Page 78 of The Fixer

With those words, one of the overhead lights turned on. Out of the shadows came five other men, their guns out and ready to shoot.

“Shit, no.” Hector spun, his brown eyes wide as he looked at me. His hands raised and he took a step back, only to run into Mateo’s gun. “Please, man, just shoot me now. Don’t let that fucker with the knives get me.”

“Hey!” Mateo jabbed him in the back with the muzzle of his gun. “That fucker is my future sister-in-law!”

“Think he’s talking about your brother,” Nazario said, stepping closer and lowering his gun.

“Oh. Yeah, you’re probably right. Although, she could probably give him a run for his money.”

“Probably,” Nazario said, pulling out his knife. “He’s a good teacher. Taught me a few things this summer.”

“No, please.” Hector gave a violent shake of his head. “My mamá, please, let her have an open casket at my funeral.”

“Have a seat, Hector,” Mateo said, pushing a chair into the back of his legs.

Hector fell, hands gripping at the metal armrests until they turned white. He could barely drag his eyes away from Nazario’s knife.

“Do you know who we are, Hector?” I asked, shoving my foot at the seat between his legs to get his attention.

His Adam’s apple bobbed twice, and he nodded his head. “You’re from the D’Angelo Syndicate.”

I gave him a tight smile. “And do you know why we’re here?”

“I swear, I didn’t know. I didn’t know she was with you. If I did, I never would have sent my guys after her. Fifty K isn’t even close to enough to get involved in that kinda war. But I swear, you can have it, man. Every last fucking dime. I don’t want it if it means a war I won’t win.”

“And your crew?”

“I’ll call them off, I swear. I’ve already told them to stand down. After last night—” He cringed when Nazario flipped his knife. “I didn’t know, man, I didn’t know! You have to believe me!”

“This fifty thousand—”

“It’s yours, man. Take it all. Take anything you want!”

A smile tugged at my lips, and I glanced up at Mateo. He slapped his hands down on Hector’s shoulders, causing the man to jump.

“Anything?” my friend asked, his own smile successfully hidden.

“I swear! Anything at all, just name it!”

I stepped in closer, and my men came right with me, staring down at the mechanic shaking in his seat. Then I asked for the only thing I needed.

“I want a name.”

20

Eliza

The next morning when Jet picked me up from his parents’ house, he looked as if he hadn’t slept all night. He snuck me out of the house as quietly as possible, saying few words to his mother as his father stood by, silent. The man himself barely spoke a word as he drove me home. A subtle anger raged under the surface of his skin, and I could feel it in every touch. In the harsh grip of his hand, the solid squeeze of his fingers as he slid them between mine.

In the brutal kiss he tugged me into as he threw open his apartment door.

“Eliza,” he whispered against my lips, fingers digging into my flesh as he pulled me as close as he could, walking me backward through the door. He fumbled with my blouse, yanking it out of my skirt, hand sliding up to cup my breast. “I missed you. Couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Jet!” I gasped as his mouth descended on my throat, a quick bite of pain before he soothed it with his tongue. “Oh, my goodness!”

He nudged me backward. Lifted me up, his hands smoothing over my legs and cupping my butt. “Need to feel you, sweet girl. Not gonna stop until I spill myself into your pussy. But I’m going to make you come with my tongue first, and I can’t wait to taste you.”

As if my cheeks weren’t flaming enough with his words, with the reminder that I’d all but told his sisters he wanted to eat me out, the next words I heard made me want to bury my head in the sand and never show my face again.