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I crack the door open more, trying to get a view of the two of them, but they’re not in the bedroom. Their voices echo through the open door leading into the sitting room.

I clutch my towel and tiptoe into the suite, looking around for my dress. I quickly put it back on and quietly make my way to the door.

The guy groans. “I don’t fucking know. The product they gave was complete shit anyway.”

Esteban appears in my view, and he glances at me and shakes his head. “I want their information.”

“I don’t have it,” the guy argues.

Lunging forward, Esteban grabs the man and drags him to the floor. He kicks him in the stomach and flips him on his back, surprising him with a gun he pulls from the robe pocket. “You better tell me fucking now. Someone is trying to get into my territory, copying my shit with a deadly product. I can’t have my customers worrying about their lives when they’re just chasing a damn high.”

The man cowers on the floor, covering his face protectively as if his hands could really shield him from a bullet. He wears a suit without a tie and looks like many of the wealthy businessmen that fly through LA.

“You have five seconds. Don’t make me rip the answers out of you.” Esteban waves his gun at the man without clicking off the safety. I don’t think he will shoot him here. But the guy doesn’t know it.

“He goes by the Carpenter. He wants to fix things.” The man heaves a breath, rolling over and away from Esteban. “You think you’re tough, but this guy will kill anyone who gets in his way.”

“So will I.” Esteban turns his attention toward me and motions for me to cover my eyes.

I don’t.

Instead, I step out of the room.

“Stop, Knave. We can use him. He can send his boss a message.” I know I shouldn’t get involved, but all I can think about is how the hell we’ll get out of this if there’s a body. I’m already in enough trouble as it is.

“This will be a message.” Esteban aims to gun at the man.

The man holds his arms up, sobbing for his life. “Please, listen to her. I’m better alive. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Esteban shakes his head. “No.”

He steps forward and presses the gun to the man’s head, raising his eyebrows at me because I refuse to look away.

And then he pulls the trigger.

The man screams out as nothing happens. Esteban’s gun isn’t loaded. But it’s enough to make the man pee himself, and I step away and frown.

Laughing, Esteban loads his gun in front of the man and waves it. “Pinche pendejo. Is that piss? Get the fuck up. You’re going to take me to your boss. Tell him I want to make him a deal.”

The man bobs his head up and down, scrambling to get to his feet. He tugs his phone from his pocket and taps the screen a couple of times. “Okay, I—”

Someone pounds on the suite door, cutting the man off. I flip my attention to Esteban and back to the door.

“Jefe, open up. We gotta go,” Leandro yells, pounding the wood again. “There’s an armed man coming up the stairs.”

Esteban glowers and turns his gun on the man. Without waiting for him to plead for his life, Esteban pulls the trigger and shoots the man between the eyes, startling me.

The world blurs with my shock, and a second later, I find myself being dragged toward the door. Leandro lifts me up, throwing me onto his shoulder protectively.

Another gunshot rings through the air.

“Take Stacia to the car. I’ll be there in five. We’ve been set up. I’m not allowing this Carpenter cabrón think he can get away with this shit,” Esteban says, moving the body of the other man out of the way of the stairwell.

“Esteban, please. No. Just come with us,” I plead, my chest tightening with my fear.

He leans in and kisses me. “I’ll be fine, mamacita. I’ll see you soon.”

He doesn’t wait for me to respond and heads back to the suite to probably wait for another asshole to come.


Tags: Ginna Moran Romance