This Is Me, Baby (War & Peace #5)

by K. Webster

  “My wife will have water,” he tells the woman. “She’s expecting. I’ll have a glass of your house wine.”

  When she leaves, I punch him in his side. “You’re such a fucking dick.”

  “You’re the only person I have ever known who is brave enough to not only hit me but also to call me such names.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “I’ve killed men for much less. But you, my dear sweet kitten, I’m amused by you. If we’re being honest, it gets me really fucking hard.” His hand grips mine. “Would you like to feel just how hard?”

  “I’m going to be sick,” I groan, shaking my head.

  He laughs and releases me. “Don’t be so dramatic, Mrs. Rojas. Where I’m from, most women are actually quite attracted to me.”

  “I’m not most women.”

  He reaches across the table and snags a package of crackers from the basket. After he opens them up, he hands me a cracker.

  “So I can see,” he says with a chuckle.

  With a huff, I accept the cracker and begrudgingly munch on it. He leans on his elbow on the table so he can watch me eat. His lips curve into a pleased smile. Once I’ve downed the cracker, I meet his stare.

  “Why are we here?” I demand.

  He hands me another cracker, which I take. “Camilo. The old fuck is really losing his poor mind. Seems that you, cariño, really stirred some shit up.”

  I suppress a shudder at the very thought of Camilo being angry with me. The man is scary. All the tales of him torturing the people who wronged him replay in my head.

  “You need protection, no?”

  I snap out of my daze and frown at him. “From you?” I scoff. “I don’t think so. I have protection.”

  He narrows his eyes at me and strokes his goatee with his finger and thumb in a contemplative manner. “Who exactly is your protection detail? Rafe Gonzalez? Your daddy? Because if you recall, they didn’t protect you so well the last time we met.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I spit out. “I’m protected.”

  The asshole leans in and sniffs me like I’m some piece of meat he wants to cook up and eat later. “My men took down your men easily once before. I’m sure it won’t be hard for Camilo to do the same. But Camilo Rojas doesn’t incapacitate, he kills.”

  He unwraps another cracker and hands it to me. We’re momentarily interrupted when the server comes to our table. Diego blurts out an order and sends her back on her way. Then, his predatory gaze is back on me.

  “What do you want from me?” I ask. “Beside something sexual.”

  He laughs and stretches his arm across the booth behind me and leans closer. “I want all the information you have in that pretty little head of yours on the Rojas operations. I know you were friends with the little red headed girl. I know you saw how things worked with her father and the shipyard. Then, you were a witness to everything Duvan did. I want the details because I’m going to be running the show very soon.”

  “You’re just going to take it all away from Oscar?” I question with a glare.

  He lifts a black eyebrow and smirks. “The boy?”

  I almost laugh at him. “When exactly was the last time you saw Oscar? He’s far from a boy.”

  Shrugging, he runs his finger along the outside of my arm. “No matter. I want their territory. You’re going to help give it to me. And in exchange, I keep you safe from retaliation.”

  The very idea of betraying Oscar sickens me. I don’t trust Diego one single bit.

  “No.”

  He slaps the table hard enough to make our glasses slosh and me yelp out in surprise. “No is not the answer I was looking for. So far, I have been generous with you, cariño. But you’re pushing me right now. You’re pissing me off and I’m three seconds from dragging you out of here by your hair and taking you back home with me so I can teach your smart mouth what I do to little girls who misbehave.” I let out a whimper when he clutches my thigh to the point of pain.

  The woman arrives with the food and Diego flirts with her while I consider his words. Carefully, I unwrap my cloth napkin and set it in my lap. When he’s distracted, I slip the knife inside the sleeve of my hoodie. She leaves and he picks up a crab leg. I remain silent as he cracks it open with a crab cracker. Then, he dips a big chunk of meat in some butter sauce before holding it to my lips.

  I shake my head and his face darkens.

  “Don’t make me pry your mouth open in front of all these people because I will. Do as you’re told,” he hisses.

