Page 11 of Loving Smoke

Blood leaned in. “Keep going.”

“Sandoval’s gonna come here next week and try to squeeze us for protection money, but I’m gonna offer him a place to store his artillery. Then I’m gonna broker a deal for us to ship those guns up to the States.”

Blood’s hard face split into a grin. “I like it.”

“Instead of working against him, we act like we wanna work with him—Until we don’t. We get back on Jameson’s good side and all this.” I spread my arms wide. “Will be a distant memory.”

“Plus, the money we make from the profits right here in the club.”

“Exactly.”

Blood dropped his large frame into the chair. “I gotta hand it to you, when you ain’t getting pussy-whipped you’re pretty fuckin’ smart.”

“Fuck you, twice.” I laughed around my words, but Blood was right. Pussy definitely fogged my brain.

The door opened and Ricky stuck his head in. “Just checking to see you’re both okay.”

I threw Ricky a big smile. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

“No reason.”

Blood threw his muscled arm over Ricky’s shoulder. “You got nothing to worry about, kid.” Then he turned back to me. “Let’s get out there and enjoy our opening night.”

“I’ll be out in a minute.” I shut off my laptop and checked the gun I had taped to the underside of my desk. I had other ones discreetly scattered around the club just in case. Never could be too careful. I used the same precaution at the clubhouse in San Diego, although it didn’t ward off a traitor and a rat for the DEA.

I crossed the office just as the door flung open and a girl burst in breathing hard and wide-eyed. “You’re not Blood.”

“Nope, I sure the fuck am not.” I couldn’t help the smile as she pushed her tousled, wavy hair away from her face.

“I can’t believe it. My first night on the job and my junker of a car breaks down. I tried and I tried, but I couldn’t get it to start so I left it and I walked, well mostly ran here. I really don’t want to lose this job, and I know Blood stressed that he doesn’t want us to be late, but I really couldn’t help it. I knew that there was something wrong with my car yesterday, but I don’t have the money to get it fixed which is why I really need this job, so I can get my car fixed. And of course pay my rent and feed my cat and?—”

“Whoa, back up.” I braced my hands on her shoulders for fear she would screw herself into my new plush carpet. “You have a cat?”

She cocked her head and I burst out laughing. “I’m just fuckin’ with you.”

“The person I really need to speak to is Blood.”

“Calm down. Get yourself together, and I’ll bring you to Blood.”

“Do you think he’s going to be mad? Do you think he’ll fire me on the spot? Like I said, I have a lot of bills and now with my car?—”

“Babe, you gotta settle the fuck down. You’re making me nervous.”

“You’re right.” She sucked in a deep breath and I could see her inwardly talking to herself.

“Oh, and I’m Marisol.” When she wasn’t rattling on her voice was kinda soft, and it made me wonder if she’d make it in this jungle. “Are you also my boss?”

Everything about her seemed different from the other women Blood hired. I towered over her petite frame of five foot-two maybe three, but what she lacked in height she made up for with a tight body, tiny waist, and curves in all the right places.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Me and Blood have the good fortune of owning this place.”

She bit her bottom lip and my dick twitched. No fuckin’ way. I had to get her out of this office, behind the bar and far the fuck away from me.

I motioned to the door, then herded her out of the office and into the club.

“I remember this place,” she shouted over the pounding music. “It’s amazing what you’ve done. It looks so much better than before.”

“We’ve made a lot of changes.”

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