“Ya cállate, mejor. Solo dices puras tonterías. Don’t give me that shit. He did it to protect her.” Esteban sits up on his elbows, breathing deeply. “You don’t understand, viejo. You had it easy when you were initiated.”
Esteban’s comment sets Talon off, and he swings and punches Esteban in the jaw, sending him back to the floor. I latch my fingers to Talon’s shirt and yank him before he decides to knock Esteban out again. I don’t want to have this conversation with either of them. I don’t want to have this conversation at all.
“Talon, I know you’re protective of me, but this isn’t getting us anywhere. We need to figure out who the hell the dead guy is.” I narrow my eyes at Esteban, who hasn’t stopped staring at me. It’s like he’s either trying to intimidate me because of Christos or he’s checking me out. I can’t honestly tell at this point. Talon has him up in arms and annoyed. “He has to know. He’s lying about Christos. Christos isn’t madly in love with me. He wants revenge. I embarrassed him by rejecting him at the meeting.”
Esteban sighs. “Who the fuck are you talking about? What dead guy?” Not many people would interrupt a conversation that doesn’t involve them, especially with the way Talon looks ready to beat the shit out of Esteban. I have to give him some credit. He is fearless. Not exactly smart but brave.
“This one.” Talon pulls out the dead man’s phone and shows Esteban the picture. “And if I discover that you’re lying to me, you’ll be buried in an unmarked grave. Understand?”
Esteban snatches the phone from Talon, which I’m pretty sure risks the state of his hand. Stupid yet courageous, once again. I don’t think he would just test Talon to press his luck. It’s more than that. I just can’t put my finger on it.
Esteban releases a rumble that reverberates through me. “¡No mames! Smithson is dead? Are you sure? I just met with the gringo yesterday.”
I throw my hand out. “Of course I’m sure he’s dead. I woke up next to him. Someone is trying to set me up. Who is this fucker? He’s not part of our chapter. Is he part of yours?”
“Fuck no. He’s a new employee of mine. A distributor His Majesty set me up with.” Esteban scrubs his hand across his hair. “Did he have anything on him? He was supposed to...” He doesn’t finish his comment, but I’m pretty damn sure he’s talking about something illegal.
“If he had anything, it was gone when I showed up. And I know for damn sure that Stacia didn’t murder this guy. She was drugged last night. Did you have something to do with it? I know you split off from your father’s empire and came here to get yours up and running, asshole. It was one of the reasons your transfer was accepted. We’ve been trying to get a handle on the underground. You’re known for your reputation, Knave.” Talon takes the phone back and tucks it into his suit jacket pocket.
I stare between the two of them, trying to read their silent conversation. I’ve never been involved much in the illegal affairs. I’m mostly just the face for Daddy, dancing in and out of the spotlight when needed and networking with Hollywood’s finest through galas, events, parties, and more. I’ve always kept the attention off things.
No one cares about a boring businessman in Hollywood—not unless certain actions and behaviors come to light—so I take the honor and steal the spotlight. I’m the party girl who gets around. The one who decorates the covers of most tabloids. I also have so many connections among celebrities that all the newcomers want a piece of me. And sometimes, I give them a taste.
“I never approved of the distribution of any drugs in the club last night. You damn well know I wouldn’t risk shit on a meeting night. I had strict orders about that. If Stacia was slipped something, it wasn’t involving my business. It had to come from someone else. Do you know what it was?” Esteban locks me in his gaze, refusing to look away. I don’t back down from his challenge either. “Are you sure it wasn’t the douchebag from last night trying to get into your pants, Princess? It was very reckless of you to go off with a stranger.”
His comment scrapes under my skin, peeling away yet another layer of anger simmering in my soul. How dare he try to reprimand me.
I don’t get the chance to react before Talon grabs my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. He holds me back before I can act. I really want to slap Esteban. I’m not usually violent, but everything weighs heavy on me. I need answers. He claims that he’s not involved, but if he knows the guy, then there must be a connection.
“Leandro would never. He has an impeccable record.” Talon finally offers Esteban the chance to get up, realizing he better get some space between us, because the second I’m free, I might act. He motions to the couch. “You can meet him in a bit. He’s taking care of Stacia’s drug test. Until then, I want you to make a few phone calls. Don’t let anyone know your employee is dead. I also want you to call Christos and make sure he didn’t do this. I know you said you escorted him back to his apartment, but that means nothing. He could’ve gone back out. It’s not that hard to find where Stacia stays during the meeting days. He probably knows her alias too.”
