Page 59 of Drawn Blue Lines

“That’s a lot more stuff than you came here with,” he said, nodding at the suitcase at my feet.

I shrugged. “Your sister brought me some things this morning.” Turning, I winked at Mateo. “She’s a chipper one in the morning, huh?”

As usual, Mateo just raised an eyebrow.

“Dios mío, will you all shut the fuck up?” Val motioned for us all to sit as he made his way to the bar tucked at the front of the room.

I cocked a hip. “Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?”

The suction from the tequila top released with a pop. “No.”

“Well aren’t you going to sit down?”

He lifted the glass of tequila to his lips with a smirk. “No.”

“Can you say anything else besides no?”

“No.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” It was all I could do not to roll my eyes as I sank into the same damn leather couch from last night. Mateo sat across from me, his finger rubbing back and forth across his goatee as he watched Brody’s eyes bounce back and forth between the empty seat beside him and the one next to me.

This was ridiculous. Tired and irritated, I motioned to the seat next to Mateo when a slow smile broke across his face, and he lifted a long jean-clad leg, stretching it across the length of the couch.

“What are you doing?” Brody asked.

Mateo’s grin widened. “Getting comfortable. There’s a seat over there. Have at it.”

They stared each other down, Brody scowling as Mateo smirked. Finally, Brody flipped his middle finger up and collapsed next to me muttering to himself. “Jackass.”

“Well,” Val said, moving in between the two pieces of furniture, a deep vertical line sinking between his eyes. “If we’re done acting like pinche idiotas, I suggest we devise a cohesive strategy before you two go off and get yourselves killed.”

Brody leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and his hands clasped in front of him. “What did you have in mind?”

“Not fucking up.”

“I’m serious, Val.”

“So am I. This may be Adriana’s chance to prove her loyalty to the Carreras but consider it your chance too.”

Brody’s forehead wrinkled. “To do what?”

“To prove to me I shouldn’t put you in the ground right next to your predecessor.”

Mateo’s hand dropped from his chin. “Val!”

Val didn’t acknowledge him. Shoving one hand in his pocket, he lifted his glass again, his eyes locked on Brody.

“Fuck you.” Brody’s quiet response wasn’t out of fear. It was forced control. Like when a child turned the crank on a Jack-In-The-Box as fast as they could only to suddenly stop because they knew that one last turn would cause a puppet to explode in their face.

“Brody!” This time, Mateo’s shock was aimed at the man sitting beside me.

His game of chastise ping-pong grated on my nerves. “Seriously?” I growled. “Pick a side, güey.”

Val swung his drink in Mateo’s direction. “No, it’s fine. I’d be angry too if I were about to track down the man who stole seventeen million dollars of my boss’s money.”

I stiffened. “You know?”

Val cocked his head. “And so do you, apparently.”

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