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“Fifteen. Hundred,” I said on a disbelieving breath. “Arie, you crazy bitch.”
I reached for my phone, only to remember that it was out of cell service. Sucking in a breath, I got out and headed to the cellphone store, which was now open. I loaded six months of service onto the device, which still left me with a little over a grand.
But first I called Arie, who’d fast become my best friend. The call rang twice, then went to voicemail. I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
“Hey, bitch,” I said into the voicemail. “Thanks so much for helping me with my car and…” I dropped my voice, looking around the building I leaned against even though there was no one within earshot. “The envelope. You have no idea how much you helped me. You’re amazing. And I swear I’ll pay you back every cent.”
I hung up and took a deep breath, then grimaced. Looking down at myself I pursed my lips.
First, a hot shower, then a hot breakfast.
I set off back to my car, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Further down, outside the coffee shop, a man with tawny skin and long dark hair that hung to his shoulders sat at a table, reading a newspaper. For a brief moment, I thought I recognized him. But when he lowered the paper, I caught sight of his sharp jaw and high cheekbones. He was entirely too beautiful to be on this side of town.
He sipped his coffee, looking important in his business suit, and I hoped—no, I swore to myself I’d be like that guy one day.
Dressed to kill with time to burn.
Don’t worry, I’ll be okay, Vanessa, I thought, hoping she could hear me wherever she was. I’ll figure it out.
The night had been cold and harsh, but the morning brought light and safety. No matter what it took, I’d make it through this. I’d pave a way for myself.
Build a life from the tattered ruins my mother left behind. And I’d do it all on my own.
Chapter Twenty-Four
ROMERO
The car rolled to a stop, the crunch of gravel beneath the tires ceasing. I peered out the window, scrubbing a hand down my face. When Castiel had called to tell me he found one of the delivery trucks used to remove machinery and stock, I’d gone to check it out.
It was empty of course, dunked into a river that wasn’t deep enough to cover the truck’s entire rear. After hauling it out and not finding a scrap of my missing stock, I knew for sure Morgan was behind it.
We spent the night tracking down the others. The fourth and final freight truck lay on its side halfway down a sloping grassy hill.
I stepped out of the car, the relentless sun causing sweat to bead on the back of my neck. Cas got out and stood beside me with his arms crossed.
“Should we check it?” he asked.
I shook my head, knowing it was empty.
“Barrera was thorough enough to bury the leads, but he left the trucks as a message. I intend to retaliate.” Violence danced in my blood, and my fingers itched to wrap around the throat of the man who dared cross me. He had to know that fucking with me meant fucking with my brothers as well.
Rafael, Eli, and Darren said they hadn’t seen any suspicious activity. But Darren’s businesses were mainly on the East Coast. Rafael ruled most of Russia both above and underground, while Eli’s home base was Europe with dealings in Brazil, Spain, and even as far as Australia.
So perhaps Morgan Barrera had only struck close to Mexico, hoping to expand his empire little by little.
Regardless, he fucked with the wrong man.
A buzz sounded beside me. Cas brought out his phone, checked the screen, then hastily shoved it back into his pocket.
“Jerome just said he caught someone sneaking around the building, so he pulled him inside. Should we go check it out?” he asked.
I nodded as a tendril of something unpleasant lanced my gut. It figures that a fucking turf war would start right as Julietta came back into my life in such a drastic way.
We got into the car and sped toward the coastline. I couldn’t help but check my phone every so often, hoping to receive a message from her. Aaron and the others had vowed to stay with her to keep her well protected until this shit got sorted out, but after last night, I wanted to talk to her.
To see if she regretted her decision.
Part of me hated that I hadn’t taken her to one of my private estates. But I had men guarding the street. Hopefully, Barrera would know better than to go after her.
