Gabriella cooks a large brunch, and even with a hangover, I’m ravenous. She’s especially quiet, and I notice a cautious look every few minutes as she serves us in the kitchen dining area. I wonder how much she knows. She can’t be oblivious about who Moon is or what he does.
She leaves us alone after I take my first bite and tell her how wonderful it is. I’m dressed in shorts and a tee. I wore a tight shirt because I don’t have a gun to conceal. I sneak a look or two as Moon eats, but mostly I keep my head down and concentrate on the food.
I have no idea what to say.
I’m startled when Moon clasps my fingers. “No, I won’t keep you here against your will, baby.”
I think about those words for a few minutes. He releases my hand and we continue eating.
I finally look up. “What if I go to the police?”
His lips make a small quirk. “I’ll lie.”
He says it so easily. “Will they find Dandridge’s body?”
“No.”
They’ll ask why I didn’t go straight to the police the first night. They’ll ask for proof of what I’ve said. I don’t even know where fucking Sally is. Kennedy will laugh, and I’ll be back at square one, but this time I’m the crazy ex-police officer. No matter how I spin things, it all comes back to proof outside of my testimony. “How dangerous is it for me out there?” I finally ask.
“It’s not dangerous. It’s deadly.”
“You’ll have me followed again, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
I continue to eat until I’m too stuffed to force down another bite.
“What if I work with you?”
“No.”
The instant frustration I feel at his blatant refusal is about to spill into violence. I try reason first. “So, I leave and you split your men so some can watch me when actually, you need them elsewhere.” I forge ahead knowing I’m on a roll. “I get away from your men. I will, and then I follow you anyway. You can’t be positive where I am at any given time.” I make sure Moon sees the certainty in my eyes. “Or… you keep me here and I cause problems when you leave me behind. Again, extra men will need to be here to protect me.” I give it a rest and watch Moon’s expression change as he considers what I’ve said.
“I’m taking over a territory. It’s for the right to sell drugs and guns. There is no coming back from that.” He’s calm, his eyes intense. I know him, though. I know the heat that simmers below the surface.
“Do you actually think I can go back to the life I had before?” I ask. “I’ve crossed the line. Once you do that, you can never go back. I care about you. Hell, I care about Gomez and Gabriella, and even though I haven’t met her—I care about Gomez’s sister. I’m trained. I can be an asset or a liability. I don’t think you can afford a hindrance right now.”
Moon abruptly stands. I think he’s coming to me, but he heads to a cabinet beside the sink and pulls out my Glock. He tosses it to me, and when I catch it, I realize it’s minus the magazine again. I check the chamber and find it empty. He tosses the magazine next, and I ram it home and slide a round into the chamber.
It’s do or die time. I could shoot him. He’s a cold-blooded killer.
I love him.
I rest the Glock beside my plate and take a drink of water.
Moon takes out his phone and makes a call. “Get your drunk ass out of bed and meet us in the library in thirty.” He listens. “Yes, with Madison.” He walks closer as he talks and then he rests my holster beside my plate. I stand up, secure the holster in the band of my shorts, and snap in the Glock. I need a belt to be sure the gun is secure, but I no longer feel naked.
Moon ends the call and I begin picking up the dishes until Gabriella walks in, clucks her tongue, and runs us out. She notices the gun on my hip and I see her relief. That’s how I know she’s just as involved as everyone else. Moon grabs my hand and walks me to the security room. He opens the door and two men stand from their chairs in front of the multiple consoles. One is the white guy from two days ago and the other is someone I don’t know.
“Madison, I’m officially introducing you to Philip.” He nods toward the white dude as he says, “and Cal.” He nods in the direction of the other man, who has skin darker than Moon’s. “Please call her Mak, that’s her preference.” Moon looks back to me. “There are six men who rotate shifts and monitor the house twenty-four-seven.” Moon pulls me in and shuts the door. “This is also a safe room. It has a separate ventilation system from the rest of the house, bulletproof walls, and the door is impregnable, or at least that’s what they promised when I paid a small fortune for it.” He leads me farther into the room. “It’s also fireproof. Our extra firearms and ammo are kept in here,” he opens a closet that is a large walk in, “as well as more guns and ammo upstairs in the library. I’ll show you those when we meet with Alex.”
