by L. R. Wright
“Really?” He swept her hand out of his way, moved in, and brushed his lips against hers. “You’re with him tonight?”
She swallowed and tried to push him away again. He didn’t budge. “Dro, st—” The word “Stop” wedged in her throat when his tongue darted out to trace her lips.
“Answer the question,” he whispered. “Are you with him tonight?”
She swooned as his warm breath breezed over her mouth. But she wasn’t about to let him off that easily. Using all her strength, she propelled him back a step. “Stop crowding me. I’ll see you later tonight—after the party.”
“I don’t think so. Steve is volatile. He’s already threatened you once tonight. If you think I’m going to leave you here at this party by yourself without protection, you’re wrong.”
“Kendrick can stay with me.” She knew he wouldn’t go for it since Kendrick was with her tonight when the incident happened, but she refused to give up.
He scowled at Kendrick then turned back to her. “Kendrick is not staying with you because you’re not staying here.”
“You’re ruining my date, Dro. What if Erik sees you all over me like this. He’ll never come near me again.”
“I don’t give a damn.”
“Of course you don’t. You get to go back to college, and I’m going to be stuck here dateless because no one with any brains will go up against you.” She smacked him on the shoulder. “Jerk.”
He barked out a laugh, which infuriated her even more. “Listen, if you’re the player I think you are you can make anyone want to risk going up against me just to get a taste of you.”
The wheels started turning in her head. She scanned the crowd, looking for Erik.
“And trust me,” he continued in a low tone. “If you can get someone to want you even after seeing you with me, nothing will stand in your way.” Slyly, his right hand slipped into her hair and he pressed a tentative kiss to her mouth, prompting a sharp intake of breath.
Alexa tried to fight her attraction to him, but she knew it was a no-win situation. Making the decision to roll with it, she cradled his head in her hands and pulled him into a quick, but intense kiss.
“Okay,” she purred against his lips. “I’ll accept your challenge. But I’ll still see you later.”
***
Dro admired Alexa for her ability to turn things around in her favor, and he was looking forward to watching her get out of this situation. It was very likely her classmates had witnessed their little interaction. He was pretty sure Erik had already received the news that his date was flirting with someone else.
Dro dipped his head, ready to capture her lips with his.
“Alexa?” a voice called out.
He knew it was her simpering date, Erik, but he refused to move. Alexa peeked around him.
“Alexa, what are you doing?” Erik demanded. “Who the hell is this?”
Dro straightened to his full height and turned around then smirked at Erik’s mortified expression.
“Dro—I—I didn’t know it was you.”
Dro cracked his knuckles. “What the hell is your problem? And who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
“Uh—I thought Alexa was—” Erik stammered. “I didn’t know it was you, but anyway, she’s with me.”
“And that makes it okay for you to speak to her like that?” Dro crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s with you so you have the right to disrespect her? Sounds to me like you’re feeling yourself a little too much.”
A small crowd had gathered around them.
Erik sighed. “She’s my date. I thought—”
“I don’t give a damn what you thought,” Dro snarled. “And I don’t care what you think you are to Alexa. You will never disrespect her like that again. Never talk to her like you’re crazy.”
“Dro,” Alexa interjected.
He ignored her, keeping his eyes on Erik. “Do you understand?”
Erik bowed his head and nodded slightly.
Dro enjoyed making the punk squirm. “Good, because I don’t repeat myself, and I don’t make idle threats. If I ever hear that you disrespected her again in any way, I won’t warn or threaten you—I’ll just kill you.”
Erik dropped his head.
“If you insist on staying here,” Dro said, turning back to Alexa. “I’m staying too. Don’t worry, I won’t crowd you.” He glanced back at Erik, who was standing with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Something tells me your date is over anyway unless you can work some of your magic,” he whispered and walked away.
***
How the hell had he ended up in this mess? Kendrick wondered as he watched Dro storm off. Alexa was probably mad as hell, and a pissed off Alexa didn’t bode well for him. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why Dro had acted the way he did. And since Alexa was never one to shy away from a challenge, this was only going to get worse.
Kendrick sighed and approached Alexa at the bar. “I’m sorry about that, Erik,” he heard her tell the dummy.
“What the hell was that about?” Erik demanded. “Are you with Dro?”
“No, we were just talking.”
Kendrick snorted. Anyone with eyes could see they’d been doing more than just talking, but Erik was a fool. Alexa had once confided to Kendrick that Erik was different than her other suitors, so he knew she cared for the boy. What would Dro think about that?
She frowned at Kendrick. “Can you give me a minute?”
He nodded and stepped back far enough not to crowd them while remaining close enough to hear what they said.
“If you believe that, Erik, you’re dumb,” Steve said, butting in.
“Get the hell out of here, Steve,” Alexa growled. “This is none of your business.”
Erik backed away from her. “No, he’s right. Why would Dro be all up in your face like that? Someone told me he even kissed you.”
“And you believed them?” she asked innocently. “I’m telling you that’s not what happened. My relationship with Dro is complicated but nothing was going on.” She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Erik, believe me, it’s not what you think. Dro and I are friends, more like family.”