He’s right about that. I never did change my alias, and I always book the penthouse as Lydia Love. It’s the name Christos teased me about for sounding like a porn star. He might be right, but I prefer Talon’s comment about it being the perfect name for an erotica author instead. It was kind of a joke between us.
And I hate that Christos could’ve used that against me. I’ve been through enough with him. Now he’s trying to crash back into my life to ruin me all over again. But I won’t allow it. I’ll destroy him before he can ever take another piece of me. He’s far too careless. Anything he touches shatters. Luckily for me, I know how to repair myself. I’m just not sure I could survive a second calamity by his hands.
“Christos wouldn’t have done this. He knows I’d kick his ass for touching my belongings, and all my employees are just that—mine. I don’t pick up random addicts from the street. I spent a lot of time building my empire, so much so that I have surpassed what mi padre built. That’s why I’m here and not in Mexico City. He feared I’d take it from him. I still might.” Esteban cracks his knuckles and shakes out his shoulders. The more I look at him, the more ferocity I see in his gaze. A tattoo peeks out from the collar of his dress shirt, and I can’t help but imagine what the rest of it looks like. I wonder where his chapter key is.
Fuck me. I shouldn’t be thinking about what’s beneath his clothes, even if it is art.
“I want to be certain. It’s going to hit the media in a couple of hours. Someone wanted Stacia to get caught. We need to get ahead of things.” Talon turns his attention to me and gives me a once-over. “Stacia, you need to call your dad. I know you’re afraid, but it’ll be worse if you don’t. We might be in over our heads trying to take care of this alone. Someone is fucking with one of our empires. This could be about your father and not you. You could just have been a pawn caught up in the battle.”
I hate that he’s right. I have done nothing wrong to be framed like this. If it wasn’t Christos like Esteban swears, then it’s more. Someone else. And what better way to hurt Daddy than to try to hurt me. Except whoever it is doesn’t know that the only way to hurt my dad is to hurt him. I’m expendable, even as his daughter.
I scrub my hands over my face. “What do I even say? This is all too much.”
Talon engulfs me in a hug, squeezing me to him as if his strength can keep me together. It might be the only thing doing so. Because I just really want to fall apart. To curl up and cry. I want to shut the world out. What did I ever do to deserve all this bullshit?
Easing away, Talon cups my cheeks, forcing me to look into his eyes. We’ve always had a close relationship and have flirted for years, but something about him changes in this moment. I knew he cared about me, but I can actually feel it.
“You can handle anything, wild child. Things might seem like too much, but it’ll get better. Tell your dad what happened without going into the details. Tell him what to expect and ask him what he wants you to do. Do not apologize or cry if you can help it. You need to stay strong in your convictions that you were not in the wrong.” Talon rubs his lips together. “Do you understand?”
I swallow and blink my eyes, forcing my tears to stay put. I can feel the weight of Esteban’s stare pouring into me, but I don’t give him an ounce of my attention. He’s already seen me in what might be my weakest moment apart from my break-up with Christos, and I can’t allow him to witness any more of that. People use that shit against you, and I don’t know Esteban. All I know is that he has a ruthless reputation.
Talon turns to Esteban. “If you make a sound, I’ll ensure that the King’s Court believes you were in on it.” Protective looks sexy as hell on Talon, and I lean forward and snuggle my face to his broad chest, inhaling a breath of his cologne.
It takes everything in me to peel myself away, and he grabs my phone from among my belongings. I have at least a dozen missed calls from acquaintances and ten more from an unknown number. It could be anyone or anything, but I choose to ignore it all. I have to be selfish in this moment. The only important thing is getting my life back together before it completely crumbles apart.
I inhale a long, slow breath and hit my dad’s contact. Talon doesn’t move from my side, remaining close enough for me to bask in the scent of his strength and the shadow of his power. I bet he never imagined such a moment between us, and I wonder how far it’ll push him away. Because our attraction is undeniable. It’s always been present, despite the imaginary steel wall he created to keep me out. I’m supposedly untouchable, after all.