Moon returns his attention to the two men. “Madison has full access to this room and everywhere in the house and on the grounds. Share this information with the other men. I’ll brief you this afternoon during the shift crossover and get you up-to-date on what’s planned for the next twenty-four hours.”
He leads me from the room. I’m reeling at everything I saw. I haven’t seen that much firepower since SWAT was called in on a case where I was the responding officer and my supervisor called the elite team in. I am shotgun and rifle certified. The guys returning from military duty love their rifles. I prefer my Glock.
We head upstairs and Moon gives me the combination to a large hidden gun safe that’s behind one of the bookcases. “I’ll have 9mm rounds and magazines placed in here too. I carry a .45 and so does Alex, so we’ve never had use for the smaller rounds up here.”
Before he can close the door to the safe, Gomez walks in. He doesn’t look good. His eyes are bloodshot and his white dress shirt is wrinkled. He takes in everything, including the gun at my hip. He crosses the room, snags his arm around my waist, and pulls me in close. A normal guy would give a quick hug. Gomez noogies my hair. I slap him away with a laugh.
Gomez laughs too and takes a chair, kicks back, and lifts an ankle across his other knee. “Okay, Jefe, what’s the plan?”
Moon just shakes his head and straightens my hair. He takes the other chair and pulls me onto his lap. Gomez doesn’t blink an eye. “The meeting with Estephon is tonight. You’re coming with me and Madison is staying here.” When I start to object, Moon gives a slight jerk to my hair. “I need to know you’re safe and I want you here protecting the house. That means Gabriella and her niece, who is visiting. This way I can take Alex with me.”
I’m not happy. I think about it for a minute as Moon gives me time to respond. “What’s involved in this meeting?”
Moon’s lips tilt up in a wicked smile. “Estephon knows I’m after his territory. He’s not happy and he’ll try something tonight. His problem is that he’s coming into my territory and I have more manpower. I’ve got a fairly good feel for the cops who are on his payroll here and I’ve got a few cops on his in New Mexico. He needs to size up my operation. In the past, I’ve dealt with him as little as possible, and he’s in the dark about a lot that goes on here. This is as friendly a meeting as the two of us will have. At least if the shit doesn’t hit the fan.”
“Will you kill him if you have the chance?” I ask.
“Absolutely.”
I shouldn’t feel relief, but I do. “What does he think you’re negotiating tonight? I’m not stupid; Estephon wouldn’t come here unless there was something in it for him.” Gomez laughs out loud. Moon gives me a look that makes it hard for me not to punch him. “I’m in. I told you I was in. I’m staying here while you go off and do thug shit. I deserve to know everything.”
Moon scratches his fingers over his short hair. Gomez laughs louder until Moon gives him a look, and I snort. It isn’t very ladylike either and that earns me a smile from Moon.
“Estephon thinks I want to discuss the flesh trade. He’s meeting with me and my aunt to discuss expanding th
e business with his.”
“What about the girls? Are they safe tonight?”
“I planned to keep them here. I’ll find another place for them to stay.”
Christ on a crutch. “No, bring them here. They’re safer with me. I won’t guarantee they’ll be as pretty as when they arrive, though.”
Moon pulls me into him. “Bruised and bloody and they still won’t hold a candle to you.”
I nuzzle his neck. “You say the most romantic things.”
Gomez stands. “I don’t think my aching head can handle any more of this. I need a few more hours of sleep. Obviously, the two of you need a few more hours of something else.”
Moon looks down at me and I lean up and kiss him. We don’t notice when Gomez leaves the room.
Chapter Thirty-Two