Page 43 of Drawn Blue Lines

“Adriana…” Hearing Val call her by her given name, she froze, her hands fisting by her sides. “I’m not a stupid man. While I’m willing to give you a chance due to the blood we share, I’d be foolish to trust you because of the same reason. Our mother gave love unconditionally, while our father used it as a weapon. Where your genetics fall remains to be seen, and until then, I can’t put anything past you, especially betrayal.”

“So, what are you going to do?” she taunted, popping a hand on her hip. “Send a group of spies to report back to you?”

“Close. I’m sending Brody.”

Chapter Thirteen

Adriana

I spun around so fast the room blurred. “I’m not going anywhere with him.” To make my point clearer, I flung an arm in Brody’s general direction.

“Over my dead…” A low grunt broke his protest as the back of my hand slammed against his chest, “…body.”

The stealth of his movement and the sudden impact caught me off guard. Without thinking, I turned away from Val and stared blankly where my hand still pressed against his chest. Even through the layers of his pretentious suit, the hard muscle molded against my hand, and my head filled with flashes of being pressed against a wall.

The sound of a throat clearing broke the moment, and all eyes turned toward Val. He stood with one arm crossed over his chest, stroking his chin with the other, his eyes bouncing between us.

He said nothing. In fact, the entire room had gone silent.

Jerking my hand away from Brody, I ignored the heat burning my cheeks and scowled at both of them. “No.”

Well, that sounded convincing.

Val quirked an eyebrow. “No?”

“No.” Why did my voice sound all breathy? Squaring my shoulders, I tried again with more conviction. “I work alone.”

“And I sure as hell don’t want to babysit her.”

I inhaled slowly, forcing myself not to turn around and punch him in the face.

“Val, come on,” Brody protested, stepping in front of me like a damn caveman. “That’s not feasible. I can’t drop everything and spend God knows how long in Guadalajara. I have an entire stateside operation to run, in case you’ve forgotten.”

I stared at the back of his head like it had grown horns.

Insubordination. I would’ve shot him on sight.

Apparently, Mateo had the same thought. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the room and stood beside Val, his hand disappearing under his black leather jacket. However, Val held up his hand and Mateo’s relaxed, dropping to his side.

“I’m sure you’ve left it in capable hands with Rafael,” he said, his tone slow and calculated. “Besides, you owe me for the mess you made in San Marcos, don’t you think?”

Brody’s face blanched. “Val—”

“I’m the boss of this cartel. It’s time you remember you take orders, not give them, lieutenant.”

A tense silence filtered around the room, and for once in my life, I didn’t know what to say. All eyes were on Brody, and all ears waited on his response. I had no idea what happened in San Marcos, but his entire body language changed at its mention. The fight drained out of him, his shoulders dropping, as if those two words carried the weight of a mountain.

I’d found another chink in his armor, and I tucked it away for later.

Lifting my eyes, I met Brody’s tortured gaze, but it wasn’t focused on my face. It was locked below my chin with a resigned intensity so strong it commanded my body without my permission. As he stared, my fingers brushed over the scarred skin at the base of my neck. I swallowed hard, the moment uncomfortably intimate.

Too intimate.

It was like he saw through my scars and forced his way into forbidden territory. My fingertips danced along my chilled skin, and as my hand shook, he caught my eye.

A simple glance.

No smirk. No wink. No words.

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