Page 193 of The Slayer
“This isn’t a shit job,” Tony assured him. “This is an easy job.”
Something about that seemed to sober Chuito, and when the elevator chimed, he turned to Raul. “We’ll call you if we need you.”
“You’re sure?” Raul asked, as if he sensed he was being dismissed.
“We’re sure,” Tony answered for him. “I know where the room is.”
Alaine, Chuito, and Tony stepped off the elevator, but Raul went back down. Then Chuito turned to Tony and said, “I know you had to clean up my shit.”
Tony shook his head. “Mr. Garcia—”
“Chuito,” he corrected him.
“Chuito, it’s fine. I have a lot of reasons to be loyal to Nova.” Tony sounded honest and then said in a very New York accent, “Forget about it.”
Chuito handed him a much larger roll of cash than he’d given Raul. “Take it.” Tony hesitated, but Chuito said, “It’d be an insult not to.”
“Well, I’d hate to insult you.” Tony pocketed the cash. “You’re high on my list of guys Ido notwant to piss off.”
Chuito laughed. “Jesus, man—”
“Go enjoy your honeymoon,” Tony said dismissively. “I’ll have the boys bring your stuff up and leave it outside the door.”
“We forgot the bag in the limo,” Alaine gasped as she remembered the silk bag full of envelopes.
“We got it,” Tony promised her. “I’ll keep it in my room—1825. Just come knock when you want it.”
“Thank you, Tony,” Alaine said with a smile. “We appreciate you.”
“Congratulations.”
“Yeah.” Alaine nodded, remembering the crowd downstairs, and realized again how much Chuito was giving up. Until now, she’d been very selfish in what she had mourned losing. “Maybe we’ll meet again after this week.”
“It’s very likely,” Tony said to her. “I’m not part of the Miami crew. I followed Nova down from New York after he took off. I was meeting up with him when he got Tino’s text.”
“Oh,” Alaine whispered and then couldn’t resist asking, “Aldo sent you?”
Tony shook his head. “No. I sent myself. I’m one of his personal bodyguards.”
“I see.” Alaine met Chuito’s gaze, seeing that he was also studying Tony. Then she turned back to the young, handsome Italian who was taller than most of his friends. “Well, then you never know.”
Tony shrugged. “You never know.”
“You probably didn’t need my cash,” Chuito said with a laugh.
“Probably not,” Tony agreed. “But the gesture meant something. Truly.”
Tony showed them their room, as if this wasn’t the first time the Italians had used it. Then he disappeared into a room across the way. There weren’t many rooms on this floor. The doors were so spread out, and when Chuito slipped the key card into their door and opened it, she saw why.
“Holy shit,” she whispered, because all she could do was gape as he closed the door behind her.
She was so stunned she ended up gasping when Chuito swept her into his arms. It made her temporarily forget Tony and the questions she had about what was going to happen.
This wasn’t a room; it was a penthouse, with an amazing view of the ocean.
When Chuito found the master bedroom and tossed her on the bed, she had to roll over and just stare out the window with wide eyes. “This is the first time I’ve seen it.”
“What?” Chuito followed her gaze.
