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“Don’t turn around. Stay in the conversation,” Lupe said.
“Okay.”
“He’s coming,” she told me. I didn’t know how she knew and didn’t dare question. Since she knew the ins and outs of their movements from years of experience, I knew it was like how I knew things and picked up on things that my friends, who weren’t trained in surveillance, would never have been able to pick up on.
“I’m good,” I said, in fake conversation mode. Lupe’s eyes were calm and guarded, but she sent me a smile.
She eyed me with plain contemplation, then nodded once. “Ok. Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She was good at playing the game. I had to give her that. I knew she said she was on our team, but I was still guarded and apprehensive. You just never really know how dedicated a CI is—especially when you haven’t been working with them for a long time. Guadalupe was new to me, and I had to trust her. She had to trust me. It was a two-way street. Both of our lives were at stake. I knew she knew that. That was the only real sense of relief for me right now. If she fucked up, she was as dead as me.
Back in our fake conversation, Lupe threw her head back. It was a fake laugh at some joke I must have told her. But her fake laugh was so realistic, I couldn’t help but laugh too.
We were just about to order another drink when the bartender approached us again. He smiled before taking our glasses and then sent someone behind us a chin nod.
“Guadalupe.” A deep baritone voice spoke from behind us. When I turned to respond, I was met by a tall, dark, and handsome man clothed in all black. A black suit, black dress shirt, and black tie. He looked as dangerous as I was sure he was. His eyes pinned directly and squarely on me.
“Jorge,” Lupe said. “Finally. We’ve been waiting.”
He towered above us both, and his smile was tight and neither friendly nor unfriendly. But I knew immediately that he was not a man to be trifled with.
Lupe didn’t seem to mind ruffling his feathers though. But instead of issuing another biting retort, she said, “We’ve been enjoying ourselves. I’ve been telling Ramona all about the club and how Alonso came up with the idea.” This was both the truth and a lie. We hadn’t been talking about that at all, but she had filled me in on all of that previously so I’d have all the information I needed. Instead, she’d been pointing people out to me and reminding me who was who and what each of them did. Now I had faces to go with the many names she’d previously given me information on.
“We have a room upstairs for us.Ven conmigo. It will be more comfortable up there. And quiet.”
“Oh, but I like the music,” I said, trying to sound friendly.
He gave another tight smile, but this time the corners of his mouth turned up just a little more. I’d have to play to his ego and get him to accept me. And quickly, too. I could tell I’d be able to win him over with the right moves and words. He was one ofthosetypes of men.
My eyes found Tyler’s once more as we followed Jorge upstairs, unable to persuade him to stay where we were.
I knew Tyler wanted to follow.
But he knew in order to protect me, he had to stay where he was.
