Page 53 of Saving Blood

Why the fuck did he have to say that?

I play with the pack of smokes on my desk. “I’m just a little distracted.”

“Distracted? More like not paying attention to business.”

My head jerks up at the insult. “Fuckin’ bullshit, and you know it.”

Smoke curls his lip. “When my VP is distracted by a piece of ass, I get worried.”

I lunge. “Don’t fuckin’ call her that.”

Smoke easily pushes me off. “You just proved my point.”

I want to knock that smug smile off my prez’s face, but instead I pace in front of my desk.

“For whatever reason, this bitc . . . woman has gotten under your skin, and it’s not healthy, especially if she’s connected to Rodriquez.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” I scrub my hand over my face. “She just needs a little help.”

“By way of a passport?”

“How’d you know about?—”

“Ricky called me.”

“Fuck, didn’t take him long to rat me out. I just called him this morning.”

“Don’t get up his ass. He thought it was an odd request, and he wanted to know if I knew about it.”

“Or he should just do what his VP tells him to do without involving you or asking a bunch of stupid-ass questions.” I sound pissy and petty, but I don’t give a shit. First Diesel, now Ricky. Why didn’t they both stay the fuck outta my business?

“And why didn’t you tell me straight out?”

“‘Cause I was trying to avoid this.” I wave my hand between us. “Anyway, it’s no big deal.”

“It is if you’re involving the club. Why does she need a fake?”

“She lost hers, and she wants to get back to the States.”

“Yeah, that sounds all kinds of screwed up.” Smoke crushes his cig in the ashtray on my desk. “Did it ever occur to you she’s playing you?”

Sure, it occurred to me, but I’m not ready to admit it.

“What if she and Hector are working together and what happened in the alley is because he’s not happy with her performance?” Smoke lets the question hang between us.

“He’s been spooking her. I can tell she’s afraid of him, so I doubt they’re working together.”

“Or that’s what she wants you to believe.” Smoke huffs out a harsh breath. “When were you gonna tell me we’re also losing one of our best fighters?”

“‘Cause I’m hoping we’re not gonna lose her.” I lean my elbows on the scarred wood of the desk. “If it all works out, we’re gonna have more money than we know what to do with. Enough to call Hector’s bluff, get him the fuck outta Tijuana, and we keep one of our best fighters.”

“And you get to keep Maxine warming your bed.” Smoke shakes his head. “Shit, you got it bad for her.”

“I don’t know what I got; all I know is, when I’m with her, I don’t want her to leave, and when I’m not with her, I wanna be.”

“You’re fucked.”

“Says the man who spends every waking hour trying to knock up his wife.”

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