by Elisabeth Naughton, Cynthia Eden, Katie Reus, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Joan Swan
Rio had considered keeping Cassie’s trip to the docks from Saul, but if Rio hadn’t told him, someone else would have. Then his boss would have doubted Rio’s loyalty, and he couldn’t take that kind of risk.
“She doesn’t know anything, but she might if we continue with the transfers now. If we forget the women and delay the tangos—”
“No,” Saul cut in as he blew a ribbon of smoke, which coiled toward the cathedral ceiling. “We need to keep regular business steady. The Muertos are already suspicious. One change in our routine and they’ll be all over us. Suarez is watching too closely right now. She simply has to go.”
Rio’s stomach folded. The last time Saul had decided someone “had to go,” he’d slammed a bullet into the forehead of a smuggler who’d skimmed a few hundred dollars from the transportation fees. Rio could still see it—the realization and terror in the man’s face, the back of his head bursting like a watermelon. That cold, nasty grin curling Saul’s mouth as he’d stared down at the corpse. “Don’t worry about the body,” he’d said. “The vultures will pick him clean by sundown.”
“If you mean she has to go back to San Diego, we’re on the same page.” He waited for Saul to slide a sidelong look his way, then gestured toward the expansive living room filled with antiques, fine furnishings, priceless artwork. “But if she goes, all this goes. Worse, it goes to those grubby little orphans in Mexico City.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Saul turned fully toward Rio. “I’m meeting with Munoz tomorrow. Don’t worry about going with me. You’ve got your hands full. I’ll drive myself.”
But that didn’t fit with Rio’s plan at all. He wanted to be the one to get the information from Saul’s attorney. That way, he could twist it before delivery, if needed.
“What are you expecting him to say?” Rio asked. “Three different notarios assured me Alejandra’s fideicomiso was completely legal. If you challenge it, you’ll only be wasting time and money and pissing her off.”
A strange twist lifted Saul’s mouth, but there was nothing warm in his expression. “Those are exactly the issues we’re going to discuss. Cassandra is simply an obstacle, Rio, and there are always ways around obstacles.”
“I’ll take care of it, Saul. There’s no point in you wasting your valuable time running errands.”
The front door opened, and the topic of conversation walked in. Rio’s heart rate jumped at the simple thought of her presence.
Saul’s demeanor clicked from black to white. His face brightened in a wide smile, and he let out a rolling laugh that grated over Rio’s nerves. “Cassandra. My dear, I think you have a penchant for dirt.”
Rio had to agree. Her legs were covered in dust, her shorts and tee stained. Her hair fell from her ponytail, trailing around her face. And damn, she looked gorgeous.
“It’s called hard work, Saul. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”
Her voice rolled over Rio, but different words and an entirely different tone floated through his head.
“Kiss me like you want to.”
Oh, but that sweetness hadn’t lasted long. No, he’d gone and screwed that up good. Now, she was still pissy, which meant he’d have to run interference between these two all night.
“Work.” Saul chuckled, his demeanor airy and light, as if he hadn’t just alluded to her murder. “I avoid it at all costs. Dinner in thirty minutes. I asked Marta to prepare your favorite—steak and lobster.”
“I’ll be ready in twenty.”
After she disappeared down the hall, Saul recoiled like a snake. “Snotty bitch.”
Rio kept his voice low. “We’ve got a lot riding on these deals. It will take time to get more women, and we’ll be pressed to get them together and over the border before the tangos get here. We should postpone the women and contact Ahmed, see if there’s any way the tangos can dock somewhere for a few—”
“No!”
The bark spiked the hair on the back of Rio’s forearms. Saul had been tense and snappy like this just before he’d incinerated Alejandra and Santos. But there was something different in the way he dealt with Cassie, something that ate at Rio on a deeper level. Some challenge between them, like a competition to see who would give first, or…who would survive.
Now Rio had to make sure Cassie held on to her leverage. He had to make sure Saul didn’t ignore risk while exacting vengeance. He needed to stay away from the sexiest woman he’d known in years, who was interested, willing, and living within reach. And he had to make sure all this didn’t blow up in his own face.