“I want to believe you,” he admitted. “But I don’t want to get hurt—physically or emotionally.”
She cupped his jaw with her hand. “Erik, trust me. I’m with you—nobody else.”
Kendrick wanted to slap Erik. What an idiot! He watched her pull the clueless man into a hug and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. She is good. Erik buried his face in her neck. She’s really good.
Scanning the room, Kendrick noticed Dro tip his drink toward Alexa. Alexa and Dro communicated with their eyes. He couldn’t understand why Dro didn’t just tell Alexa he wanted only her. They all knew it. Just like they all knew she wanted only him.
“What the...” Steve scoffed. “Erik, I don’t know why you bother with her. She’s full of shit.”
Kendrick balled his hands into a fist, ready to pummel the bastard to a pulp.
“I told you to stay out of it, Steve,” Alexa snarled, holding a hand against Kendrick’s chest. “You don’t want to start something you can’t finish.”
As much as she infuriated him, Kendrick wouldn’t think twice about killing anyone who dared to disrespect her.
Erik backed away as Dro and the others converged on the scene.
“So, if it isn’t Dro Martinez?” Steve sneered, folding his arms across his chest. He and Erik obviously had the dummy thing in common. “What are you doing at a high school party anyway?”
“Are you talking to me?” Dro challenged.
Steve moved closer, sandwiching Alexa between them. “I don’t stutter like my friend Erik.”
Dro snatched Alexa out of the middle and exchanged glances with Lei and Chase. “Apparently not. I heard you have plenty to say about Alexa. You mind repeating it to me?”
Cracking his knuckles, Kendrick willed Steve to say something stupid. They hadn’t had a
good fight in almost two years. He looked around at his “brothers.” They all had reputations around town that resulted in widespread fear among their peers.
Chase was small in stature but the last person who’d crossed him ended up in traction. Around town, Lei was known as cold and calculating. And Dro wasn’t called jefe for nothing. No one challenged—or crossed—him.
Steve puffed his chest out. “I didn’t say anything about Alexa. And even if I did, it’s a free country. I can say what I want.”
Kendrick had to hand it to Steve. The punk didn’t back down. That should make this all the more interesting.
Lei grinned. “You’re a smart ass, huh? You think that’s funny?”
Steve shrugged. “Like I said, I didn’t stutter.”
“I would tell you like I told your friend, Erik, I hate it when people disrespect Alexa. It pisses me off,” Dro grumbled. Barely-controlled fury radiated from him, making his last statement superfluous. “Something tells me that I can tell you that, but it won’t matter. You’ll still continue to do what you want. And that’s your mistake.”
Before Steve could respond, Dro’s fist connected with his face. Kendrick cringed as Steve fell to the ground holding his shattered jaw. The crowd buzzed, their shocked gasps punctuated with a couple of screams.
Dro stood over Steve. “That’s your first warning. Don’t test me.” Dro grabbed Alexa by the arm and pulled her out of the room.
Kendrick yanked out his phone and dialed the front desk. “It’s Kendrick. There’s been an accident. Call an ambulance.” Dropping his phone back into his pocket, he stepped around the wailing Steve. Oh well, maybe next time.
CHAPTER 8
November 4, 2011, B5:
Dro glanced up when the security room door clicked and Chase and Lei walked in.
Lei dropped his gloves on a table. “We did a quick check of the grounds and found the guard lying dead against the side of the house. We noticed there were four dark colored trucks. There were two men standing at the back door and two men at the front, an unknown number inside.”
“Did they see you?” Kendrick asked.
Chase pulled off his coat and dropped it on an empty chair. “No, but we didn’t stay long enough to get seen. Have you heard anything from the house?”
“No,” Kendrick said. “I don’t recognize anyone. But they’re still inside. Probably trying to figure out where Alexa is.”
“Speaking of Alexa,” Lei said. “Is she up to date on what we discussed?”
Kendrick chuckled. “According to jefe, she’s down for ‘whatever.’”
“Good.” Lei pushed a button on the wall next to the light switch, opening up a small panel. “We’re going to need her help. I’m glad jefe got through to her.”
“I am in the room,” Dro snapped, still peering at the monitors. “And someone needs to light a fire under Nicholas’s ass. I need that report in my hands ASAP.”
Lei pulled a lockbox out of the panel and set his gun in it. “I’ll talk to him. You just make sure Alexa’s ready when we need her.”
Dro closed a notebook he had been jotting in and picked up his now-empty coffee mug. “I got this. No worries.”
***
A few hours later, Alexa and Dro were awakened by a knock on their door. She stretched and perched herself up on her elbows. “What time is it?”
“Time to go up to the house.” Dro hopped out of bed, slipped on his pants, and picked up the .45 caliber pistol on the nightstand. “You need to get up.”
She rubbed her eyes. “I’m thinking I should probably stay back with Nicholas and keep an eye on the cameras.”
“You still need to get up. It shouldn’t take too long to go through the house.” He slipped on a shirt and exited the room without another word.
