mass-murder capital of North America?”
“No, even better. Another surprise in Alejandra’s will. She left a chunk of money toward the charitable venture of Cassie’s choice. She’s setting up a medical clinic downtown.”
Tomás thought a second. “The one on Ruiz? Todos de…Ah, shit. Makes sense now. Todos de Santos . ”
Rio nodded. “Saul thought he was going to simply talk her out of it, so he didn’t bother telling me.”
“Fucking idiot.” Tomás twirled the glass in his hands. “He is going to be the death of us, dude. Mark my words.”
“I’ll pass.”
“How much trouble is she going to be?”
Rio stared at nothing, his mind filled with memories of that goddamned mouth and the crazy ways she could use it—good and bad. “She took charge at the house the way she took charge with Pedro.”
“We’re screwed.” Tomás rubbed his forehead, looked around the bar. Laughed. But the sound was more scornful than humorous. “I thought I’d gotten over that fetish for bossy women with…” He shook his head. “A long time ago.” He refocused on Rio. “What about the house? Can she cause problems there?”
Rio didn’t immediately answer. He was still shocked over the fact that Tomás had actually referred to his ex for the first time in years.
“Saul says Alejandra’s will provides him lifetime residency,” Rio finally said, “but with the way he likes to give me partial information, I’ll have to check with the attorney.”
“Any way to delay the tangos?”
“Since they’re already en route, he didn’t want to hear it.”
“This blows. Why don’t we just get rid of her? Take her home? Aside from the trouble she’ll cause us, this is not a place for a woman like that. Her looks alone will draw a shit-storm of attention. When word of who she is spreads, the boys will be killing each other over who gets to kidnap her.”
“Ah, damn.” Rio let his head fall into his hand. He and Tomás referred to members of the many area gangs as “the boys.” “I hadn’t thought of that. Saul would never pay it. He’d rather have them kill her.”
“He knows he can’t.”
“But they don’t,” Rio said. “Besides, has that ever stopped him before?”
“Both good points.”
Rio threaded his fingers into his hair. “What a clusterfuck.”
“When’s the last time I said I liked this job?”
“Never. You love this job. You fucking live for this job. You’re sick, man. Sick.”
Tomás’s gaze drifted over Rio’s shoulder toward the front window. “Sacrifice a lot for this gig, though, you know?”
Rio focused on Tomás. His lean face held that typical, intense expression. His hazel eyes were clear, his hair recently cut short. Yes, grayish shadows hung beneath his eyes, and his jaw was going on three days unshaven. But that was all normal for Tomás.
Only another operative knew what major sacrifices were made for their missions. Even fewer knew how dearly Tomás had personally sacrificed for this job. But Rio thought his partner had left that loss behind a long time ago.
“What’s this about?” Rio asked. “Something going on?”
Tomás brought his attention back to the table without meeting Rio’s gaze first. “Heard about a job that might be coming open. A freelance thing.” He lifted a shoulder and spun the glass on the table. “I might take a leave from…you know…this. Try something else out on a temporary basis.”
Uncertainty stung Rio’s gut. Work this gig without Tomás? Rio put a hand on Tomás’s sinewy forearm.
His partner stopped spinning the glass and met Rio’s gaze with surprise. “What?”
“Are you riding this out with me?”
“Of course. If I was gonna ditch you, I’d have done it when Alejandra and Santos died. I still think we should have nailed Saul then or passed this off to CTU like they wanted. Neither one of us signed up for this shit.”
Rio pulled his hand back. It was true he and Tomás had originally come on board to
“No, even better. Another surprise in Alejandra’s will. She left a chunk of money toward the charitable venture of Cassie’s choice. She’s setting up a medical clinic downtown.”
Tomás thought a second. “The one on Ruiz? Todos de…Ah, shit. Makes sense now. Todos de Santos . ”
Rio nodded. “Saul thought he was going to simply talk her out of it, so he didn’t bother telling me.”
“Fucking idiot.” Tomás twirled the glass in his hands. “He is going to be the death of us, dude. Mark my words.”
“I’ll pass.”
“How much trouble is she going to be?”
Rio stared at nothing, his mind filled with memories of that goddamned mouth and the crazy ways she could use it—good and bad. “She took charge at the house the way she took charge with Pedro.”
“We’re screwed.” Tomás rubbed his forehead, looked around the bar. Laughed. But the sound was more scornful than humorous. “I thought I’d gotten over that fetish for bossy women with…” He shook his head. “A long time ago.” He refocused on Rio. “What about the house? Can she cause problems there?”
Rio didn’t immediately answer. He was still shocked over the fact that Tomás had actually referred to his ex for the first time in years.
“Saul says Alejandra’s will provides him lifetime residency,” Rio finally said, “but with the way he likes to give me partial information, I’ll have to check with the attorney.”
“Any way to delay the tangos?”
“Since they’re already en route, he didn’t want to hear it.”
“This blows. Why don’t we just get rid of her? Take her home? Aside from the trouble she’ll cause us, this is not a place for a woman like that. Her looks alone will draw a shit-storm of attention. When word of who she is spreads, the boys will be killing each other over who gets to kidnap her.”
“Ah, damn.” Rio let his head fall into his hand. He and Tomás referred to members of the many area gangs as “the boys.” “I hadn’t thought of that. Saul would never pay it. He’d rather have them kill her.”
“He knows he can’t.”
“But they don’t,” Rio said. “Besides, has that ever stopped him before?”
“Both good points.”
Rio threaded his fingers into his hair. “What a clusterfuck.”
“When’s the last time I said I liked this job?”
“Never. You love this job. You fucking live for this job. You’re sick, man. Sick.”
Tomás’s gaze drifted over Rio’s shoulder toward the front window. “Sacrifice a lot for this gig, though, you know?”
Rio focused on Tomás. His lean face held that typical, intense expression. His hazel eyes were clear, his hair recently cut short. Yes, grayish shadows hung beneath his eyes, and his jaw was going on three days unshaven. But that was all normal for Tomás.
Only another operative knew what major sacrifices were made for their missions. Even fewer knew how dearly Tomás had personally sacrificed for this job. But Rio thought his partner had left that loss behind a long time ago.
“What’s this about?” Rio asked. “Something going on?”
Tomás brought his attention back to the table without meeting Rio’s gaze first. “Heard about a job that might be coming open. A freelance thing.” He lifted a shoulder and spun the glass on the table. “I might take a leave from…you know…this. Try something else out on a temporary basis.”
Uncertainty stung Rio’s gut. Work this gig without Tomás? Rio put a hand on Tomás’s sinewy forearm.
His partner stopped spinning the glass and met Rio’s gaze with surprise. “What?”
“Are you riding this out with me?”
“Of course. If I was gonna ditch you, I’d have done it when Alejandra and Santos died. I still think we should have nailed Saul then or passed this off to CTU like they wanted. Neither one of us signed up for this shit.”
Rio pulled his hand back. It was true he and Tomás had originally come on board to
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