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Caleb and Gabriel cross glances a second time. An unspoken question is asked and answered.
“We have a contingency plan in place for the drop.” Gabriel pauses as if to consider his next words. “If there is anyone within that crew who is loyal to you, I’d suggest you find them another assignment for the night. Discretely of course.”
She dips her head. “See? Friends help each other out.”
My curiosity overwhelms me. I have to bite my tongue against the urge to ask what Gabriel has planned. I don’t understand what’s happening here and this might be one of those times where it’s best I’m kept in the dark.
Caleb sets the cube—a paperweight—down and settles into his seat, his thighs sprawled, his fingers steepled in front of him. “If you want to be my friend, you’ll tell us who killed our club manager.” There’s a dangerous edge to his voice.
“That would be Mateo, my father’s righthand man.” She leans forward. “And because I want to be a very good friend to you, I’ve arranged for him to be delivered to you.”
“Have you now….” Caleb’s head cocks as he regards her with new interest. “Luiz will blame us for his death.”
“He would, yes. And he would send people after you, if given the chance.” She drags a fingernail along her collarbone, drawing his attention to her ample cleavage. “Fortunately for you, he will not be given that chance. He will be dead within the hour.”
Caleb’s eyebrows arch with surprise. “You’re so sure you can pull this off.”
“I’m sure that my father and Mateo would never suspect my intentions, and I’m sure that I have proficient men working for me.”
“Abduction at gunpoint in the morning, a hit on your father by lunch. What can I say except you keep busy.”
“These plans have been in motion for much longer than you might think. But no, in general, I don’t waste time.” Ava’s dark eyes roll over Caleb’s face, stalling on his mouth. “Not when I see something I want.”
This woman is anything but bashful. I guess that’s a requirement for a future cartel drug lord. If not for that reality, I’d say she and Caleb would be perfect for each other. But she’s a stone-cold killer. She might be more dangerous than all these men, combined.
The corner of Caleb’s mouth twitches. “So, then there’s only the matter of our father. He’s a bit of a problem.”
“Vlad Easton will be condemned for my father’s murder, and I will demand his death as retribution. If you would be so kind as to lift your ring of protection around him in that prison, I’ll be able to get to him more easily.”
“It’s already in the works.”
“Then he won’t last the night.” She offers a seductive smile.
He studies her for a long moment. “Actually, we’d be grateful if we could see him one last time before that happens.”
Playfulness flashes in her eyes. “How grateful?”
A genuine grin finally stretches across Caleb’s lips, and those devilish dimples appear. “You want me to describe it, or can I show you?”
Oh my God. “Why do I feel like I’m watching some sort of twisted foreplay in action?” I hiss in Gabriel’s ear.
He snorts. “Because you are.” But I don’t miss the way his body sags beside mine. He seems relieved.
This is what Gabriel and Caleb have been angling for all along—for someone to take out Vlad in Fulcort. Originally, the Perris were supposed to help with that, but that all went to hell in Vegas. And now here we are, with a solution that fits everyone’s needs.
Even mine, I’ll admit, because in order for my father to be safe inside, Vlad Easton has to die.
A phone rings. Ava and Caleb seem to snap out of whatever intimate trance they were caught in, pulling themselves up straighter in their chairs.
She answers, speaking to the caller in Spanish. The call only lasts a few seconds, but when she ends it, her olive skin has paled.
“Is something wrong?” Gabriel asks.
“No. Nothing’s wrong. Everything is as it should be.” She reaches for a framed picture in the corner of her desk, stroking the glass with her index finger. “It’s done. Luiz Navarro will no longer be an issue for either of your families. Or for mine.”
I feel the blood drain from my face.
Caleb steals a glance our way, his eyebrows arched—in surprise or excitement, I can’t tell.
Abruptly, Ava stands and strolls to the window, her demeanor more somber. “If you’ll all excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make before we can celebrate this new friendship. Please make yourselves comfortable in my home. The pools are especially warm on this hot day.”
“Actually, we have a busy schedule. I think we’ll be heading off now—”
“I insist.” She meets Caleb’s unyielding gaze with her own. “There are still many moving parts to this arrangement. Stay for the day. For your safety, as well as mine.”