Shit, he needed a raise.
“I had to promise Talaveria fresh cargo in under a week,” Saul said, “or he’s going with another smuggler.”
“The mules only bring in fifty grand,” he reminded. “If we blow the tangos, we’re talking about huge losses. Three quarters of a million, plus multimillions in future deals.”
“And if we change our business pattern, the Muertos will wonder why. Suarez will scrutinize. We can deal with one woman or the head of the strongest gang in northern Mexico.”
Well, Saul had a point there. Or he would if this wasn’t all going to end after that tango transfer.
“And fifty grand is fifty grand, Rio.” Saul’s gaze remained fixed out the window, his jaw muscles rolling beneath his skin with each clench of his teeth. “I’m not ready to lose a client this big on the possibility of repeat tango deals. That little bitch is not going to ruin all I’ve worked for.”
“You’ll be allowing her to ruin things if you don’t think smart.” Rio pushed from the sofa, took Saul’s nearly empty glass, refilled the drink, and handed it off to his boss. “Don’t let her get under your skin.” Even if she’s living under mine. “Just focus on your future and ignore Cassie’s bullshit. Let me handle business. Speaking of which, Javier Lopez approached me today.”
“From Casa del Refugio?”
Rio nodded. “He’s interested in coming on board.”
Saul’s flat, black gaze remained solid on Rio, thoughts clicking off in the background. “Yes,” he said slowly. “Yes, add him to the list. He’d be a very good mid-level employee as we expand.”
Rio’s phone buzzed, and Saul turned back to the window.
“Yeah,” Rio said into his phone and wandered away from Saul.
“Caesar’s gone,” Tomás said. “ICE agents picked him up an hour ago. He’ll be off the radar as long as we need.”
Rio rubbed his temple. “There’s one thing good in my day.” Other than that kiss with Cassie. That had been so good. So freaking damn good it made him ache. “What did he say?”
“That she’d hired him from San Diego to dig up information on Saul’s business, and that today she’d extended that search to information on you. When he wasn’t interested, she doubled the pay. I think you’ve got an admirer, partner.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. That was a no-win.
“But we’ve got to do something about her,” Tomás said. “I have to find more women for Talaveria. I don’t have time to babysit.”
Pain throbbed in Rio’s temple. “I’m working on that.”
“And she went by a lawyer’s office before she went home.”
Shit. “Which one?”
“Raymond Santiago.”
Rio cringed. Of course she’d pick the best goddamned attorney within a thousand-mile radius. “I’ll work on that too.”
“And, hey, you never let me finish telling you about the accident,” Tomás said. “Christo was taking pictures with her phone.”
Rio dropped his hand. “What?”
“Sometime after the cops arrived, Pedro spotted her panning it around the scene.”
He envisioned the action. Video. She’d probably taken a video. A spear of alarm sliced down his chest.
“I didn’t see her doing it,” Tomás continued. “Never saw her pull the phone out. Only knew about it because Pedro went after her and told me about it after she got away.”
Rio gritted his te
eth against a sudden and furious explosion of anger. This was exactly why he couldn’t get involved with her. The thought of anyone touching her destroyed his control. Threatened his sanity. “Shit. What do you think? Important enough to go after? It’ll be hard to get that phone away from her.”
“Probably not. After her call to emergency last night, K’s got a flag on her. Anything comes in with her name on it will get routed directly to him.”
At least that was one less thing for Rio to worry about. “Did you get that information we talked about this morning? I need it ASAP.”
“K says it’s coming over the wire tonight.”
“Good.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I really don’t need all this right now.”
“Ah, beautiful, mija.” Saul’s voice drew Rio’s attention as he disconnected from Tomás.
Cassie swayed through the hall and into the living room. The sight of her almost made him drop his phone. She was wearing cream. Some filmy, draping dress that strapped around the neck and cupped breasts more lush than he’d imagined. The fabric hugged her slim waist and draped over shapely hips. Her legs looked scorchingly sexy with sparkling high heels sculpting her calf muscles.
