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He nodded. “How long has Maite been messing around with her?”
“Maybe a year?”
“And Manuel is just now finding out? Around the time we’re supposed to be being especially careful?”
“What are you saying?”
“That it’s mighty convenient that right after the decision is made to eliminate Manuel, his wife does the dirty work for you. With aPredatorin the room,” he mused. “What did Maite say when you asked her if she touched the knife?”
“She asked why she would’ve touched it, but that’s not really answering the question.”
“Exactly.”
“So…you think Trinidad would frame her?”
“I think anybody is capable of anything,” he said. “And before we go in here, I want you to remember that. I knew it wouldn’t make a difference about y’all coming for her or not, so I didn’t say anything, but I need you to be prepared for the possibility that this is a trap.”
“Maite wouldn’t do that,” I immediately denied and Onyx shook his head.
“You’re right;sheprobably wouldn’t. But you said yourself, you don’t knowTrinidadto make a statement like that abouther. So I want you—like I said—to understand.Anythingis possible. I’ve had my guard down way too much and I’m picking that shit back up now. If I get even ahintthat something ain’t right, I’m wasting anybody I see that feels like they’re part of whatever’s wrong. You good with that?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Do I have a choice?”
He chuckled, but didn’t actually answer.
“If you shoot anybody withPredatorink… you should know it means I’ve got to get it back in blood,” I told him, and he chuckled.
“Just don’t fuck up my face, gorgeous. I’d prefer an open casket.”
He said that shit and then climbed out of the car, essentially forcing me to as well.
I was ready though—gun out, safety off, ready to do whatever was necessary to bring my friend back to thePredatorclubhouse in one piece.
Instead of knocking on any doors, I sent Maite a text, hoping to keep our entrance as lowkey as possible. Onyx and I flanked the front door, listening beyond the normal sounds of traffic to hear her when she came to it.
As soon as the door was unlocked, we slipped inside, with Onyx going first to cover me.
“Tati, thankGod,” Maite exclaimed, throwing her arms around my neck.
They had the lights on, but very low so it wouldn’t be obvious from the other side of the painted windows. Not enough to arouse passing attention, but enough that I could clearly see there was no one else in the open front room of the small studio.
Onyx gave me a look, gesturing that he was checking the back, and I nodded as I extricated myself from Maite to look around.
Trinidad was seated in one of the tattoo chairs, trembling hard.
Her face was clearly that of someone who’d been battered recently and her hands were covered in blood.
“Maite,” I said, taking my gaze from Trin so I could look my friend in the face. It was clear she wasn’t exaggerating the beating Manny had been trying to dole out, which made me feel a little bad for being so mad at her.
What she did was still fucking stupid, but she didn’t deserve looking like she’d just left a cage fight.
Gingerly, I cupped her face in my hands. “I need you to listen to me, okay?”
“There was so much blood,” she said and I nodded.
“I’m sure there was, but I need you focused.” I grabbed her under the chin. “I need you to tell me where the knife is.”
She frowned. “What? I don’t know… I… don’t know. I think we left it. Did we leave it?” she asked Trinidad, who gave her a deep, tearful nod.
