Doing just as they were told, one after the other, they all embarked, waiting patiently with only the splash of ocean breaking the silence. The tension was thick as Dorian drove erratically out into the open ocean. Once they were far enough from the mansion that it appeared as only a distant speck, Dorian turned off the motor and came to face them.
Sitting at the front of the boat with her legs crossed while the others stood around her, Mercedes asked again, “What’s going on?”
He paused and, interestingly, hesitated before he spoke. Unusual for him, Mercedes thought.
“Somebody is coming for me,” Dorian said.
“Somebody’s what?” Antonio’s voice quivered like he didn’t believe what was being said. Surely nobody out there would be stupid enough to challenge The Great Dorian Blake.
“That’s crazy, boss,” T.B. said.
“Nobody is that stupid,” Antonio agreed.
“Sorry, what? You think someone is coming for you?” Mercedes said, placing her hand on her chest. It was meant to be an attempt to appear shocked, but itwasactually shocking news to hear. Had they been figured out? Did he suspect that she was a part of it?
“If they’re coming for me, they’ll be coming for you, too, darling,” Dorian said. Perhaps he was still in the dark for now.
“That’s impossible,” she scoffed.
“It’s not only possible, it’s happening,” Yani said.
“What the hell do you know?” Antonio said, squaring up (stupidly) to the much-larger Second.
“Shut the fuck up,” Dorian said calmly. “This isn’t time for infighting. We are under attack.”
“Who?” Antonio said.
“I don’t know,” Dorian said, and Mercedes breathed a silent sigh of relief. “But our drug supplies keep getting stolen, T.B. was run off the road, now the whores have sent a message that they’re working for someone else.”
“But you got Diego? We moved up the election. This is time for celebrating!” Antonio said.
“Yeah, we got Diego. As a fucking improvisation. Greedy fucking hospital nurses cost me thousands administering that unfortunate death. Someone murdered my fucking sniper,” Dorian belted, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “Which means someone figured out what I was trying to do, and tried to stop me.”
She steadied herself against the rocking of the boat along the water. It all made perfect sense. Dorian’s conclusion was obvious, and it was correct. Fuck.
“Oh, God,” Antonio said, dropping into a seat like he had followed her thoughts exactly. But was panicking for a completely different reason.
“No way, it’s not fucking possible!” T.B. shouted.
“It is,” Dorian said. “Someone is plotting to take me down. Now I don’t want to tip them off that I have any idea…business as usual, so nobody else can know about this. The three of you are going to find out who is coming after me, and fast.”
Great, so the powerboat would mean murder. Hers… if she couldn’t keep one step ahead of him.
13
BY THE BOOK
APRIL 1991
The blinds drew suddenly, the scorching sun streaming in through exposed glass windows. Jolting from his sleep, Adam sat up in bed, shielding his eyes with his forearm and clutching the black bedsheets in his other hand.
“Rise and shine.” Mercedes’s jovial laugh found him long before he saw her standing at the window, hands on hips.
“How did you get in here?”
“You’re not the only one who can scale walls and get the jump on people,” said Mercedes. “It’s annoying, isn’t it?”
Rolling out of bed with a grumble, Adam stalked to the window. He grabbed the curtains and pulled them shut again, reaching past Mercedes’ shoulders to hold the drapes sealed, his lips only inches from hers as he held the fabric still.
