Page 34 of Tainted

The crowd parted before I could press her further, and Javier Martinez appeared.

“Evening, Keyes," His gaze shifted to Zara, and I didn’t like how he eyed her like a chess piece. “And who is our friend?”

I tensed, instinctively moving Zara closer to me.

“We’re not friends. She’s an employee.” I wasn’t as green as Javier wanted to believe. I knew that look in his eye. It could put Zara in danger, and I had already made enough people suffer behind my shit.

“Does this beautifulemployeehave a name?”

Zara looked at me, clearly picking up on the tension. I gave her a slight nod, masking my irritation. “Hi, I’m Nova.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” Javier turned his attention fully to her. “Come have a drink with me.”

“Sorry, I don’t drink. I’ll leave you two gentlemen to discuss business. I’m guessing that’s why you’re all dressed up,” Nova smiled, adjusting Javier’s tie.

“Beauty and brains. Now you must join us. After all, I missed Keyes’s birthday party. It’s only right that I make sure he enjoys himself tonight. Something tells me you’re the woman for the job,” Javier insisted, removing a stack of bills.

“You heard him. It’s still my birthday.”

“Lead the way,” she announced through a forced smile.

Javier smiled before turning to follow her command. After a few steps, she peered back, mouthing,‘What is going on?’but my hand fell to Zara’s waist, guiding her to his section. Javier grabbed a bottle of champagne and began pouring it while my fingers massaged her skin.

“Sorry, no drinking on the job. Besides, I think Keyes needs to relax.” She spun on her heels and placed her hands on my shoulders, forcing me to sit.

“Something we can agree on. Keyes is always so uptight,” Javier wiggled his shoulders to get his point across. “Loosen up! Have some fun!”

Zara leaned down, her lips brushing my ear. “Focus on me,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin.

“Now, this is a birthday celebration!” Javier boasted, his eyes trained on Zara. I could feel his gaze like a predator sizing up its prey. It pissed me off, but I kept my cool, knowing better than to show any sign of weakness for Javier to exploit later.

He was utterly enthralled watching Zara control my silence. Little did he know it was me keeping her calm and in line, not the other way around. When she sat on my lap, I could feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest. Zara had an uncanny way of making everything else disappear until Kross appeared at the edge of our table, confused about why Javier was there.

“Nova, give us a moment,” he said, his tone firm but respectful.

“Nova,” Javier repeated in a sing-song tone. “That’s a name to remember.” Javier snapped his fingers, and a stack of bills magically appeared. “Until next time.”

Zara hesitated for a split second but quickly scooped it up while Kross sat beside me. Javier leaned back, a smug smile on his face.

“I must say, I'm impressed. Your father would be proud.”

“I don’t think he’d appreciate these pop quizzes you keep handing out,” I groaned.

“I need you two to handle something,” he said, his voice carrying that usual no-nonsense tone. Javier was always like that.

“That sounds like your problem, not ours.”

Javier’s jaw tightened, and a flash of irritation crossed his face, but he kept cool. “One of my other distributors messed up. Big time. We’re all in this together, Keyes. If one falls, we all do.”

“Maybe you should’ve picked better people to work with. It’s not our job to clean up someone else’s mess.”

Kross was silent, but I could feel him tensing beside me. He knew this was about to turn into something more than just a conversation.

Javier leaned in, lowering his voice even though no one else heard. “My problems are your problems. So you’re going to handle it. Consider it an insurance policy. We keep each other safe.”

Kross nodded again, never breaking eye contact. “We'll handle it. You have my word.”

“And you, Keyes?”

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