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“There have been some things that give me cause for concern,” Victorjia said cryptically.
Rena leaned into the side of her chair, all ears. “What kind of things?”
Just like Manuel, a look came over her, like a wall slamming down behind those golden eyes. “Nothing really. I’m probably just overreacting,” she said, her tone biting. “Apparently, it runs in the family. Is this tea?” she asked, already reaching for the pitcher. “Geraldo makes the best tea.”
Rena only smiled and settled back into her chair. Though she was itching to keep pushing for answers, she knew she had to be patient—even if it wasn’t her strong suit. Answers would come eventually. And she would be waiting with baited breath to glean them from whatever source they came by, and then she’d run like her ass was on fire to deliver it so she could be done with this freak show assignment once and for all.
nineteen
“So your sister ditched you.”
When he put it like that, it sounded so much worse. “She said it was important,” Angel explained—again—but she could tell Moose wasn’t buying it. Hell, she wasn’t either. Rena had been shifty-eyed after she’d hung up the phone and said she had to run because of some appointment she’d forgotten about.
On a Saturday.
After noon.
Angel wasn’t abreast of every business’ practices in town, but she was pretty certain that most if not all doctors’ offices, aside from the one and only urgent care, were closed on the weekend. Still, she didn’t say anything, instead allowing her sister to run off. She was probably getting herself into more trouble, but at this point, it was par for the course. At least they had spent some quality time together for once. Angel had fun talking guys and life and shooting the breeze with the only person in the world she shared common history. Though her sister might be a total mess, she was the only one in the world she trusted without reservation.
Kade made a sound in the back of his throat that said he wholly disagreed, and Angel didn’t try to argue. She knew he was right. They both did. He’d seen and heard enough during their late-night talks to know, and he wasn’t dumb either.
“Well the next time she pulls something like that, give me a call, and I’ll come right over,” he said, the innuendo so thinly veiled, Angel could see right through it.
Voice turning husky, she answered, “Why do you think I’m calling now?”
A low, deep growl rumbled through the phone. “I wish I could, Mouse, but Quick and the guys just rolled in. We got church in five.”
“Oh.” She knew better than to ask what they were having a meeting about. She just hoped it wasn’t anything serious. The idea of Kade being in the midst of anything dangerous struck a note of fear in her that she didn’t like or dare to look too closely at. That cord attaching her to him seemed to be growing thicker and stronger every day, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. Every time he climbed into her bed and slid inside her, she felt her bond to him increase, the need to claim him as her man gripping like a fist in her chest, her every breath directly linked to his.
Did he feel the same about her? Is that why he’d decided that their trial basis was over and she was officially his? For some reason, his claim on her felt significant, much more than just an act of ownership. It felt real, tangible. Permanent.
Angel couldn’t explain it, but the moment he’d said that she could no longer envision a future without him in it. And that was the single most terrifying thing she could ever imagine, outside of ending up pregnant and single.
Crazy how a single action like deciding to date a biker could end up reshaping everything she’d planned for her future. Instead of looking out for only herself with zero intention of settling down with any one man, she was now looking forward to the days ahead shared with a man she was tumbling down the rabbit hole for.
“Don’t sound so disappointed,” Kade said with a soft laugh. “I’ll be by later, once I take care of things here.”
“Is that a promise?” she asked hopefully.
“Depends how things go in church. I’ll text you later to let you know for sure.”
“All right. I’m grilling ribs tonight, so if you can make it in time for dinner, I’ll save you a plate.”
“My kind of woman,” he said roughly, causing Angel to grin. “Bye, Mouse.”
“Bye, baby.”
After they hung up, Angel put away all of her clean clothes then loaded a bucket with cleaning supplies and worked her way from the back of the apartment to the front, shaking her head as she went from room to room, wondering how in the hell so much dirt managed to accumulate in a week with only two people living there, one of which was hardly ever around.
Once the apartment was clean, she hopped into the shower to wash, then she got started on making the rub for the rack of ribs she planned to cook later. Kade might not make it in time for dinner, but she knew he would be there one way or another because he always followed through. In many ways, he was someone she could count on too—predictable. With him on her mind, she put together the best dinner she could manage, because as her mother always used to say, the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.
Was that what she was trying to do, get to his heart? She wasn’t certain, but a part of her sure felt like that’s where she wanted to be.
***
Church had been interesting. As Moose rolled up beside Quick’s bike and put down the kickstand, he was both a little irritated he’d been left behind to warm the bench like a rookie football player who hadn’t made first string and proud of his brothers for standing up to the plate, ready to swing a home run.
So the great and powerful Contreras hadn’t folded, but he had shown his cards to an extent. Yes, he was most definitely doing some shady dealings behind closed doors, and their best guess was that his connection to the cartel had only deepened, bringing the head of the Mexican cartel right to their doorstep.
