I barely registered movement before the bed dipped with added weight. “Shit, you’re shaking.” There was a brief hesitation, and then two arms wrapped around me from the back.
I glanced down to see my upper arms completely engulfed in Brody’s huge hands. They felt warm and safe, and I hated that I liked it, so I jerked away. “Don’t touch me!”
Brody’s hands flew in the air like I’d pulled a gun. “Okay, fine. I’ll leave.” Muttering under his breath, he got to his feet and stomped toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
He planted his feet with his back to me. Placing his hands on his hips, he tossed his head back and let out a labored breath. “Not gonna lie, Adriana, you’re making it real hard to be nice to you right now.”
Seconds ticked by when finally, he turned to face me. Still, I said nothing, and neither did he. The longer the silence rolled on, the more awkward it got until he caved first, dropping his chin to his chest in frustration.
A whoosh of air blew past my lips. Thank God. At least frustration prevented us from making eye contact. The last thing I needed was for him to see me gawking at him again.
“What is it you would like me to do, princesa?”
That was a loaded question.
I stared at the empty space next to me. The king-sized bed was ridiculously big for one person, and as much as I hated showing weakness, I hated the idea of being alone more. Clenching my teeth and my fists, I looked up at him. “Can you just sit here until I fall asleep?” Upon watching the cocky smirk peel across his face, I added, “And not make a big deal out of it?”
“Right. So, I’ll just sit here and stay wide awake while you sleep.”
Rolling my eyes, I flopped back down and rolled over. “Just go.”
The bed dipped again, an unexpected flush spreading across my chest as he rolled against me, his unrestrained cock pressing against my ass. “No, it’s fine,” he said, his warm breath fanning across my bare shoulder. “At least I can keep an eye on you this way.”
He shifted, and I swallowed a groan. “If I hear you jerking off, I’ll dick punch you.”
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope.”
Brody’s deep throaty laugh was the last thing I remembered before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
I woke to an empty bed.
I didn’t know whether to be grateful or pissed off that Brody ditched me like a drunken one-night stand and the fact that I even wasted time caring annoyed me more than anything.
After throwing on a pair of cut off jean shorts and a black scoop-necked top, I swept my hair in a loose messy bun, grabbed my newly-packed suitcase, and headed downstairs.
I heard their whispers as soon as I reached the bottom of the staircase. Indistinguishable words, but three voices I knew weren’t four for a reason. My blood heated with irritation, so lifting my heels off the marble, I shuffled on my toes toward the sitting room to find Mateo, Val, and Brody standing in a huddle. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but apparently it was serious.
Which meant I was just in time.
I placed my suitcase on the floor and flounced into the room with flair. “Hola, boys,” I announced. “I didn’t see a No Girls Allowed sign hanging outside the clubhouse, so I assume someone will fill me in on what all the secret whispering is about.” Three pairs of eyes turned my way, but when Brody’s dropped from my face to my feet, then slowly slid back up again, my smirk faded.
“That’s a lot more stuff than you came here with,” he said, nodding at the suitcase at my feet.
I shrugged. “Your sister brought me some things this morning.” Turning, I winked at Mateo. “She’s a chipper one in the morning, huh?”
As usual, Mateo just raised an eyebrow.
“Dios mío, will you all shut the fuck up?” Val motioned for us all to sit as he made his way to the bar tucked at the front of the room.
I cocked a hip. “Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?”
The suction from the tequila top released with a pop. “No.”
“Well aren’t you going to sit down?”
He lifted the glass of tequila to his lips with a smirk. “No.”
“Can you say anything else besides no?”
“No.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” It was all I could do not to roll my eyes as I sank into the same damn leather couch from last night. Mateo sat across from me, his finger rubbing back and forth across his goatee as he watched Brody’s eyes bounce between the empty seat beside him and the one next to me.
This was ridiculous. Tired and irritated, I motioned to the seat next to Mateo when a slow smile broke across his face, and he lifted a long jean-clad leg, stretching it across the length of the couch.
“What are you doing?” Brody asked.
Mateo’s grin widened. “Getting comfortable. There’s a seat over there. Have at it.”
They stared each other down, Brody scowling as Mateo smirked. Finally, Brody flipped his middle finger up and collapsed next to me muttering to himself. “Jackass.”
“Well,” Val said, moving in between the two pieces of furniture, a deep vertical line sinking between his eyes. “If we’re done acting like pinche idiotas, I suggest we devise a cohesive strategy before you two go off and get yourselves killed.”
Brody leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs and his hands clasped in front of him. “What did you have in mind?”
“Not fucking up.”
“I’m serious, Val.”
“So am I. This may be Adriana’s chance to prove her loyalty to the Carreras but consider it your chance too.”
Brody’s forehead wrinkled. “To do what?”
“To prove to me I shouldn’t put you in the ground right next to your predecessor.”
Mateo’s hand dropped from his chin. “Val!”
Val didn’t acknowledge him. Shoving one hand in his pocket, he lifted his glass again, his eyes locked on Brody.
“Fuck you.” Brody’s quiet response wasn’t out of fear. It was forced control. Like when a child turned the crank on a Jack-In-The-Box as fast as they could only to suddenly stop because they knew that one last turn would cause a puppet to explode in their face.
“Brody!” This time, Mateo’s shock was aimed at the man sitting beside me.
His game of chastise ping-pong grated on my nerves. “Seriously?” I growled. “Pick a side, güey.”
Val swung his drink in Mateo’s direction. “No, it’s fine. I’d be angry too if I were about to track down the man who stole seventeen million dollars of my boss’s money.”
I stiffened. “You know?”
Val cocked his head. “And so do you, apparently.”
There was a distinct warning in his voice that self-preservation should’ve heeded, but defiance took over, snapping my head toward Brody. To my surprise, I found him stone-faced except for the steady tick of his jaw.
His gaze flicked up to meet Val’s. “How did you find out?”
Val smiled, his lips stretching so tightly over his teeth they seemed to disappear. “I have eyes all over the world, Harcourt. You couldn’t take a shit in Somalia without me knowing. However, in this case, your friend Leo Pinellas thought a breach in my highest ranks would go a long way in funding his nose candy habit.”