Page 45 of City of Salvation

Andrei had taught me that. Then Ryan had hammered it home.

“Tasha, you never want your back to an entry point. You want to see your enemy approach.”

Did everyone in the criminal world think this way?

Suddenly, Robert let out this dramatic gasp, clutching at his shirt like he'd just been shot. “Pendeja. Younevertake my side,” he said as Cassandra called out a“See?”

I was doing my best to focus on anything but the tingling heat of Dex's hand on my waist. He smoothly maneuvered me to stand between his legs, making sure I wasn't hanging out in the hallway that led back toward the bathrooms. The touch was respectful, but after the look he’d given me… the contact set off a swarm of butterflies in my lower stomach.

“Just try it before you make a decision,” he said, grabbing the glass and pulling it so one of the swirly straws was in front of me.

“I didn’t even know we had these,” I admitted with a playful smile as I wrapped my lips around the neon green straw and took a tentative sip.

“We don’t.” Cassandra pointed at Robert and Dex. “Dumb and Dumber brought them in a few weeks ago and demanded I put them in their drinks.” She walked away to attend to another customer, telling me she’d be right back with arealdrink for me.

The admission—and the gallon of tequila Robert had put in the mixed drink—caused me to cough so hard that Dex started patting me on the back. The giant didn’t realize his own strength because I had to brace myself on the bar top so he didn’t send me flying over it.

“Wait, you two brought your own straws?” I wasn’t sure why I even asked for confirmation. Of course they had. For as long as I’d known Robert, he’d always laid back, and usually quiet and respectful. At least to me—I’d heard rumors of the trail of broken hearts he’d left in his wake.

But when he was around Dex?

I swore the two were living out their dreams of being fraternity brothers. One time, when we were preparing for the reopening, they ran around the empty club with Nerf guns, having an all-out war. Dex broke a table when he attempted to slide across the top like he was in a fucking action movie.

Ryan said if they didn’t cut their shit out, she would join in—with her actual gun.

Robert’s tan skin managed to disappear with the threat. I’d never seen him look so white. Then there was Dex, who told her he’d been shot before, and it wasn’t that bad.

“Why does everyone keep acting like that’s weird?” Dex asked, frowning like he really was confused. “We brought our own snacks too, since Ryan refuses to sell food here.”

I chuckled at how he put out he sounded. “It’s a complete bitch to get the permits to sell food here,” I explained, taking another sip of paint stripper moonlighting as a margarita.

Dex looked around, searching for what ears could overhear what he was about to say next. “She fucking runs guns. Illegally. You’re telling me she can’t figure out how to get some tacos in here?” he whispered.

“Punto,” Robert said in agreement, the two bumping fists over the top of my head.

Cassandra made her way back over, cutting off any conversation about illegal activities. Most of the employees at Lotería weren’t involved with the cartel at all, and we did our best to keep them from knowing any of the grittier details of what else happened in the part of the club they didn’t have access to.

“It’s shit, right?” she asked, nodding her chin toward the drink as she pulled out four shot glasses. “Here, you need to cleanse your palate before you drink one of my drinks.” She poured clear liquid into each of them before looking at us expectantly.

The delicious smokiness of mezcal traveled down my throat, the flavor lingering on my tongue before settling in my stomach, warming me from the inside out. Despite what most probably assumed, I didn’t drink often, so between the shot and the monstrosity that Robert had made, I was already feeling light and fuzzy. The sensation amplified the excitement swirling in my gut whenever Dex brushed against me.

“How you feeling, spitfire, because your shoulders just dropped from out of your neck.” His finger trailed along thetops of them. “Which is where they always seem to sit, lately,” he said in my ear so I could hear him over the noise, his facial hair tickling my bare shoulder.

A giggle I couldn’t control slipped out, along with a tidbit about my past that I hadn’t meant to share. “Katya would beat me if she knew that.” My body tensed, waiting for the question I knew he was about to ask, but it never came because Cassandra pushed another shot our way.

“One more, bitches. I have to serve a fuckin’ bachelorette party tonight, and I need to be tipsy to deal with a bunch of screaming white women. Ryan’s got people with dicks dancing tonight for them, too,” she said with annoyance.

Another giggle slipped out from me at the way Cassandra wrinkled her nose. I wasn’t sure if it was the bridal party or the thought of dicks that caused that reaction. She and Crystal had been a couple for as long as I could remember, and how they looked at one anotheralmostmade me wish I had someone like they did. Almost.

But that meant I’d have to be willing to let someone in to my fucked-up life.

Robert rubbed his hands together. “Fuck yes. I love some horny bridesmaids.”

Dex barked out a laugh, shaking his head at Robert’s antics, but I couldn’t stop the pang of—something— as I thought about whether I would be a wingwoman for these two all night. And why did that thought make me feel sick?

“Que fueo, Beto. Fueo. Vamos.” Cassandra lifted the shot glass. “Pa' arriba, pa' abajo, pa' centro, pa' dentro.”

All four of us let out collective groans.

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