What he really needed right now was all that.
His appetite took a whole different turn and centered on Cassie as a seven-course meal. Where the hell had she hidden that body? And why couldn’t he breathe?
“Aren’t you still smoking Partagas?” she asked Saul. “That smells like a Bahia.”
By the time she’d paused at the sofa and leaned her hip against the arm, Rio had learned how to fill his lungs again, but his cock had also filled his pants, and he had to shift on his feet to find comfort.
Without waiting for Saul to answer, she turned to Rio. Her warm gaze traveled the length of his body, slowly, as if she were taking in every detail. Before he could turn or move behind the chair to his right, she paused at his hips. His muscles tightened with excitement. Maybe nerves. But hell if he knew why. Her gaze lingered there, and her hand resting on the sofa closed in the soft leather, then released. His body responded as if her fingers had been on his cock. An electric shot of lust ripped through his groin and straight up his chest, wrapped around his heart, and pushed it into a quick, tripping rhythm.
“You’re right, mija, this is a Bahia.” Saul’s voice drew her attention away from Rio’s body, leaving him both relieved and disappointed. “You have your mother’s acute sense of smell.” He looked down at the tip of his cigar. His mouth turned down, brow crumpled in grief. “In fact, this is the last of a box your mother gave me for Christmas last year.”
Rio fought a roll of his eyes. He’d picked up those Bahias for Saul just last month to the ludicrous tune of fifteen grand—six hundred dollars a cigar.
Saul placed an arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “Quite a change, Rio, sì?”
Cassie endured the touch only a moment before pulling away. She’d done something with her hair. It was sleek and shiny, with loose curls around her face. And much longer than he’d realized, reaching several inches past bare shoulders. The dark strands framed her oval face, that full mouth that had sent him into the stratosphere, her delicate chin and nose, the swell of slanted cheekbones. Damn, she wasn’t just pretty. She was gorgeous. His mouth tasted like dust. A boulder-size knot sat wedged beneath his ribs.
God, he wanted her. Far more than was safe or smart.
He cleared his throat. “Quite.”
“Shall we?” Saul gestured toward the dining room.
Rio stood back and let Cassie pass. His mind drifted to a fleeting fantasy of standing behind her, sliding his hands up her smooth thighs, under that skirt, and over her perfect ass that he was damn sure had to be covered in silk.
His throat was as dry as the Sonoran Desert. Hell. This was going to be one long dinner.
Saul seated himself at the head of the table to Cassie’s right, which left Rio sitting across from her. The chandelier made Cassie’s golden skin glow against the cream fabric of her dress and turned her nearly black hair a lighter bittersweet chocolate. She’d dusted some kind of makeup on, because her cheeks were a little rosier than usual, her eyelids sparkled, and her lips…her lips had a shine that made them look wet. The way they’d looked earlier when he’d pulled away after kissing her.
Cassie adjusted her chair and eased her elbows onto the table, hugging those perfect—perfect—breasts together. His craving had grown so strong his brain hazed at the edges, and fantasies floated in and out of rational thought. He had to focus on that beautiful face to keep his attention from drifting to her cleavage. Tender, sensitive skin he imagined would be as soft as petals against his tongue, his lips, his fingers, his…
Sweet Jesus.
Marta swept in with salads on her arm, gaze downcast, according to Saul’s rules of propriety, unlike Cassie and her elbows on the table, which, of course, Rio loved.
“Good evening, Señor Flores,” Marta greeted.
Saul didn’t respond. Marta set a plate in front of him, and Cassie kept her gaze on Saul, obviously waiting for the customary introductions. Since Rio knew Saul wouldn’t treat a servant as anything other than a servant, he decided to give Cassie what she wanted in an attempt to head off an immediate argument.
He cleared the thickness from his throat, but his voice still sounded rough. “Marta. This is Cassandra Christo”—God, her name felt good in his mouth—“Señor Flores’s stepdaughter.”
Marta made a partial bow and offered a smile. “Señorita.”
