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I go over a speed bump just a little too fast, perhaps on purpose, and Dream finally wakes up. She jumps up in her seat, suddenly alert as we pull into the lane dedicated to arrivals. There are a few other cars, but nothing notable.
“We’re already here?” she asks, looking out the window as she rubs the sleep out of her eyes.
“Yes, but we’ll have to wait a few minutes for Jasha. I think he’s only just landed, but he shouldn’t take long unless he tried to bring something through customs that he shouldn’t have.”
“What would he bring?” she asks, looking toward me with wide, curious eyes.
I keep forgetting how innocent she is. Despite the fact that she got wrapped up in crime, she’s no criminal herself. She’s a normal woman who doesn’t deserve to be burdened with the knowledge of what someone like Jasha would bring across the border.
But she’s mine now, so I tell her anyway.
“Guns, maybe drugs too if he’s feeling ballsy. I just don’t want him to get himself in trouble. People can be easily bribed or threatened, but it’s still going to take time that we don’t have to waste if he gets pulled aside,” I explain, feeling annoyed at just the thought of him doing something that stupid. He’s not young anymore, but I believe he still has it in him to fuck things up.
Maybe I’m being too harsh.
Either way, I sigh when I see him come out of the building, striding toward the car with the utmost confidence. I know he’s dying to give me a hard time, but he’s going to have to watch his mouth around Dream. She deserves more respect than she’s usually given.
“Aw, you got me in the back,” he says with a chuckle, opening the door and flinging his bag inside.
“First class is taken,” I reply, shifting the car into drive before he even has a chance to climb in.
He jumps into his seat, slamming the door shut as I take off down the road. I’d like to leave this airport behind us as soon as possible. It makes me nervous to have several life sentences’ worth of drugs just sitting in the car at Dream’s feet.
“You know, they didn’t have first class on that plane, so I guess this is fitting,” Jasha says, leaning forward and grabbing my shoulder. “Motherfucker, how are you?”
I shrug him off. “Stop that, I just spoke to you, like, three hours ago.”
“Sure, but we were talking business then. Let’s get personal,” he replies cheerfully.
Dream raises an amused eyebrow at me and I shake my head. “No, let’s not get personal. I don’t want you prying into my life. You’re just here to help with the Cartel stuff.”
“That’s not what you said over the phone, when you called about the girl,” he says before I can stop him.
I groan, and Dream immediately jumps up at the mention of her. “You’re talking about me?”
I can see Jasha’s wicked grin in the rearview mirror, and I just know he’s about to embarrass me. I think he’s just jealous that I’ve found someone and he’s still hanging out at home by himself. He’d probably benefit from a woman, but he’d never admit it.
Hell, I wouldn’t admit it either, until I met Dream. After that, everything changed.
“Nikolai dragged me all the way to Mexico so that he could impress you,” Jasha says, raising his eyebrows as he catches my eyes in the mirror. “He is crazy about you. Probably too anal to admit it, but that’s the truth, on God.”
Dream looks at me, cocking her head to the side curiously, and I feel my face growing hot. I feel like I’m in high school again, but Jasha does tend to have that effect on me. He knows where my buttons are, and better yet, how to push them all at the same time for maximum impact.
I don’t say anything. I doubt there’s anything Icouldsay that Jasha wouldn’t find a way to twist into something grotesquely different. Another of his talents, just not one I’m a fan of.
“Oh, but he’s a good guy,” Jasha finally says, putting his hand on my shoulder again. “And a big teddy bear if you can get through to him.”
“Aw,” Dream says, beaming as Jasha reveals everything I don’t want her to know.
“And he snores, but it’s not that loud,” Jasha adds. “Oh, and if you give him too much coffee, he’ll get grouchy from the caffeine, so you don’t want to do that. One cup is more than enough.”
“I’m not a dog, Jasha,” I finally say. “Dream, don’t take him seriously. He just makes things up to bother me.”
“What have I made up? Name one thing.”
Dream giggles, and I suddenly feel like Jasha isn’t just trying to annoy me, he’s trying to put on a show to entertain her. I guess that means she’s good in his book, but I do want to keep an eye on their interactions. If he starts treating her like he treats me, I’m going to knock his teeth into the back of his throat.
Jasha settles back into his seat, impatiently clicking his tongue in his mouth. “Okay, guys, where exactly are we going? I need an ETA.”
