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Silas hit a button on the door. The window behind his head lowered a few inches. “Vamos,” he commanded.

The glass rolled shut and the vehicle pulled away from the curb.

“You hungry?” Silas asked, propping his ankle over his knee.

Dallas shook his head. “Nah, I ate earlier.” That was a lie. Just the thought of food made acid slosh in his stomach. He wouldn’t be able to eat a damn thing until he heard from Gemma. Shit. Maybe the unknown caller had been her.

“Fair enough. We have good food at the club, though.”

Dallas lifted his eyebrows. “Club?”

“Yes. At my nightclub. It’s still early.” He leaned to the side to glance out the window. “The place won’t come alive for another hour or so.”

“I don’t understand.” Annoyance made his neck itch, but he resisted the urge to scratch. Silas could take any action as a sign of nervousness.

Silas held out a hand and smiled. “It’s how we do business. Drinks, food, women, then deals. Got a problem with that?”

He dipped the corner of his mouth and shook his head. “Hell no. Just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Ah, well, we’ll have a good night and get this wrapped up. Do you intend to head back to the US after this?”

“Yeah. I’ve got some loose ends to tie up. Didn’t plan to be here these extra few days, so the sooner I can return the better.”

“Same. I’ve got a lot of work waiting for me in California.” He scratched the side of his head near the bandage. “Fucking thing hurts like a bitch.”

Dallas grimaced. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Second-degree burn on my face.” He brought his hand to his shoulder. “My arm got it too, and my side. Fucking cunt is going to pay.”

Dallas fought the urge to squirm in his seat. “You know who she is? Why she did it?”

Silas lifted a shoulder. “I’ll show you her picture when we get to the club. Maybe you’ve seen her. And no, I don’t know why. I plan to find out. Then the bitch will burn like I did.”

Dallas swung his gaze to the fogged-out window. A war waged inside him. He wouldn’t wait until the deal went through to off Silas.

No. He couldn’t risk the bastard outliving him.

The first second he got, he’d take out Silas and any of his men who were close.

CHAPTER 22

Goddammit. Once again, her call went to a generic voicemail. Tucking her hand under her bent arm, Gemma paced the short distance between the window and her bed.

This time, she’d take a risk.

“Dallas,” she said, after the tone. “It’s me. Listen. I’m still here in Ibarra. Things went awry and we need to talk. I’m heading out for the job—”

Knock, knock

Shit. That was her driver.

“Uh. Now. Please call me.” She disconnected, grabbed her purse, and dropped her phone inside, next to the gun Charlene had given her.

Another knock sounded.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” she called.

Dragging a hand through her hair, she stopped to glance at the full-length mirror. She had her hair down in loose waves, and the dress Charlene had sent up fit her in all the right places. The red sequined material flashed in the mirror as she passed by. The hemline reached midthigh, and thin straps just held her breasts in place. Black pumps added a few inches to her height. It was an outfit she’d have worn in her early twenties to a club.

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