“Sure thing. I’ll dump it now.” There’s no air or grace about me. Everyone makes trash and someone has to get rid of it.
Layla rolls up the remaining notes and tucks them into her padded bra. “It’s best if you leave through the side door. There's a fleet of SUVs parked out front. Either someone’s gonna get hanged from the bridge, or the Souza cartel is here in person.” She sighs. “I would not want to cross paths with Elias Souza. He is one psycho motherfucker. His eldest son Tomás… Jeez, he’s Satan in a tailored suit. An incredibly sexy task master who’d choke you for answers while he’s fucking you like a jackhammer. If they weren’t evil fucks, I’d happily let all four brothers take their turn.” Layla blows out a jet of air and fans her face. “But I don’t have a death wish. No one gets inside their circle and if they do… they disappear. Poof!” She expands her fingers wide to signify an airy explosion.
A shiver runs through me.
Tomás Souza.
Is he in one of the SUV’s?
Even the name holds so much power in these streets. It didn’t matter what screwy connection we shared a few weeks ago, or how he saved me from his deranged father and set me free—he’s dangerous with a capital letter D.
He’s the hero I want to forget and the sinner I’m stupidly fascinated by. I still blush when I think about how I’d gagged on his salty tasting dick. Those noises I made were all slurpy and undignified—I loved it. Even now my clit swells to the point it’s painful. Who knew sucking a guy off would be such a turn on? Maybe it was his wild eyes or his thick, dirty grunts that made the thrill so intense.
I wander to the front window, making sure I’m half hidden by the wall and peer through a smattering of raindrops, ignoring how my pulse gallops in warning.
Directly outside are three Cadillac Escalades with blacked-out windows, each one darker than the night sky. My forehead thuds the glass as I tip forward, looking for more.
“People get killed for being nosey, girl.” Layla warns, wagging a finger in my direction. “I’m serious. You do not want to land on their radar.”
My veins warm beneath my skin. The same charge of adrenaline pulses within me every time I remember his soft lips. I know I shouldn’t fantasize over a ruthless criminal, but the memory of him festers within me like a rampant disease.
In reality, if I’m unlucky enough to ever bump into him again, I’d run as fast as I could in the opposite direction. Men like him have unrepentant minds. Their wealth is in another league and every vein in their magnificent bodies carries lethal poison.
Layla twists the top of the trash bag into a knot and sets it at the end of the bar. “Here. Go home and I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Do they come here often?” I ask, careful not to sound too interested.
She shrugs. “Not the head guys. They hide out in their fancy mountain compounds while the street gangs keep order. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a convoy like that. The Souza cartel are like royalty around here. If you ask me, they’re just ruthless jerks with pretty faces and too much power.”
New chills prickle my spine. I turn to the bar wearing a tight smile. She doesn’t know the horror I’ve endured and how I somehow managed to cheat death twice. The first time was a gift from an angel. The second was a token from the prince of darkness.
A few weeks ago, Elias Souza wanted me dead. Abusive henchmen dropped me at the gates of hell in the middle of nowhere, drugged and beaten. My body, a gift for the merciless drug lord, sent by the woman who stole me—his illegitimate daughter. I found out after his god-like son fired at me that his aim was purposefully askew.
If it weren’t for that particular bad guy, I’d be a rotting carcass for his father’s pet tigers to feast on. Whatever his motive, Tomás had saved me.
I finger the bullet graze beneath my sleeve. The wound almost healed. Maybe I’d get a funky tattoo over the scar. Something to signify my narrow escape or to remind me of how I dirty danced with a devil and survived.
“You okay?” Layla bobs her face lower. She’s a head taller than me, even without her utility boots. “Want a cheeky shot for the road?”
My lips curl into a grin. “Sure. Why not?”
While she pours the syrupy liquor reeking of aniseed, I grab my purse out from under the bar and check my phone. I’d told Sal to stop pestering me. He’s worse than our worrying mother. The twice daily phone calls were a nice touch in the beginning when I was finding my feet in Bogotá. Since then, I persuaded him to cut it to a weekly chat.
Thankfully, there’s only a simple text message waiting—a heart emoji and a smiley face. I tap out a quick reply, picking a peace sign and a pink flower.
“Salud!” Layla raises her glass and waits for me to do the same.
“Salud!” The side of my shot glass clinks with hers and we throw back the Sambuca in tandem. “Sheesh… that’s interesting stuff.” I cough when it burns my larynx. “It tastes like medicine.”
Layla laughs. “It’s medicine alright. See you on Saturday.” She sets the liquor bottle on the glass shelf behind the bar and wanders over to the cash register to close.
I slip the purse strap over my head and gather the bag of trash. “Have a good night, Layla,” I call out as I leave and slip into the dim corridor, which takes me to the fire exit at the side of the building.
The clunky metal door slams shut behind me, locking me outside. Drizzle gathers in my lashes and settles in my loose waves like tiny water bombs. There aren't any streetlights in the narrow alley, only sinister shadows under pale moonlight.
Colorful spray-painted walls are dulled by darkness, and broken glass decorates uneven cobblestones like tiny jewels. Lattice grills of metal cover the windows to keep thieves out and thick electrical wires stretch the length of the sky above.
Goosebumps race over my bare arms as I shiver at the drop in temperature. Since the afternoon shift started, the air has cooled below comfortable. Perhaps I should have worn a denim jacket with my cute floral dress, but I didn’t.