“Nice of you to join us, Kai.” Amalia’s lips were moving, but I heard nothing after she’d said my name. All I could do was stare as she glided across the room, stealing the attention of every swinging dick. I stepped closer before I was conscious of my actions, and she startled for a heartbeat when I crushed her to my chest.
“I might just have to gouge out the eyes of every man in this room.”
“Distractions are a necessity sometimes.”
“Not a fan of this one,” I said, trailing the back of my fingers over the exposed skin of her abdomen. “I don’t like men lusting over what belongs to me.”
She rose to her toes, one hand on my shoulder—her touch sizzling. “Like I said, you don’t own me, Cain,” she whispered, ghosting a kiss over my ear and sending a jolt of heat straight to my cock. “You’d do well to remember this is business. Nothing more.”
“That would be more believable if I hadn’t stuffed your dripping wet panties in my pocket last night,” I countered, rolling my thumb over the black engagement ring on her finger. “You’re wrong, vicious. You’re already mine.”
“Senorita Amalia, not to interrupt you and your—”
“Husband,” I finished, daring him to say the contrary.
“I wasn’t aware the ceremony date had been pushed up. Please accept my congrats.”
The tone of his voice and the daggers in his eyes let me know there wasn’t a shred of sincerity in his words. Alarms went off and continued to blare when his eyes shifted to Amalia.
I clenched my teeth.
“Kai.” The sound of my name on her lips a second time and the warm press of her hand against my chest cooled my rage. “Sit down,” she said with a tenderness to her tone I’d yet to hear directed at me.
Covering her hand with mine, I nodded and sat in an empty chair on the far side of the office, across from the woman from the elevator. I realized I hadn’t caught her name, but Amalia had greeted her with a smile when we’d entered, easing my nerves.
Everything and everyone in that room ceased to exist the moment she began speaking again. Maybe I should have beenpaying attention, but it was impossible to focus on anything but her painted lips and the smooth dip between her breasts.
She had to feel the heat of my gaze because her words faltered before she lifted her attention to me. We made eye contact from across the room, and I spotted the hint of a smile before it faded and her expression hardened. It was then I noticed the asshole from earlier had raised his voice and straightened in his seat. A little too bold for my liking. I wasn’t sure when I’d developed this sense of protectiveness, despite knowing damn well this woman was capable of handling herself. But with every harsh word he spoke, how his mouth twisted into a cocky smirk, and the way his arms came up as if he challenged her to disagree, the murderous heat in my chest swelled. I motioned to get to my feet, but before I could react, Amalia rounded her desk, and in one swift motion, she pulled a gun and sent three rounds into the now-dead bastard.
Gunfire broke out in the small space, causing echoes of broken glass and ricochet to boom around us and ring in my ears as chaos erupted.
The men at the table hit the floor, their own weapons drawn as blood spilled around them. I couldn’t see Amalia anymore, and my heart suddenly felt weighted with worry.
“Amalia!” I shouted, disregarding my own safety as I let off round after round toward men behind chairs and under the long table.
A hand on my forearm made me jerk, and I hesitated just in time to realize it was the blonde woman.
“Let’s take care of these bastards first. Our girl can handle herself.” I took cover when a bullet exploded against the wall behind us. Crouching beside me, she dropped her mag and reloaded.
“What the fuck is going on? Where is she?”
“Hmm, that was fast,” she said, before taking off without answering a single goddamn question.
I sprung to my feet and scanned the room, eyeing a wounded man huddled in a corner. I didn’t know who the fuck he was or why my Glock was shoved inside his mouth, but at that moment, my priority was my future wife.
By the time I’d pulled the trigger, the gunfire had stopped. Twisting around, I was met with the barrel of Rocco’s weapon. I lifted mine, and we were suddenly in a tense standoff. I had no problem pulling the trigger, even if it meant I’d also take one to the chest, but he was a friend of the Montesinos, so I hesitated.
“Careful, Rocco. Put it down.”
Amalia stepped between us, her back to me as she confronted the man who’d been her childhood friend. I lowered my gun the second she walked into my line of fire, as did he. A sense of relief washed over me when I finally had her within my sight.
“Are you okay?” I asked, giving her a once-over.
“Of course.” Her focus was still on Rocco, but she squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Rocco, is there a particular reason you were threatening my fiancée’s life?”
He sucked his teeth and holstered his gun. “Just a lapse of judgment,muñeca. Everything happened so fast. Didn’t know who he was for a second. That’s all.”
“Is that so?”
