Page 4 of Ignited Heat

I see Carlos tense up, but after a minute, he just shrugs. Carlos has a military background like I do and it's kind of pissing me off that he's not taking better care of his sister.

"What about her?"

The look on my face must have scared him because his next words are rushed and said in a higher pitch than he normally uses.

"I know you've got security on her,” he says.

“Your mom doesn’t like me. She wants you guys to watch your sister.”

“We don’t have the resources to spare right now, Jason.” He tapped the table nervously.

"So what if I can't protect her anymore?"

"Cassie cares about you, man. Are you going to leave her unprotected?"

"When I do things like this, she thinks I'm interested."

Carlos’s facial features become rigid and menacing, and I know what's coming next.

"You know why that can't ever happen, right?" He asks.

I look to the side, and my jaw tightens. I have a past, and Carlos knows about it. He's already warned me off his sister. I don't need to hear it again. I understand what it is to have someone to protect from the dangerous life I've lived.

"What are you doing about her ex?" I ask.

"He's Brandon's pet. He won't turn him away."

"Did you tell Brandon he assaulted Cassie?"

"I mentioned he crossed the line."

"Carlos, you are my friend, and I respect you. But you and your brothers are putting money before the safety of your only sister. I can't get involved with this Marcos guy. Not this close to Midnight Heat."

"Cassie's shift always ends late, and there's no one to help her close up or walk her to her car. Beside her ex, there’s scum coming out of the club at that hour."

"Then you or one of your brothers should volunteer for the position. Your mother already threatened to bring your father into the fold."

"Shit, when was that?"

"She mentioned it to Cassie tonight."

"I told you,” Carlos says, “we don't have the resources right now, but I can talk to my brothers so they keep an eye on Marcos when he comes to play cards."

"Can you get someone else to do Cassie's job?"

"My parents won't go for that."

"You do realize we're talking about your sister's life, don't you?"

He shakes his head, and I realize he's not taking this seriously at all. This is all kinds of fucked up, and I just know I'm going to end up having to clean it up after all hell breaks loose.

"Marcos is an idiot. He just likes to make trouble."

"Listen to me, and listen well. Friend or no, you will pay if he so much as touches a strand of Cassie's blond hair again. If he puts a mark on her, I'll put an identical one on you. He put out his fucking cigarette on her hand, for god's sake. He almost crushed her wrist with how hard he grabbed her. Instead of taking care of her and letting her hide the evidence, I should have shown all of you what happened."

I get up and toss a twenty on the table. I'm too angry to stay here. I'm liable to grab this stupid motherfucker and beat the crap out of him. I go out the back of the bar and get on my motorcycle. The night is damp and muggy, but I need to release some of this anger. The gym is not open at this hour, so I can't go beat the shit out of a punching bag.

So I go for a ride—a long one, through the streets of Miami. My mind goes back to that night when that asshole hurt Cassie. It was like divine timing that I went out to the door to talk to the bouncers. That's when I heard him yelling at her, and then she screamed, and I took off running. That scream was the most terrifying sound I've ever heard.

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