Page 39 of Jack of Hearts
“I don’t know nothing about someone following you.”
“No? So one of your men took it on himself to tail me?” When Ramon’s eyes flickered away, Alex pushed against him again. “You put Madison’s life in danger. I could easily kill you for that.”
Ramon put his hands on Alex’s arm and pushed. “All right! You weren’t supposed to see him.”
“You sonofabitch.” He let go, stepping back. “You obviously still don’t trust me, so let’s just call our business relationship quits right now.”
“It has nothing to do with that, you dumb shit. I’m just keeping an eye on my cousin.”
Bingo.Alex had suspected that was the reason for the tail. The man was obsessed with her, and even though he’d backed off when Alex had threatened him with the loss of Aces & Eights for laundering money, he clearly wasn’t happy. Ramon put his hands on his hips, and it was nearly impossible to take seriously a glaring man wearing nothing but a Speedo and a thick gold chain with a large cross on the end. Alex rolled his eyes.
“As head of the family, I take responsibility for her,” Ramon said. “You can’t blame me for that.”
Yeah, he absolutely could. “I think your father might dispute your claim as head of the family, then there’s Madison. I doubt she’d like knowing you’re spying on her.” The dude didn’t like that. No surprise there. Alex’s impression of Ramon was that he was lazy but saw himself as heir to a drug cartel empire, entitled to take whatever caught his imagination, which at the moment was his cousin.
“If not for me, my father would still be a pissant wannabe.”
Alex almost snorted. The man talked big when his father wasn’t around. “Here’s the deal. The next time I catch you or one of your people following me or Madison, our business is done.” He crowded Ramon’s space. “And stay out of Madison’s life.”
“She’s just another woman, bitches all of them,” Ramon said, sneering. “You should keep that in mind.” He waved a hand, as if shooing Alex away. “Be back tonight. We got someplace to be by eleven.”
Alex wasn’t at all reassured that Ramon was taking him seriously about leaving Madison alone, but except for killing the bastard on the spot, there wasn’t much he could do about it now.
“Fine. Later.” He strode away before he really did lose his cool. Outside Ramon’s house, he texted Nate, telling him that they needed to talk and he was on the way over. Although he fully intended to go straight to his brother’s, he ended up parked below Madison’s window. The curtain was closed and there was no light shining around the edges. Had she gone to bed already? She’d made it clear she was done with him, and he should go. She was better off without him in her life.
He’d just check on her, make sure she was okay, then he’d leave her be. After tapping his special code, he waited. Impatient after a few minutes, he tapped again. Nothing. Either she wasn’t in there, or she was refusing to see him. He backed away.
“Smart girl,” he said, determined to ignore the ache that felt like someone was stomping on his chest.
At hearing Alex’s boots clang against the metal stairs of the fire escape as he descended, Madison lifted the edge of the curtain. She’d almost opened her window, but even though her heart had turned cartwheels at hearing his signal, she’d somehow managed to keep her feet planted in place. As he’d stood on the other side of her window, so damn close, she’d stayed frozen.He’s not good for you. He’s not good for you. He’s not good for you.had been her mantra during those long moments, and she’d clung to the words, willing them to keep her strong.
He glanced up as he swung a long, muscular leg over the bike seat. She leaned her head back, but even though she knew he couldn’t see her, he seemed to sense her watching him. By a slight dip of his chin, he acknowledged her. He started the bike, turned in a tight circle, and rode away, the rumble of his Harley fading along with the bike’s taillights.
The ache in her chest confused her. Her time with him was temporary, a chance to go a little wild and have some fun. So it shouldn’t feel like her heart had been ripped out.
She squeezed her eyes shut against the burning tears. “Good-bye, Alex.”
She had been in her room, but her message had come through loud and clear. Get lost. Alex didn’t blame her. He banged his finger on the button for the tenth floor. After he’d lied to her—and oh yeah, she’d known it—she didn’t trust him.
It had been a great day right up until the time Ramon’s man had made an appearance. As soon as he’d said it was a road rage deal, he knew he’d lost her. That had sure screwed up his plans for tonight, but he told himself for the hundredth time since riding away from her place that it was for the best. He needed a clear head, and she needed to be as far away from him as possible. It didn’t sit well, though, that she’d be anywhere near her cousin. Somehow, he’d find a way to keep an eye on her.
“Thought you had a date tonight,” Nate said when Alex entered and went straight to the fridge.
Alex grabbed a beer. “Obviously not.” His brothers shared a look, both knowing him well enough to pick up on his anger. “Ramon had us followed.” He plopped down on the sofa, set his beer on a coaster, and tugged off his boots. “Said he was just keeping an eye on his cousin.”
“You talked to him?” Court asked.
“You bet your ass I did.” He released his Velcro ankle holster and set it and his gun on the coffee table. “You should try giving hell to a man wearing nothing but a Speedo.” He shuddered. Nate and Court laughed. “Not funny.”
After telling them what had happened, he gave them the license plate number of the Escalade. “Run it,” he told Court. “It might be registered to Ramon, but maybe not.”
Nate went into his bedroom, returning with his laptop and handing it to Court. Alex grabbed his beer, taking a healthy swallow. Although he and Nate were computer literate, Court was the tech nerd and could pull up the information they needed twice as fast.
“Hector Ramirez,” Court said, his eyes darting across the screen. “Male, age twenty-eight, five feet nine, one hundred seventy-two pounds. Dude’s got a record. Two drug busts and one grand theft.” He shook his head. “Stole his mother’s car when he was nineteen, and she reported him.”
“Nice friends you got there, little brother,” Nate said.
“Screw you.” He finished his beer and set the bottle back on the table. “I have to meet up with Ramon tonight, and it’s the last thing I want to do, but duty calls. I’m gonna go shower, grab something to eat, then head out.”
