Page 14 of Hearts Of Darkness

“Look at me,” he orders suddenly. “Turn that pretty face to the side, Eve Miller, and give me the benefit of your full fucking attention.”

The tone of his voice is a warning. The heavy burden of consequence is right there, waiting for me.What horrors have I set in motion by refusing him my body tonight?

I do as he asks, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on anythingother than him.

“You’re tired. You need rest.” There’s a pause and I wait for the killer blow. “You will never reject me again, do you hear? Youwillsubmit to me. Youwilluphold your side of the bargain. One call, that’s all it takes, my angel. One call. One bullet that has your father’s name written all over it.”

Silence follows as I struggle to comprehend his cruelty. He turns to leave.

“Where am I?” I plead weakly, my voice shadowing the sound of his footsteps as he strides towards the door. If I repeat the same words, over and over, maybe one day he’ll answer me with the truth.

“Home,” he says harshly, slamming the door behind him.

6

DANTE

Joseph Grayson, my second-in-command, raises a questioning eyebrow as I storm into the office and lay waste to the pile of papers on my desk, sweeping them onto the floor in a blind rage. My iPad and laptop swiftly follow, and from his vantage point on my black leather couch, he regards me with something dangerously close to amusement.

“She’s awake then?”

I clench my fists and lean across my empty desk, grinding my knuckles into the polished glass. Right now, I’d kill any other man who spoke to me with such confidence, but Grayson isn’tlikeany other man. We share a history together—a long, violent, and bloody one. In our business, that creates an unspoken bond, which is exactly why I’m allowing him to open his fucking mouth and still stay breathing.

With my silence showing no signs of quitting, he wandersover to the bar in the corner and pours out two neat shots of tequila. He returns and places them both on the table in front of me.

“Drink this. You’re going to need it. Emilio wants a debrief.”

“Emilio can go fuck himself.” I pick up the first shot glass and drain it in one, slamming it back down with a crash.

My brother’s relentless scrutiny into every facet of our organization is a constant source of irritation to me. It’s unnecessary and invasive. He handles the deals, and I ensure that they’re adhered to. Our partnership offers me the opportunity to satisfy certainproclivitiesof mine. I don’t give a damn about narcotics, but I do have a certain skill set, and it’s my culture of fear that has allowed us to rule this game unchallenged for years.

Still, it’s safe to say that there’s little love lost between us. We tolerate each other because it’s mutually beneficial. Beyond that, the family ties really start to unravel.

“He wants to know what went down in Miami.” There’s a questioning look on the American’s face, and the unspoken truth hangs heavy in the air.

There’s no transparency with Joseph. He knows something’s up, and I can tell his suspicions are leading him right to the source of my anger tonight. To the seemingly incorruptible angel lying naked in my bed.

“How did Garcia find me?” I say, switching tack. “How the fuck did he know I was back in the US?”

“One of Nicolas’ men.” He tosses me a couple of photographs. “Turns out he was a double-crossing son of a bitch. He’s been passing Garcia intel. You can see fromthosethat he’s already been dealt with.”

I glance down at the blood-soaked images. My cousin has a propensity for knife work that might even rival mine. Still, I owe him for getting me out of that hospital alive. I went in expecting to leave a bullet lighter. Instead, I’ve come away with more baggage than I can handle.

“Did he learn anything?”

“Not much.” I watch him bend down to pick up the remains of my iPad from the floor. “Garcia’s been lining the pockets of several prominent DEA agents this past year. It explains why his merchandise has been flowing so freely and ours hasn’t.”

“And the leak from the other night?”

Joseph shakes his head. “I’m still looking into it.”

“What about Myers?” I say, referring to Eve’s father. “Is he compromised?”

“Not as far as I know.”

So, he’s not a dirty cop. That’s something, I guess. It’s true what they say—a code of honordoesexist amongst thieves. The lowest of the low are always cops on the take.

I decide to keep quiet about their connection for now. Eve’s an innocent, in more ways than one.

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