Page 102 of Bad Men

I could argue, point out that Eduardo had chosen me to take Cortez’s position, but it wouldn’t make a difference. He wouldn’t care for excuses.

“What does Mia have to do with anything? Let her go,” I said instead. “Whatever it is, we can work it out. She doesn’t—”

“Stop talking to me like I want this,” he hissed, grating each word through clenched teeth. “I didn’t want this. Do you think I like torturing innocent girls? Do you think I like hurting people? I don’t, and I wouldn’t have if she would have just called you like I asked the first time. That was it. That was all I wanted. But she refused. Would rather get cut up than…” he broke off with a heavy sigh. “Two ex-wives and a slew of mistresses and I know not one of them would go to the lengths Mia did for you two.”

“You could have called us yourself,” I muttered around the twisting pain in my chest. “Why did you need her?”

“Don’t be stupid, Nero.” His lips tightened. “I know Eduardo is looking for me. Why would I risk you leading him to me? I needed an insurance policy. Mia is the only thing you two seem to care about. I know. I checked.”

I didn’t bother asking how. I knew there were men like Joaquin who were still loyal to Cortez. None would hesitate to do his bidding, even if it meant going against their new leader. It was a matter I would need to deal with once I had Mia back safely.

“Well, you have us here, what do you want?” Davien demanded, hard, cold eyes burrowing into the man.

“My money!”

The sound of his snarl stirred Mia. She groaned and opened one eye. The other was swollen shut, but her right eye lifted. It blinked through the blood and widened at the sight of us.

“Nero!” she slurred around the split and puffy state of her lips. “Davien! No…”

She jerked forward as if trying to get to us, but Cortez clamped a hand on her shoulder and shoved her back into the chair. Whether it was from the force of the motion or her injuries, she cried out and slumped forward.

“Stop it!” Dav growled.

“Don’t touch her!” I snarled at the same time.

“Then give me my money and you can take her home,” Cortez supplied simply.

“What fucking money?” I hissed.

“The shipment!” he snarled, spittle flying in white ropes of saliva down his chin. “The extra twenty mil in the cargo that you had confiscated.”

Davien and I exchanged glances. I was relieved to see he was as confused as I was.

“Okay, look,” Davien shifted as if struggling not to give in to the urge, stalk over and just snatch Mia away from the fucker. “We don’t have any shipment, at least, nothing of yours. I don’t know who told you we did, but they lied—”

“Liar!” The gun shook in his grasp. My stomach clinched at how close it was hovering next to Mia’s skull. “I know you assholes took it. How else could two low lives like you possibly have crawled out from under your rocks to take a seat at the table? Eduardo would never have allowed it … unless you had something big to offer. You were the moles. You reported the shipment. You set me up and took my cut to pay your way into my territory.” He paused to suck in a breath. His free hand scrubbed shakily at the sweat clinging to his upper lip. He gave the hard snort of a coke head and shifted his weight. “I don’t know how you found out what I was doing, but I need that money to get the fuck out of here. So, you bring it to me, and I’ll give you Mia.”

“If you think we gave it to Eduardo, what makes you think we can get it back? You know he won’t just hand it over,” Dav pointed out, offering logic to a man beyond its capabilities.

“I don’t care how you do it. That was my money. I earned it. That sector was my life. I built it from nothing. I put my whole life into it. I gave Eduardo everything. Then, one shipment gets seized and suddenly, I’m expendable. One fucking shipment. One!”

“Okay, take it easy,” I soothed, eyes fixed on the hard tremor of his white knuckled grip on the cold piece of metal in his sweaty grasp. “Take the gun off Mia. Please.” I raised both hands, even the one holding my own weapon. “Point it at me.”

“No…” Mia rasped. “Nero, stop…”

I ignored her, adamant now in my decision. “If you have to shoot anyone, shoot me.”

“Stop!” Mia sobbed. “Don’t listen to him.”

“Shut up both of you!” Cortez barked. “I will shoot you both. I only need one of you to actually do the job.”

“Then take me,” Davien stepped up. “Let Mia go. I’ll stay. Nero can get your money.”

“Please no,” Mia whined.

“It’s okay, baby,” he soothed gently, gaze never wavering off Cortez. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Mia looked on the verge of responding, but I needed to keep Cortez’s attention on us, needed him to forget she was there.

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