Although the cocaine business was criminal, JayJay had initially agree to get into it because she figured it was largely victimless. It wasn’t like she was muling laced meth to the projects and watching the poor and pathetic overdose on it. No. It was the richy-riches in Miami who bought the blow she trafficked. They liked their nose candy about as much as they liked their Brazilian butt lifts and fake boobs.
But now there was no more fooling herself.
Painful circumstances call for painful solutions.
“Do it,” she said forcefully thinking of her family, of her children and grandchildren. “Wait until she’s released from the hospital and then do it. But make it look like an accident if you can.”
“No problem.” Mateo’s grin was positively evil. He was being subtle about how much he was looking forward to the task. You know, if “subtle” was hitting someone in the teeth with a tire iron.
There was enough of the old JayJay alive and kicking that she felt compelled to add, “And try to make it quick, okay? I don’t want her suffering if there’s a way around it.”
Mateo’s expression was pitiless. “Death is always dirty.”
Death.
She hated that word. Preferred more euphemistic terms likekicked the bucketorgave up the ghost.They were far more palatable. Less…final.
Chrissy Szarek. What a shame.
“Fine,” she spat. “However you want to accomplish the deed is completely up to you. But once you’re finished with…” It was hard to say Chrissy’s name aloud given she was standing there openly discussing the young woman’s demise. “Once you’re finished with Chrissy, we still have another problem.” She lifted a finger in the smoke-tinged air.
“Winston.” Ricky proved he wasn’t completely lacking in functioning synapses.
“Exactly.”
Again, Mateo hitched one massive shoulder. “Word on the street is he probably won’t wake up.”
“And if he does?” JayJay lifted an eyebrow.
“Then we take him out too.”
Mateo was right. They needed to make sure twoattemptedmurders became twosuccessfulones.
This whole thing started spinning out of control the moment the Coast Guard ran into that narco-sub. And it’s swirling faster and faster with each passing day.
JayJay was caught in a whirlpool. The only thing to do now was to ride it down and see where it took her.
Chapter 10
1:04 AM…
Romeo watched Mia attempt to slide her key card into the slot on her hotel room door. She missed and dropped the plastic rectangle on the floor when her cell phone buzzed.
The damned thing had been going off at regular intervals all night. While they waited in the emergency room. While they hung out with Chrissy at the hospital. On the short cab ride to the hotel.
Each time it did, Mia glanced at the screen, read whatever was there, and then put the device away again.
He’d initially thought she was receiving desperately adoring messages from a boyfriend or a lover—and never mind that twinge of jealousy; we’re just going to ignore that—except she never responded. Which meant whoever was texting her was having a monologue, not a dialogue.
That’s not how a woman acts with a lover.At least not in his experience. Women, the wonderful creatures, were only too happy when they were chitchatting.
And never mind that rush of relief; we’re just going to ignore that too.
“You getting stock price updates or what?” He bent to retrieve her key card. When he handed it to her, their fingertips brushed—hers were cool and soft compared to his hard calluses—and a current of awareness shot up his arm.
Douchebagistan, he thought to himself.Population: you.
He had no business being attracted to the likes of Mia Ennis.