  Suppressing a grumble, I open my mouth and accept the food. He smirks and then pulls off a piece of meat for himself. The entire meal goes on this way. Even though the food is surprisingly good, I’m disgusted by this man. Once he finishes, he wraps his arm around me and hugs me to him. I remain frozen as he pets me as though I’m a small animal. What is it with this guy and petting? He should get a dog.

  “I want the information,” he says softly, his touch gentle.

  “I’ll only help you under one condition.”

  He tenses but releases me. “Go on.”

  “If I tell you, you can’t hurt Oscar.”

  “Done.”

  “And I want that protection extended to my friends and family.”

  He reaches into his pocket and retrieves something. “Of course, cariño. Text me a list. It’ll be done.”

  “Once I tell you what I know, Camilo and Esteban and their people will come after me. I’m pregnant and somewhat happy. I don’t want this disrupting my life.” Our eyes meet and he nods.

  “Anything else?”

  “Please don’t tell them where you got this information. I know you’re an asshole of epic proportions but I’d like to think of you as a business acquaintance. I’ll tell you what I know but I’m counting on you to uphold your end of all parts of our deal.”

  He strokes my cheek with his thumb. “So beautiful. I do a lot of business with men in South America but you’ve been my most worthy opponent. It would seem I have a soft spot for you.” He smirks and slides his thumb over my bottom lip. “I often think of your big round ass when I’m balls deep in one of my wives. Perhaps one day the fantasy will come true.”

  I start to tell him off but then he dangles something shiny in front of me. My necklace and Duvan’s ring.

  “You fixed it,” I choke out.

  He smirks. “Well, I did break it.”

  At seeing my jewelry, I can’t help but burst into tears. He fastens it around my neck and hugs me to him. I don’t want to be in his embrace but I feel like I’ve just made a necessary deal with this devil.

  His hand that strokes me in a comforting move slides under my hoodie and up my front. I let out a yelp when his finger strokes my bare belly.

  “It would be so easy just to take you home with me,” he murmurs against my hair.

  The knife hidden in my sleeve slides into my hand and I press the sharp tip against his hard cock that strains against his slacks. He lets out a hiss of shock.

  “It would be so easy just to take this,” I poke hard enough to make him grunt, “home with me.”

  His hand retreats from under my shirt and he chuckles. I reluctantly pull the knife away from his junk and glare at him.

  “Cariño,” he says with a wolfish grin. “Did I ever tell you I like you?”

  I roll my eyes and point at his phone. “Too many times. Now take some notes. I have a lot to say.”

  Calder: Luci and I are going to see that new Ryan Reynolds movie. You guys want to come?

  Me: Sounds cool. Just ask Brie if she’s feeling up to it.

  Calder: Ummm. She’s probably on YOUR lap. You ask her.

  Me: Ha. Seriously, just ask her.

  Calder: Duuuude. Do you want me to text her? Wtf.

  Me: Stop being a dumbass. She’s over there so just ask her.

  Calder: Ren, she’s not here.

  Panic slices through me, and I nearly knock back the kitchen chair I was sitting in to bolt to the front door. As soon as I open the d
oor and look down at my house, my heart nearly explodes.

  “She’s gone!” I holler over my shoulder to Dad and Gabe.

  I’ve already taken off running down the road to my house. I’m barefoot and not nearly dressed warm enough for the chilly November air but I don’t want to lose any time. While on my run, I dial Brie’s number. It goes straight to voicemail.

  “Fuuuuck!” I yell as I pound up my driveway.

  When I sling open the front door, Luciana and Calder look over their shoulders from the couch in confusion.

  “She’s gone,” I breathe out as I hurry to my room to grab a pair of shoes. Snagging a hoodie on the way back out, I bark at Calder. “I need your keys, man. She’s gone.”

  My brother jolts to his feet. “I’m coming with you. Luci, go over to Brie’s until I get back.”

  We both trot back out to his Tahoe and, by this point, Dad and Gabe are in the driveway both looking as panicked as I feel.

  “She’s not answering. Dad, pull up the location on her phone and text me the address. Gabe, keep trying to call her. I knew something wasn’t right when she left in such a hurry,” I growl as I climb into the driver’s seat.

