Page 64 of South Beach Bodyguards

“My mom is good, thanks.” She had been the one constant in our mutually tumultuous childhood. We had grown up mostly unmonitored, rough kids running around left to their own devices. But my mother had been something of a den mother on our street, doling out cookies and hugs and spankings for anyone who came near our house.

“Give her a hug for me. I’ve been meaning to go and see her, but you know how it is. Business.” Benito was shorter than me, thicker. He had done some wrestling back in high school and he still had good muscle tone. He looked relaxed in his mansion bought by drug money.

“Sure. Business good, then?” It was a dangerous question and I knew it would put him on edge, but I had to get to Olivia and the only way to do that was to press.

His eyebrows went up. “No complaints here.” He looked behind him and nodded to his bodyguard. “Hey, grab me a rum and coke. Lewiston, you want anything?”

“I’ll take the same.” Refusing him would look like a dick move.

“Make it two,” he told the bodyguard. “So what brings you to my humble house. Are you looking for a job? Because it’s my understanding you’ve been working for Ricardo Davis, that silver-spoon, pretty boy.”

“He got me shot and wouldn’t pay my medical bills.”

Benito looked outraged and I had to admit, it made me feel better. I just needed someone to agree with me that it was bullshit what Ricardo had done.

“What, because he doesn’t have a grand? What an asshole.”

I nodded vehemently. “Right? So I figured if he’s not going to pay my bills, I would just fuck his wife.”

That made Benito laugh. “Ah, shit, West, you didn’t.”

“I did.”

“That’s funny.” He took the drink the bodyguard handed him. “Where’s my fucking lime?” he asked.

The bodyguard received the drink back without a word. Watching Benito in his domain was a curious thing. We’d been best friends growing up, but he’d gone dirty and I’d gone clean and that had been that. I’d never seen him here, in his mansion, surrounded by yes-men. I couldn’t reconcile this with the goofy kid I’d known, who was always on the verge of being chubby.

“But here’s where it gets stupid.” This was my con line and I had to play it right. I was good at lying. I’d been lying to everyone, including myself, my whole life. “The problem is, I fell in love with her. She’s my girlfriend. And it’s my understanding that she’s here. I’d like to see her.”

I didn’t think it would be wise to tell him that his guys had snagged the wrong twin. They’d think I was lying instantly and wouldn’t trust me. And if they did believe me, they might just dump Olivia in the bay after putting a bullet in her.

Benito stared at me, long and hard. He sipped the drink that was returned to him, with a lime. “Dude, you should know better than to fall in love with your boss’s wife.”

“Even if my boss is a prick?”

“Especially if your boss is a prick.”

I shrugged. “Trust me, it wasn’t in the plan.” Love was never in my plans.

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth? That you’re not here on Ricardo’s orders? That you’re making up you’re involved with his wife.”

“Let me see her. That will prove it. She’s going to be pissed at me for letting her getting kidnapped out from under me, but give me five minutes and you’ll see she can’t resist the charms of the man she loves.” I gave him a wink.

“God, you’re an idiot.” Benito rolled his eyes. “You were a fucking ladies man at five years old. I hated that about you.”

I gave him a smug expression and pretended to grab my dick. I had to play the game. “You’re just jealous.”

“Yeah, but I’m rich now. I just buy women.”

“It’s more fun to charm them. Like Ricardo’s wife.” I took a swallow of the rum and coke the bodyguard had brought me. Damn, that was smooth rum. I took another sip.

Benito sighed. “Fine. I’m a sucker for a Romeo and Juliet love story. You can see her.” His casual words belied steel in his eyes.

I knew him well enough to be wary.

“But if you’re not fucking her in five minutes, I’ll have to kill you, you know that. And don’t make me be the guy who has to drop your dead body on your mother’s doorstep.”

“I don’t think she’d like that,” I said casually, even as my palms started to sweat. You didn’t get to his position of power by being tenderhearted. I had no doubt he would pull the trigger if he thought I had lied and double-crossed him.

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