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“No, you said that last night and nearly died. I’m coming.”
Not wanting to argue with her, I reluctantly agree. Lulu barks once and follows us both.
“Who is it?”
“Thomas Silverback.”
I open the door, and he walks in, followed by another man.
“Sorry, Thomas, I overslept. If you can give me fifteen minutes, I can shower, and we can be on our way.”
Thomas looks at the other man, who smiles and looks at me. “Mr. Livingston, might we have a moment of your time?”
“Sure.”
Confused, I walk the short distance to the couch and sit down. Athena sits next to me and Lulu jumps up and sits on her lap. Mr. Silverback remains standing while the man sits at the other end of the couch.
“I want to start by saying I’m a huge fan of you and your lovely wife.”
“Thank you,” I reply, looking up at Thomas, who avoids my gaze.
“This unfortunate incident wasn’t sanctioned by the organization I work for, and we’re deeply upset at the loss of life and the fact that one of our own is in custody.”
My blood runs cold, and I stand, pulling Athena with me. Lulu sits on the floor beside her.
He holds up his hand and remains sitting. “Mr. and Mrs. Livingston, I mean you no harm. The Diablo cartel means you no harm, and Luis Rivera will never harm you or anyone else again. His actions were unsanctioned. We don’t condone personal vendettas, especially if they interfere with business or bring us under too much scrutiny with the law or the media. We prefer the shadows.”
He stands, and I put Athena behind me and move us backward and away from him. “What do you want?”
He breathes in deeply. “Nothing. I’m only a messenger. I have said all I need to. You won’t see my brethren or me again.”
He gives me a two-fingered wave, a chin lift, and walks out of the room. For a moment, we all say nothing. Athena sags against me, and I turn so I can hold her.
“It’s over,” she whispers.
“Is it?” I ask Mr. Silverback.
“He was no simple messenger. That was Ramon Estevez, head of the Diablo cartel. If he’s telling you you’re safe, you’re safe.”
“Why the fuck did you bring him here?”
“Kris, I had no choice. You don’t say no to a man like him.” Thomas flops into a chair. “He’s a fan. He likes you, and he’s read all of Athena’s books. When he came to see me, he was furious that Luis Rivera had acted without consulting him. I don’t know what they did to Rivera, but you can both be assured, he’s never coming after you.”