  Gabe hands off a sleeping Toto to Luciana before he and my father take off running back to her house. I don’t look back as I peel out of the neighborhood.

  “So she’s just gone?” Calder questions in confusion.

  “Yep,” I huff as I gas it down the road.

  “Where the fuck are we going?”

  “I don’t know,” I roar and beat my fist on the steering wheel. “Keep calling her but keep an eye out for Dad’s call.”

  I’ve just merged onto the highway when Dad calls. Calder puts him on speaker.

  “Phone records show some texts from an unknown number. Looks like some guy named Diego Gomez.” He rattles off the address to a seaside restaurant. Thank fuck I’m already headed in the right direction. “Gabe and I are ten minutes behind you. Don’t do anything stupid.” I can hear Gabe snarling in the back ground. “Hold on,” Dad grunts in annoyance.

  “THAT’S THE CRAZY COLOMBIAN CUNT!” Gabe bellows. “She’s not fucking safe with him. I’m going to cut his eyeballs out if he so much as looks at her.”

  I run my fingers through my hair and hit the accelerator. Calder’s knuckles turn white as he holds on to the dash. I’m easily going ninety—it’ll be a miracle if I don’t get pulled over. We weave in and out of traffic as Gabe tells me how dangerous Diego is. And he doesn’t even know the half of it. The asshole terrified the hell out of Brie and made promises of brutality. She can’t handle someone so ruthless and powerful by herself.

  The ride should take at least thirty minutes but Calder and I fly into the parking lot in just under twenty-three. I don’t even shut off the ignition before I’m clambering out of the Tahoe and hauling ass into the restaurant.

  “Hispanic male. Scary looking. Younger Hispanic woman wearing a grey hoodie,” I huff out. “Have you seen them?”

  The hostess nods. “Yeah, they just left, actually. Maybe five minutes ago.”

  I nearly knock Calder over in the doorway but then shove past him back into the parking lot. I see my truck but it’s empty. I’m about to go fucking nuts when a black Town Car slowly rolls past. Charging for it, I launch myself on the hood of it to stop it. An old man with a grey beard and an equally old woman stare back at me in horror. The man slams on the brakes and I slide back off the car.

  “Over here, crazy!” Calder hollers. “Jesus! You trying to get killed?”

  My gaze snaps over to his. Beside him stands my favorite person. And she looks unharmed.

  “Fuck, Brie!” I trot over to her and nearly tackle her. With a groan of relief, I wrap my arms around her and crush her against my chest. “What the fuck? You scared the shit out of me!”

  She stiffens in my arms. “I had to go.”

  My palms find her cheeks and I glare at her. “The fuck you did! You just snuck off and met with a man who’s known for being a psychopath. Alone! What were you thinking, goddammit?!”

  She huffs and tries to push away from me, but I refuse to let her go. “I had to!” Her lips tremble as the fear from meeting with him becomes present. That prick scares her. Hell, he scares me.

  “Come here,” I growl and smash my lips to hers. She kisses me frantically as if I have the power to erase whatever stressful situation she just encountered. When our lips break apart, she starts to sob.

  “I-I didn’t think about it. I j-j-just wanted to get my jewelry back,” she cries against my chest.

  I squeeze her tight and kiss the top of her head. “We do this shit together, Brie. Please. You’ve got two babies you need to protect. You can’t do that alone. You’ve got to stop trying to fix all of these problems by yourself. I’m here. Let me be here for you.”

  She nods. “I’m sorry, Ren. I’m so sorry.”

  I’m stroking her hair and assuring her everything will be okay when another car flies into the lot. Seconds later, Gabe jerks her from my grip.

  “What the fuck, Brie baby?” he snaps but squeezes her tight enough that I’m afraid he’ll crush her. “I’m going to kill that motherfucker! Where the hell is he?”

  She pushes away from her father and launches herself back into my arms. “He’s gone. I made a deal with him.”

  Dad gives me a wide-eyed stare while Gabe kicks the gravel under his feet.

  “We don’t make deals with that fucker,” Gabe snaps.

  I squeeze her to me and level him with a calm-the-fuck-down stare. “Let her talk.”

