Page 105 of Tainted

“Keyes,” he greeted without turning around, his voice smooth but carrying that edge of danger that came with dealing with someone like him.

“Javier.”

“How’s business going?”

“The product is moving like it should. Everything is there.”

He motioned me to have a seat across from him.

“¿Cómo está nuestro amigo?”?*

I met his gaze without flinching. "No tenemos amigos en común?*".

“Defensive,” Javier exaggerated a fake shiver, which caused me to clench my jaw. It always became a game of who could exert more control and intimidation, but that was the cost of doing business with Javier.

“I’m not here to play games,” I warned.

Javier stared me down before backing off with a satisfied nod.

“I don’t play games either. One of my other business partners had to learn that the hard way. They don’t make them like Eric and Leonne anymore,” he shook his head as if disappointed. “Iwould love for you and your brother to expand. I need more people I can trust who don’t play games.”

“We’ll get back to you.”

With that, I turned and walked out, leaving the tension heavy in the air. Kross and I would likely be on opposite ends of Javier’s offer. This is what he wanted, but as for me, I didn’t know what my future looked like, and that weighed on me during the drive home.

When I walked in the door, Zara was moving around the kitchen in another of my shirts, holding her phone.

“Did you eat something today?” she rattled off.

A deep sigh oozed through the speaker, and I recognized Brandy’s voice, “I don’t feel like eating.”

Pinning Zara between my body and the counter, inhaling her scent, soothed all the shit running through my head.

“So you’re going to waste away because Otto is in jail?” Zara sucked her teeth, annoyed that Brandy was taking it so hard.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet,” Brandy sulked.

My lips found Zara’s neck, and she’d even craned it to give me better access while fussing at Brandy. Finally, Zara paused her conversation and peered back at me.

“I want video evidence of you eating, or I’ll come over there and shove it down your throat myself. I’ll call you later,” Zara hung up and turned at the waist facing me. “What’s wrong?”

“I missed you all day.”

She smirked and tossed her arms around my neck, prompting me to lift her on the counter.

“Get used to it. I’m back on nights, so I’ll spend more time at home,” Zara explained, embracing my fingers in her curls.

“I’m not getting used to shit. I don’t like that plan.”

“You don’t like any plan that’s not yours.”

I didn’t know what Megan’s beef was, but it didn’t have shit to do with me. It didn’t seem to be based on merit anyway, justcatty female bullshit. Zara told me not to get involved because she didn’t want a bigger target on her back at the club, but she deserved a ‘lil favoritism. She wasn’t like them and deserved to be treated differently. I told Zara I wouldn’t say anything to Megan, but she didn’t say Kross couldn’t.

“Now, how am I supposed to sleep without those cold ass toes on me?”

“I’m hanging with the girls tomorrow, too, so you’ll have to figure it out. Brandy isn’t doing well. Still,” Zara rolled her eyes, “I wish she would just forget about him.”

“Damn, so it would be fuck me if something happened?”

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