Later, when she stepped into the security room, Nicholas was watching the monitors and sipping a cup of coffee. He nearly dropped his mug when she walked in. “What are you doing up?”
“Watching the action,” she said, taking a seat.
“You don’t have to. I have everything under control.”
“I do have to,” Alexa insisted. “I want to make sure everything’s all right.”
“Okay.”
Even if he had questions, Alexa knew he wouldn’t ask. Dro made sure all their employees knew to never question either one of them. Although, Martinez Security veered away from the old business ways, the people who worked for them had learned to never underestimate her or Dro.
***
Upstairs in the safe house, Dro split them up into twos. He and Lei started in the attic and worked their way down, while Chase and Kendrick began on the ground floor and worked their way up.
The house had been ransacked. Every piece of furniture was either in shreds or completely smashed. It was obvious their faceless enemy intended to leave a clear message.
Dro peeked into the kitchen and assessed the damage. All the dishes were on the floor. He shook his head and continued into the room.
Behind him, Lei kicked a piece of broken glass and sent it skittering across the floor. “This is overkill, don’t you think?”
“Pretty much. But we already figured they were inexperienced.”
They continued to roam the house, checking every closet. Eventually, they ended up in the home office. Dro stepped over a pile of wood—that used to be a desk—to examine a smashed file cabinet. “Good thing we don’t keep anything important here.”
Lei tossed aside a couch cushion. “If they came here for Alexa, why destroy the house? Idiots.”
“Dro?” Nicholas’s voice crackled in Dro’s earpiece “I see movement in Ky’s bedroom.”
“We’re on our way over there,” Dro said and motioned for Lei to follow him into the hallway.
“What kind of movement, Nicholas?” Dro asked as he approached Ky’s room.
“Behind the curtain.”
Stepping into the room with his gun drawn, Lei walked over to the swaying curtains and yanked them open. The window was open, the shutter banging against the house. “It’s nothing,” he told Dro.
Dro stilled when he heard footsteps in the hall and gripped the handle of his pistol.
Kendrick barged into the room then stopped in his tracks and raised his hands. “Easy, it’s just us.”
Dro cursed and stuffed his own gun back in its holster. “Did you find anything?”
“Just a big mess,” Chase said as he entered the room. He picked up one of Ky’s stuffed animals and ran a finger over the torn fabric. “The computer was untouched, which is further confirmation that they weren’t here for information.”
“Well, we still have to check the play room.” Lei said. He headed into the hall.
When the others eventually followed, they were greeted by a masked man with a gun against Lei’s temple.
“Who the hell are you?” Dro demanded, stepping closer to Lei and the stranger.
The man laughed. “What makes you think I have to answer you? I’m the one with the upper hand, here. You’ll answer my questions, or your friend gets shot.”
Dro glanced at Kendrick then Chase. “Listen, whoever you are, let him go and maybe you’ll get out of here alive.”
“I may not get out alive, but I’ll take at least one of you with me.”
“Who are you?” Kendrick snapped.
The man snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Dro rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this. If you’re going to do something, do it. But I can guarantee you won’t make it out of here alive if you do. Make it easy on yourself and tell me what you want.”
“You know what I want.”
“How would I know that?” Dro felt his patience unraveling. “Stop playing games and tell me what you want.” The masked man seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t place him.
“I want that bitch, Alexa.”
Dro’s jaw clenched. “What do you want with her?”
“I want her up here now.” The man scan
ned the corridor. “Where did she go? I have waited years to face her.”
Kendrick snorted. “What, are you stupid? Do you really think we’re just going to tell you where she is?”
“If you want him alive, you will. I want to see her. Now!”
“What do you want with my wife?” Dro tried to keep his temper under control, but it was becoming harder by the minute.
He noticed a trickle of blood coming from Lei’s temple and the dazed look in his eyes. The stranger had obviously clocked him in the head with the butt of his gun. When the man didn’t answer, Dro repeated his question. “What. Do. You. Want. With. My. Wife?”
“She killed my brother. I want to return the favor.”
So the bastard knows Lei is Alexa’s brother. “Then what?” Dro wondered aloud. “You just let us kill you? Or better yet, we let her kill you for killing her brother.”
“I want her to suffer the way I’ve suffered.” The man’s voice was shaky and he’d started to fidget. He pointed the gun at Dro. “Knowing there was nothing she could do for her brother.”
“What the hell is that supposed to prove?” Dro asked, keeping his eye on the man’s gun.
“I don’t need to prove anything. When she gets here, all will be explained. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be happy to see me.”
“I doubt that,” Chase mumbled.
The stranger glared at Chase. “Alejandro, tell Chase and Kendrick to back up.”
Kendrick, who was steadily inching closer to the masked man, stopped in his tracks. Chase froze as well.
“You didn’t know I knew who you were, did you?” the bastard asked.
Chase smirked. “It doesn’t matter. You won’t leave here alive.”
“Damn it,” Lei cursed. “Just kill this asshole and let’s go.”
“Listen.” Dro raised both hands and tried to keep his voice calm. “You should probably just get on with whatever you plan to do because there’s no way that Alexa is coming here.”