  She sniffles and lets out a sigh. “He wanted to know every detail of the Rojas operations. I told him because he promised me protection. He promised protection to all of you.”

  Gabe grips at his hair and shakes his head. “Oh, sweet girl,” he growls. “And you believed him?”

  Her chin tilts up and she looks at me. Uncertainty flickers in her brown eyes. “I trusted him to do the right thing. I honestly don’t have a choice. Camilo is pissed. He wants to get me back for selling off Duvan’s assets. That old man is scary. The things he’s done to people for far less…” She shudders and buries her face against my chest.

  “This was stupid—” Gabe starts but I cut him off.

  “Enough,” I snap. “She did what she thought she needed to do. You and Dad keep digging into the cartels. I don’t trust them at all. Not even Oscar. So find out what they’re up to. Let’s stay ahead of this.” Looking down at Brie, I kiss her nose. “And you,” I murmur. “Please don’t do that ever again. You scared the shit out of all of us. Promise me, baby.”

  She nods. “He scares me so bad.” Her body trembles again as if the thought of him simply terrifies her.

  “I want a gun,” I bite out to Gabe. If anyone can get me illegal and untraceable shit, it would be him. “For all of us. Luciana. Calder. Me and Brie. I’m not going to feel settled until we all have a way to protect ourselves.”

  Gabe is already storming back to Dad’s vehicle but he’s nodding. Dad grips my shoulder and gives me a firm stare. “I’m going to find out where they’re holing up. If I have to leak the info to the Feds, I will. We’re going to get rid of this threat,” he assures me before stalking off after Gabe.

  Calder holds his hand out for his keys. “Drive the speed limit on the way home, you crazy freak. I’d really like to go to that movie later and I can’t do that if you and Brie are splattered all over the highway.”

  I chuckle and toss his keys at him. Once he’s gone, I guide Brie over to my truck. I open her door for her. She shakily sits down inside. By the time I’m inside with her, she’s somber and quiet but much calmer than before.

  “Are you okay?” I question.

  She swallows and nods. “I just hate when he touches me.” Then a beat of silence. “It reminds me of him. Esteban.” Her body shudders. “I can’t ever go through something like that again.”

  Rage blooms in my chest, and I fist my hands. If that prick were here, I�
��d bash his head in. “He better not ever touch you. As long as I have anything to do with it, he won’t.”

  Her lips tug into a half smile as she relinquishes my keys. “You’re cute when you’re protective.”

  Smirking, I shrug my shoulders and start the truck. “Must mean I’m cute all the time.”

  It’s been nearly a month since Brie gave us the disappearing act scare. We’ve all been on high alert, but I have to say, sleeping with a gun under my pillow each night certainly helps. Brie is always on edge, and I hate that she has to live her life that way.

  “I can’t deal if she’s going to be there,” Brie murmurs as we walk hand in hand to my house. I can see Mom and Dad’s car in the driveway next to Calder’s. No trace of Gabe and Hannah, thank God.

  “Dad already asked them not to come. I think Toto will be there, though,” I tell her.

  She doesn’t pull a face at the mention of her sister. “I thought your dad was a vegan.”

  “He is. Calder told him he could eat vegetables but we were having turkey on Thanksgiving for once,” I say with a chuckle.

  Brie laughs. “I actually like your parents. Do you you think this is hard on them? Especially your mom?”

  I let out a breath of air. “Yeah. Gabe is the villain in her eyes. He’s the villain in mine too. But he’s also your dad and the father of my adorable niece. It’s complicated, but I think we’re doing better than most families with this much baggage.”

  She stops when we get to the front porch. I can hear voices inside and can smell food already.

  “I can’t imagine my daddy doing those terrible things to Baylee. My heart begs me not to believe her, but I saw the look in her eyes. I’ve seen that same terrified look in my own eyes in the mirror whenever I think about Esteban and what he did to me. Why would he hurt her?” she questions, her chin quivering.

  I stroke her bangs from her face and kiss her forehead. “I don’t know, babe. I don’t know. But Mom has always kind of been a badass. And I can kick your dad’s ass if I need to. He’s not hurting anyone else in this family ever again.”