I stiffen at the sound of the thickly accented male voice I hear coming through. It’s Hector telling her he wants to meet her. Alone. There’s no way I’m sending her off to him without me. I pry the phone from her hand.
“Listen, asshole. Daisy’s with me. You want to meet with her, then you’ll do it through me. You think of touching a hair on her head and I’ll slit your throat and drive you to the gates of hell myself.”
He laughs in my ear. “So much passion and loyalty for my whore. I taught her well, no ese?” he’s trying to bait me.
I clench my jaw. “Name the time and place.”
He goes quiet so long I begin to think he’s hung up when he finally says, “Noon. There’s a cantina near the cement factory right off the highway a few miles from a private airstrip. If my pequeña flor gives me what I want, I’ll give her the girl. If not, I’ll kill you together.”
He hangs up before I can tell him to go fuck himself.
“I can go alone,” she tells me.
“Babygirl, you’re not doing this on your own. You’re mine. I told you. No one touches you.” I kiss the side of her head. “Get some sleep.”
Chapter Eighteen
Bile churns in my stomach as I stare at the contents of my mug as if my coffee holds all the answers to my problems. Lunatic is going to get himself killed. He doesn’t know Hector like I do. He doesn’t make idle threats. When he says something, he means it. Hot Mama confirmed the photo he sent me is real, but there’s still no knowing if he’s telling me the truth about my daughter.
Some of the guys from the club already rode out to scout the meeting spot. Hector probably knows they are there. He has eyes everywhere.
Draining the rest of my coffee, I run through the plan again for the millionth time. It sounds simple enough. Lunatic and I will meet with Hector at the bar. I’ll give him the address Hot Mama gave me in exchange for the little girl he claims is mine. Except Hector never lets anyone go so easily.
I know too much about him. About his operations. One of us isn’t walking away alive.
We’re the first to arrive.
Two of Hector’s goons are waiting for us when we enter the empty bar. They pat us down, checking for weapons. Once theyare satisfied, we take our seats. I’m trying to stay calm, but my knee keeps bouncing against the table. Lunatic places a hand on my upper thigh and squeezes. “Breathe, Babygirl.”
The only other person in the room with us is the bartender who looks like he’s about to shit his pants at any given moment.
The back door of the bar opens letting light spill into the darkened room. Hector strolls in, removing his sunglasses and resting them on the top of his head. Gold chains glitter around his neck, and his wrists and fingers are dripping in gold and diamonds, and yet he still looks cheap. His lips tip into a smile when he sees me.
I scowl at him, and Lunatic growls.
“Is this how you greet a friend?” he holds his arms open like he expects me to come in for a hug. “No? eh.” He waves a hand and pulls out a chair across from us. “You look good, Daisy.”
“Where’s my daughter?”
“She’s safe. As soon as I confirm the information you give me, I’ll send you an address where you can pick her up.”
“That wasn’t our deal.”
“Jose.” He snaps his fingers, and his brother steps out of the shadows. “Show her.”
Jose places a tablet on the table between us and taps on a file labeled Gracie. There are pictures from the night I gave birth and for every major milestone I’ve missed. I don’t know how to feel. I’m afraid to trust that the images are real. That she’s real. She’s beautiful. Perfect.
“Now you see.”
I give him the address to a safe house where the woman he’s after is supposed to be living. He smiles. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He types the address in on his phone.
“Tell me where she is.”
“Once I secure what I came for––” his words die on his tongue as Jose pulls out a gun and puts a bullet in his brother’s brain.
Blood splatters across my face and chest.
“I’ll have the child brought to you within the hour.” Jose shakes Lunatic’s hand and leaves the bar with Hector’s phone.
