“That doesn’t make sense.” Shaking my head, I settle in the chair and pull out the drawer where I keep records of all the men who work for me. Flipping through the folders, I pull out the one on Hector, wanting to compare the photos we have on file of him when he joined to the ones from the footage. “Give me that folder.”
Javier places the informant’s photos on the desk, and I slide them beside our worker images. Give or take a few years, that’s him. There’s no doubt. Even with the cap covering half his face.
“We found the buyer,” Javier informs me, as he seats himself in the chair that’s become his throne in this office. “He’s confirmed Hector mentioned he’s getting a kilo of coke, he’s selling it for a couple thousand.”
“I just don’t understand what would drive a man to do this.”
Javier shrugs, pulling out a cigarette, lighting it, then glancing my way. “We’ll bring him in.” He’s confident. I have no doubt they will. “In other news, your pretty little whore from last night ran out of here crying. Did you fuck her ass without lube or something?”
“Fuck you.”
He chuckles, blowing out a plume of white smoke, before arching a dark brow at me. He loves to hear about my escapades with them. I’m not sure if he actually gets off on it, or if he’s simply comparing notes. It’s no secret that once they’ve fucked me, they jump into the beds of my men.
“Why? You want a piece of her?”
“Perhaps. She was…inocente.”
Shaking my head, I chuckle, before rising. “I have a meeting. Find Hector, take him to the warehouse and I’ll meet you there. I want him captured before sundown.”
“Cualquier cosa por ti.” Anything for you. He winks confidently, offering a grin, before I leave him in my office. The only man in my organization who’s allowed in there while I’m away.
4
Sofía
It’s been a long afternoon and weariness has settled on my shoulders. My lashes flutter, threatening to shut, but I force myself to stay awake. The bell on the door chimes, causing me to meet ice blue eyes. The man seems familiar somehow, but for the life of me, I can’t place him, and I wonder just who he is. Dressed in a charcoal suit, he looks like he’s far too wealthy to be inside this shit hole.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the small run-down store, but nobody comes in here anymore. The instruments sit gathering dust, and the old bookshelves with autobiographies have seen better days.
His mouth quirks when his golden gaze lands on me. There’s a darkness that seems to follow him around like a foreboding entity as he saunters into the small space of the store. He nears the desk silently, then taps two fingers on the countertop, leaning in before he speaks.
“I’m looking for a Mr. Hernandez.”
The thick baritone of his accent is nothing short of perfection. Silky smooth and filled with richness, reminding me of a black coffee with no sugar—strong and thick. He could melt panties with just one word, but it doesn’t faze me, at least, that’s what I tell myself.
“He’s out. Meeting with someone.”
His dark brow arches as he regards me. “And he knows how you speak with customers, niñita?” He calls me little girl like he’s decided who and what I am before he’s really spoken to me.
Rising from my seat, I round the desk, realizing my mistake as soon as I step in front of him. The man is easily over six foot four, his broad shoulders and towering frame dwarf me as if I’m insignificant.
“If you need something, I can help, but like I said, Mr. Hernandez is out. And I’m not sure when he’ll be back.” Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I watch him through narrowed eyes. I’ve never seen a man more devastatingly handsome before. Granted, I’ve never had a boyfriend, or even bothered to look for one, but Mr. Dark and Handsome over here has my interest piqued.
A dark chuckle rumbles in his chest, and it vibrates through me, making my heart catapult wildly in my chest at the sound. It reminds me of a bass strumming right at the heart of me.
“Feisty,” he remarks, offering me a slight bow before he turns for the door, leaving me at the desk with nothing more than a sly glance. As soon as the bell chimes, telling me he’s gone, I release the breath I’d been holding. The moment I take another inhale, I’m assaulted with the faint scent of cigars and spice.
Even though there was a danger to the man, I wonder who he is and if I’ll ever see him again. Settling in the small stool at the piano, I close my eyes and allow my fingers to dance along the keys. As the melody echoes around me, the golden eyes of the handsome stranger haunt me along with his sensual voice.