“Not broken for you, maybe. But forla famiglia, it is. You won’t be exploiting our weakness for much longer. Not while I’m here.”

The man rocks his jaw from side to side. “That could change, you know. Easily.”

“Let’s take it to the field, then,” Saint returns with an easy shrug. “Let’s dance.”

The man sniffs, juts up his chin. “Nah. I think I will just wait for everything to implode from the inside. From what I have heard, very few are happy about your ‘donna.’ While you are busy trying to hide in plain sight. A ghost in the light, a shadow in the night. I have no doubt ‘la famiglia’will come crawling back. And when they do, l will show them how we deal with disloyaldogswho piss on the hand that fed them.”

He moves to step around Saint but then stops, his attention shifting to me. A small frown forms between his brows before a sly, slow smile spreads across his face. “Huh. Interesting.”

With that, he throws Saint a wink, sidesteps us, and heads into the building.

“Who was that man?” I ask when we’re inside the car.

“Why can’t you ever listen?” he bites at me.

“Are you kidding me? You really expected me to just walk away and leave you in a dark parking lot with those men?”

“Yes, that’sexactlywhat I expected you to do. That’s why Itoldyou to do it.”

“Well, you must not know me very well because that’s not something I wouldeverdo.Me.” A hysterical but humorless laugh bursts out of me. “Sure, I’ll just run away and leave you to get attacked or possibly killed. Yeah, that’s me. That’ssome.”

“You need to learn to make better fucking decisions, Tillie!” he barks.

“Don’t yell at me!” I bark back. “And don’t tell me what to do. My decisions aremineto make.”

“You know what I’ve been waiting for?” he says, heated. “I’ve been waiting for you to grow the fuck up. For you to be able to discern when there’s danger and act accordingly. You’re fucking reckless, that’s why you’re attracted to people like me. Like Creed. You’ve always been foolishly reckless, Tillie, and it drives me crazy.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint you. But I am who I am. You can piss right off if you don’t like it.”

“There she is.” His chuckle is humorless. “The brat.”

Deciding to ignore him instead of fueling the fire, I cross my arms and turn to look out the window.

After several minutes of prolonged silence, he says, “That was Enrique Rojas, head of the El Depravados cartel on this side of the border. He knows exactly who I am. We’re not at war, no, but he holds a grudge against me for cutting ties with them. He knows you, and seeing you there with me… I just don’t want to put you in danger, all right?”

“If I were afraid of danger, I wouldn’t be here with you,Santo Luciani.”

His answering sigh carries both resignation and disappointment.

Hewantsme to be afraid of being with him. To be too frightened of all his hazardous baggage to get involved. Because helikesme and doesn’t want to leave me alone, so it would be easier for him ifIwalked away and stayed away.

Any smart, sensible, logical woman would do just that. Run for the hills. Anyone with even a dollop of a brain, actually.