My cellphone rings and I pull it from my pocket to find Kane calling. I hit the answer button and he says, “Put the gun down and walk away. It’s done. You have my word and that’s all you’re going to get, but I do believe you know I do not offer such declarations lightly.” I disconnect the call and shackle my weapon.
“Call off Alejandro.”
“I heard about your situation with Alejandro but I didn’t hire him. Tag hired him and used him to destroy a year of investment in Gabriel. Thankfully, someone killed Tag.”
I believe him. Pocher is an opportunist. That’s why I’m here. I turn to leave and he says, “Rick Savage.”
I turn to look at him. “Should anyone, including your pretty little woman, do anything to harm me or my organization, war will be officially declared. And you do not want to go to war with us.”
I smile. Just smile. And with that, I walk out of the room. I don’t stop walking until I exit the club to find Kane Mendez leaning on a fancy silver 911 Porsche, not so unlike my San Antonio rental. Only I didn’t look like an arrogant rich bastard the way he does right now. Mr. Antonio Banderas in a black suit, and black tie, that probably cost as much as ten Average Joe’s suits.
I close the space between me and him and he pushes off the Porsche, straightening to greet me. “You’re a little damn late.”
“But not too late,” he says, in that heavily accented but highly educated way he communicates. “It’s handled. You have your freedom and once again, we are even.”
“What did you say to him.”
“What I said doesn’t matter. I’d already been working on a new rope to tie him up with, which was why I was gone today, but your impatient ass couldn’t just wait.”
“He called.”
“And you could have put him off, but it’s done. The rope is now around his neck.” His cellphone buzzes and Kane eyes his message. “Lilah says they’re leaving the station in fifteen minutes and then headed to our apartment.” He clicks the locks on his car. “Shall we go get our women?”
“Considering Pocher claims he didn’t hire the assassin hunting my future wife. Yes. We need to go get our women. Now.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Candace
I think I’ve decided I like, perhaps even love, Lilah Love.
This, after I’ve been with her and a few other people she’s been bossing around for roughly two hours in a conference room at the police station. Lilah doesn’t work at the police station. She’s an FBI profiler on a task force and she works from home. However, you’d never know that Lilah doesn’t work at the police station. She owns the place right now and I’ve quickly learned that Lilah isn’t tolerant of stupidity. She’s fine with about anything else. She doesn’t care what your size is, your race is, your sexual preference. She just can’t stand stupid.
In between her bossiness, and snipes, and calculations about who killed the victim tonight, I’ve decided it’s been too long since I’ve had a pencil in my hand. I’ve managed to find a notepad and began drafting a project but it’s hard to focus when I just can’t stop watching The Lilah Show.
At present, Joe, an intern with glasses and a bush of curls on his head, comes into the room. “I feel like we’re going in ten directions. Can we go one at a time?”
Lilah gives him a deadpan look and then says simply, “No.” Already she’s dismissed him to read a text message.
“Agent Love,” he begins.
Her head whips up, her eyes blasting him. “If you throw peanut butter on a piece of paper does it stick?” she asks.
“Ah yes.”
“If you put it on your tongue is it sticky?”
“Ah yes.”
“Then get some peanut butter and put it in your mouth right now.” She points to the door and he marches away.
“Stop,” she says before he leaves.
He turns and she addresses him, “Eventually you get to the peanut butter and something sticks. Do the work. There’s no way around it in this job.”
He gives her a blank stare and she motions him onward. “Go home.”
“Mother of God,” she murmurs when he disappears. “Help me, help them, but on a good note, Lord knows we need one, Kane and Savage are together. Pocher is on a leash. And before you ask, I know nothing else.”
“Really? Pocher’s handled? That’s wonderful, right?”
“Very fucking wonderful.” She starts to gather her things and shoves them in her bag. “Let’s get out of here. I just told Kane we were leaving here in fifteen minutes to meet him and Savage at our place. If we leave now, we can swing by Starbucks. I need caffeine.”
Now I know I love Lilah Love. “I’m in.”
She leans over my pad and eyes my sketch of a building I’ve always wanted to create and whistles. “You’re talented, but I had no idea how that translated to the real world. And in case you’re wondering, Kane told me you were an architect. He investigates everyone. Don’t get offended.”