Page 59 of Loving Smoke

Blood slid into the other chair with a shit-eating grin on his smug face. “At least I don’t have to ask what kept you up so late last night. Those paper-thin walls separating our rooms aren’t very soundproof. Gotta say she sure did seem into it, but picturing you pluggin’ some bitch really isn’t my idea of a good time.”

“Are you done?”

“Funny, I kept thinking the same thing about you last night.”

“Fuck you, twice.”

“That too.” Blood laughed around his words and I seriously considered knocking the big fool on his ass.

“At least you can stop denying you got the hots for her.”

“It’s way more.”

“Way more than what? You found out she was Rico’s daughter, you had some hot hate sex and sent her on her way. Kicked her ass to the curb. Never to be seen again. If you ask me, that’s your usual. A quick fuck, in and out.”

“Only one problem, it wasn’t just a quick fuck.”

Blood dragged his hand through his hair. “Please don’t say that.”

I swigged from the beer bottle trying to come up with something Blood would understand when my cell buzzed. I flipped it up hoping it was Marisol. Only it wasn’t.

“Yeah?”

“I think you and I have played this cat and mouse game long enough.”

“Meaning?” I was gonna make Rico work for whatever bullshit he had in mind.

“Since it looks like you’re sticking around, I think it’s time for us to come to a working agreement like gentlemen.”

“Except neither one of us is a gentleman.”

“I’m willing to admit it wasn’t the Royal Bastards who murdered my wife, if you’ll admit to stealing my cache of guns.”

“Just taking what was rightfully mine after all the other fuck ups with the shipments into the States.”

“I guess we could argue that point forever, but it’s not my intention. I want to call a truce, and like I said, come to an amicable agreement.”

“And where are we doin’ all this agreeing?”

“I have a beautiful villa overlooking the Baja Coast where we could sit down and talk over our differences.”

“Right. And after we talk over these differences I end up in the bottom of the Pacific with a bullet in my brain.”

“You can bring as many of your people as you like. There will be no violence, you have my word.”

“Like I might trust your fuckin’ word.”

“I’m sorry you feel this way.”

“Fuck off.” I swiped at the call and slammed my phone face down on the table.

Blood curled his lip. “Do I even wanna know who that was?”

“Sandoval. He wants a meeting at his villa on the coast. Acts like he’s inviting me over for a friendly luncheon.”

“What the fuck could that be about?”

“Says he wants to come to some amicable agreement. Fuckin’ guy talks like an encyclopedia.”

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