That earned me a grunt. “You ever heard of a man called Damian Headley.”
I knew that name too well—he’d attempted to date-rape Evangeline atRussuand was Jennifer’s pervert ex. He was the reason the Triads owed us a life debt and his end had led to many fruitful business deals.
“I know he’s dead.”
“How do you know that?”
“Helped dispose of him.”
Her response of, “Interesting,” conveyed no reaction, nor did her expression shift.
Silence accompanied us on the walk that ended outside a massive office. One that made Luc’s look like it belonged to Martinez’s PA.
Walnut panels covered the walls, vintage lights and fittings added to the surreal antiquity of the room. It wasn’t full of pomp and ceremony like his throne room, but loaded withobjet d’artsthat seemed intimate—a Salomé Pinahere, a carved Mayan blackware bowl there. This mansion was not a recent acquisition, no matter what he claimed. Love had fabricated this room as well as time and effort and care.
“You owned this before you took overLos Nuevos’turf, didn’t you?”
As a greeting, it wasn’t the best, but my tongue had a mind of its own.
Martinez, still leaning against the French door that led to the terrace where I’d noticed him smoking, mused, “They didn’t like that.”
Eva sniped, “Should have taken it for a warning to tread lightly then.”
“When did you seize Cancún anyway?” I wandered deeper into the room that reminded me of my grandfather’s study in his stately home in England. A room I hadn’t thought about in years.
“Feel free to help yourself to refreshments,” Martinez answered, his gaze on me as I approached the desk, where I saw a decanter of my favorite whiskey, a matching Cuban, and…
My jaw worked. “You’ve done your research.”
“A wise man does,” he countered as I reached for the box of Little Debbie cupcakes.
I studied the container, surprising myself with the craving for one. It had been alongtime since I’d eaten my favorite treat.
Bypassing the cigar and the whiskey, I snagged two and rolled them in my hands.
“You poisoned them?”
Martinez smirked. “Sealed for factory freshness.”
“This whole thing is shady as fuck, Martinez. You can understand why I’m wary, especially when you dislike Hunter.”
When his niece had fallen in love with a gangbanger from LA, Hunter’s turf, and she’d ultimately fled the bastard, she’d run to safety. My sister had shielded her, allowed her time to heal the bruises her ex had left behind.
“Hunter hid my niece from me?—”
“To stop you from acting foolishly once you saw the state of her.”
“He had no right to do that?—”
“Martinez,” Eva chimed in, her tone soft for once.
He chewed on his cigar but dipped his chin as a concession. “I mean you and our guests no harm. As much power as I’ve gained in Mexico, I’m not looking to make enemies in the US.”
“You pinkie promise?” I mocked.
Temper flashed in his eyes, but it was Eva who drawled, “Unlike my husband, I don’t mind making enemies. Joke around again and I’ll send you back to your room tongueless. Considering what you were doing, I imagine you’d prefer to keep your appendages intact.”
“That I would.” I studied Martinez. “You don’t keep her leashed, do you?”
