Dark hair. Brown skin. Red mouth. Cream blouse. No smile. Direct eyes.
Alpha reads the name aloud.
“Amour Reyes.”
The name hangs there.
Amour.
Love.
Of course the woman tied to a flower warehouse where my best friend is being tortured is named love. Miami has a sick sense of humor.
“Is she Mutherfuker?” Six asks.
“No known family tie on paper,” Alpha says. “Father owned the company before her. Died eighteen months ago. She took over. Contracts with luxury hotels, funeral homes, event planners, clubs.” He pauses. “Including Eclipse.”
Shady’s head turns.
Lady plays Eclipse.
My skin goes cold.
“Carmen knows Eclipse well,” I say.
Everyone looks at me.
My voice shakes, but I keep going. “That’s her scene. She knows Lady plays there. She knows Lady is my friend. She knows you chose me. Mira, Diablo, you finally took Carmen’s ring off the table, and now she is flipping the whole damn table over.”
Diablo’s mouth tightens.
“She may have helped,” he says. “She may have pointed them. But the roses belong to the Mutherfukers.”
“I know what you said.”
“Then hear it again. Carmen is dangerous. She isn’t sloppy. This is loud. This is designed to make us think of her first.”
“She came to the hospital to make Miami watch.”
“Yes.”
“So she likes loud when it serves her.”
His eyes hold mine. Let him see I’m not just panic in a bruised body. Let him remember I survived three years of learning when men lie, when they posture, when they smile too soon. Carmen’s fingerprints may not be on the rope, but I can smell her perfume on the idea.
Before Diablo can answer, Alpha’s phone pings.
He looks down.
His expression changes.
“What?” Shady asks.
“The burner that sent the video is still hot.”
Shady is already moving.
Diablo catches his arm.
