Straightening, the fucker didn’t even blink. “Make sure Sanaa shows up tomorrow and you won’t be taken out by the people you work for.”
Maybe they’d kill me, maybe they wouldn’t. At this point, I didn’t care. “You think I have control over Sanaa?”
“I don’t think. I know.”
“Then know this.” I stood and got in his face. “She’s not walking into any goddamn recording studio or anywhere else where she’ll be cornered, coerced, assaulted, fucked, or taken advantage of.”
The asshole ran his hand down his tie, calm as shit, like he was talking about the weather. “I’ll personally take her under my wing.”
I’d heard plenty about his reputation and seen him in action enough times at the club to know exactly what that meant. “So you can fuck her first?” No goddamn way. “Not happening.” Everything I’d done tonight, I owed it to Sanaa to protect her from this asshole, but the bottom line was there was someone I would protect more.
Amherst, the conceited fuck, smiled. “You seem to think you have leverage here.”
The only leverage I had was that he had a hard-on for Sanaa. “You seem to think I don’t.” I wasn’t a fucking saint. I’d use that to my advantage if it meant making a second-degree manslaughter charge go away.
“Don’t be obtuse. If it wasn’t me who signed her, it’d be someone else. And trust me, I’m her best bet at making it in this business.”
I pointed out the obvious. “You didn’t sign her, your would-be rapist employee did.”
The fucker’s gaze narrowed. “For someone who claims to not be her boyfriend, you seem awfully invested.”
“Says the man who threatened me over a seventeen-year-old.” And I was invested. Full fucking throttle invested as of a couple hours ago when a hot brunette with a killer voice mistook me for someone else and stripped in front of me. Then I’d fucked three people’s lives all to hell, mine included. Not to mention the piece of shit going to the morgue and the asshole on his way to the hospital.
Amherst sighed like he was bored. “Since you seem to not care about your future and I want Sanaa on my label, we can handle this one of two ways.”
I hated Amherst, but he was right about one thing. I didn’t give a shit about my future anymore. But I did about someone else’s. “I’m not going to handle anything. You are.”
The fucker arrogantly lifted an eyebrow.
I laid it out. “You’re going to make sure when your pedophile manager wakes up, he sticks to the story the cops have. Pay him off, make him disappear, I don’t give a fuck. But you’re going to guarantee me he never works a single day with Sanaa or any other young girl. Then, when you decide you can control yourself and keep your dick in your pants around her, I’ll bring her in.”
The fucker didn’t even hesitate. “Deal.” He nodded at his card on the table. “Bring her in to my office tomorrow, or I’ll be back with the cops. And trust me, that’ll only be the beginning of your troubles.”
Knowing I was a complete son of a bitch, I tipped my chin and snatched the card, shoving it in my pocket. “We’re done here. Get the fuck out of my house.”
“Gladly.” Shaking his head at the chick doing lines, Amherst walked out.
I picked up the Jack and chugged.
Present Day.
Sitting in one of the cubicles at Luna and Associates, I stared at the picture on my cell. My attention half on the details, half on my surroundings, I heard my boss come up behind me.
Without turning around, I gave the photo one more cursory glance. “André.”
“Mierda,” André Luna swore in Spanish. “Still not sure how you can tell it’s me, but it gets me every time.” He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. His shrewd gaze taking in the photo on my screen, he tipped his chin. “Keeping up with current events or taking a walk down memory lane?”
I closed out the image of the detonated IED and shoved my phone into my pocket. “Last deployment,” I answered vaguely.
Luna nodded as if he understood. “One of yours?”
It should’ve been, but I’d missed it. I’d only caught its twin placed two meters away and disabled it before giving the all clear. The armament carrier moved on my go and, seven seconds later, took the hit. There were no fatalities that day, only minor injuries, but it didn’t matter. I’d fucked up. It was the second time in my life I’d completely fucked up.
Ignoring Luna’s question, I turned in my chair to face him. “What’s up?”
Luna studied me for a beat, then he inadvertently gave me one of his tells. His gaze drifted over my head. “I got a call a few minutes ago.” He looked back at me. “It was Vance.”
I didn’t react.
Luna fished. “You heard from him recently?”
“Define recently.” Every muscle in my body controlled, I gave nothing away.
Luna held my gaze, then he muttered under his breath. “Dios mio, amigo. He’s your brother.”
Twin brother to be exact. “I am aware.”
“He said he tried you first.”
I remained silent.
Luna frowned. “So you really aren’t on speaking terms with him?”
I evaded Luna’s question. “What did he want?” Last I’d heard, Vance was in Europe.
“He’s working for Adam Trefor’s outfit, Alpha Elite Security.”
I knew who he was working for. AES, a private military contractor, billed themselves as the world’s leading provider of security solutions, but they were mercenaries. High stakes, higher price tag. Vance had served, same as me, and we were identical, but that’s where our similarities ended. Vance fed off of anything high-risk, but he didn’t like to get his hands dirty. “If it’s related to AES, Trefor would’ve called you.” I knew Adam. Despite hiring my brother, he was solid.
It was Luna’s turn to evade. “Maybe.” Scanning the office, he paused.
I waited.
Luna’s gaze met mine again. “Vance asked for a favor.”
Hiding my surprise, I made a calculated guess. “Security for a client.” Vance wouldn’t ask for a favor for himself, not from me, not from Luna, not from anyone. It wasn’t his MO. He was religious about not getting into any situation he couldn’t resolve himself. Or he used to be. A problem with a client seemed the only logical reason he’d call Luna.
Luna snorted. “How’d you guess?”
I may not have seen Vance in years, but he never changed. “What was your answer?”
“He asked to be met at the executive airport.” Luna glanced at his watch. “In thirty-seven minutes.” He looked back at me. “I said we would.”
“We,” I stated.
It wasn’t a question, but Luna answered it anyway. “He specifically asked me to bring you.”
“And you agreed.” Again, it wasn’t a question. Luna was a professional first, loyal second, and a shrewd businessman third. He would not only take the call, he’d do the favor because it would ensure quid pro quo.
“Yes,” Luna confirmed.