“Nice to meet you.” Cassie held out her hand. Marta hesitated. She stared at Cassie’s hand as if confused, darted a look between Cassie’s face and Saul’s. Something must have clicked, because the puzzled look faded, and she accepted Cassie’s gesture. Then she exited the room like an anxious mouse.
Cassie’s lazy gaze turned to Saul. “I can see you’re still charming the help.”
“I don’t know what you mean. Marta and I get on fine, don’t we, Rio?”
“Yes, sir, you do,” Rio answered dutifully while laying his napkin on his lap.
“That’s only because she accepts being treated as a servant instead of a person,” Cassie said.
“I have the utmost respect for the girl, mija.” Saul smiled indulgently and changed the subject. “I also have the perfect solution for you.”
Inwardly, Rio sighed. This was going to be a long night in more ways than he’d imagined. He lifted a bottle of red wine toward Cassie’s glass and watched the deep crimson swirl into the crystal.
“Solution?” she asked. “There is only one problem I have that you could solve, Saul, and I doubt the solution would be amenable to you.”
Rio looked up and right into those eyes, watching him. While Rio wanted nothing more than to find a solution that would allow them to be together, he couldn’t envision that happening until at least a month from now. And by then, she’d have seen enough to hate him beyond redemption.
“The clinic.” Saul’s words drew her attention. Thank God. They weren’t even through the salad course and Rio was sweating.
“What about it?”
“I’ve found the perfect person to manage the project for you so you can return to your schooling.”
Cassie’s jaw went rigid. She dropped her arms and set the phone she’d been holding—and one Rio hadn’t seen because he’d been too distracted—on the table. Great. Another violation of Saul’s rules.
“I’m done with my schooling, Saul.”
“Cassandra, you know I don’t allow phones at the table. And this…what do you call it, fellowship? Isn’t that just another form of schooling? Like residency?”
“No. It’s not. And I don’t live by your rules, Saul. I only tolerated them when Mamà and Santos were alive to keep the peace—for their sakes. And I don’t need someone to manage the clinic. Nina has done a wonderful job, and I’m here now.”
Saul sipped his wine, then cradled the glass in his hand, but the way he looked at the
crystal and not at Cassie clued Rio in to Saul’s diminishing patience. And they hadn’t even been in the same room for ten damn minutes.
“I’m on the board of directors for the new community center,” Saul said, “and I know a woman who’s fabulous with procurement and management. She’s handled countless developments of this type. I spoke with her at our meeting this afternoon, and since the community center is still in the planning stages, she has the extra time to take on another project. She was very excited about the clinic, would like very much to be involved.”
Cassie looked directly at Rio with a deadpan expression and said, “This is like talking to a wall.”
A burst of laughter popped in his throat, and he covered it with a cough.
“Mija.” Saul threaded his fingers together above his plate. “Since you insist on staying, we need to talk about security. That neighborhood is infested with gangs, just blocks from the harbor. There have been many murders and kidnappings over that territory in recent months, and the violence is only escalating. I told you that area wasn’t a good location for a medical facility housing drugs.”
“And I told you that the clinic needs to be self-sufficient after the first year. That couldn’t happen if I’d chosen another, higher-priced location. I’ve already had this conversation with Rio.” The look she shot Rio could have left burn marks. “And as I told him, I can take care of myself. I’m perfectly safe, and the clinic doesn’t need security.”
Not the conversation they’d had at all, but after what an ass he’d been on the street, he didn’t blame her for forgetting all about nearly suggesting they take that kiss back to the estate and straight to bed.
Saul’s brow creased in a frown. “My dear, have you read the papers lately?”
His condescending you-stupid-female tone made Rio brace himslef, sure Cassie would hiss like an angry cat, ready to claw at Saul’s eyes. But she just pierced an elusive cherry tomato with her fork and lifted her gaze, meeting Saul’s steadily.
“Why is it that neither of you seems to think I keep abreast of current events?” she asked but didn’t wait for an answer. “As a matter of fact, I have. Along with the gang rivalry, human trafficking has become a serious problem in Baja.”
