Page 20 of Dangerous Seduction

“You mentioned renegotiating our terms,” I said, cutting straight to the chase. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Raul’s grin widened, his teeth gleaming in the dim light. “Ah, yes. My associates and I have been taking on additional risks lately. The DEA has been sniffing around, asking questions, making our operations increasingly hazardous. They’re getting too close. If we are to continue doing business, we must account for this added danger. Double the original amount seems a fair solution to our problem.”

Shit. There was no way in hell my father would agree to double. We all knew that, even Raul. This spelled trouble. I could feel Marco shifting restlessly beside me. One wrong move, one ill-timed word, and this situation could spiral out of control.

I drew in a slow, steadying breath. There was no use letting Raul’s bravado get under my skin – that was precisely what the smug bastard wanted. With a casual shrug, I met his fiery glare head-on.

“You’re not wrong, Raul,” I admitted, keeping my tone even and dispassionate. “The DEA has been a relentless thorn in our side lately. A few... setbacks have forced us to rethink our operational strategies.”

Raul’s eyes narrowed to slits, but I held up a hand before he could interject.

“However, those setbacks are temporary,” I continued smoothly. “My father has the situation well in hand. We’re already implementing new contingencies to stop the DEA. Trust me, my father is on top of this.”

It wasn’t a complete lie – my father did have some twisted game in the works.

“In the meantime,” I said, gazing over the assembled Colombians, “we understand the increased risks you’re shouldering on our behalf.”

A muscle ticked in Raul’s jaw, but I could see the spark of greed flickering in his eyes—hook, line, and sinker.

“We’re willing to offer a 25% premium over our current rates,” I said, letting the words hang in the air like a baited hook.

Raul’s nostrils flared, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought he might spit in my face and call the whole deal off. But then, that wolfish grin stretched across his features once more.

“Twenty-five percent,” he mused, rolling the words around like a fine wine. “I suppose that’s a start.”

The implication was clear – he intended to bleed us dry, one unreasonable demand at a time. But I couldn’t let on that I saw through his ploy, not when we were in such a precarious position.

“I’m glad we could agree,” I said smoothly, extending my hand.

Raul eyed my hand briefly, letting the tension build before clasping it in a grip that bordered on crushing. His smile was all teeth, a predator acknowledging the temporary submission of his prey.

As we left, Raul called, “Oh, and Dante?”

I paused, glancing over my shoulder with a carefully raised brow.

“Give your father my regards,” he sneered. “Tell him the Reyes cartel had better get their house in order soon. We don’t tolerate loose ends.”

The thinly veiled threat hung in the air, but I refused to take the bait. With a curt nod, I led Marco out of the warehouse and back into the waiting Escalade.

I allowed the tension to bleed only when the engine rumbled to life, and we pulled away. Marco shot me a sidelong glance, his brow furrowed.

“You sure that was the right play, Dante?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern. “Giving in to Raul’s demands like that? Dude’s gonna keep squeezing us for all we’re worth.”

I let out a weary sigh, scrubbing a hand over my face. “We didn’t have a choice, man. Not with the DEA breathing down our necks like this. We need that supply line, no matter the cost. At least I got him down from double the money.”

Marco’s jaw tightened, but he gave a reluctant nod. We both knew the score – in our world, survival often meant making deals with snakes like Raul Moreno.

“And it’s only temporary,” I muttered, more to reassure myself than anything. “Once we get this DEA bullshit sorted, we can cut those Colombian fucks loose and find a new pipeline.”

Raul had been right about one thing—we needed to get our house in order fast. The DEA was closing in, and God only knew what other threats were waiting in the wings.

But dwelling on the risks would only drive me mad. I had to focus on the solutions.

A slow smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as my thoughts drifted to Eva and the memory of her body writhing beneath mine, a tempting oasis amidst the endless desert of violence and chaos that was my life.

I could find the time to seek her out again. To lose myself in her intoxicating embrace and forget this fucked up world.

My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten all day, consumed by the mountain of paperwork spread across my cluttered desk. I glanced at my phone as it buzzed insistently, the caller ID flashing my sister’s name. Sighing, I reluctantly put down my pen and answered.

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