16. Rita

16

RITA

S omehow, I'd managed to fall asleep. Was it that surprising after the way Esteban set my body on fire?

I needed it too. Now, Esteban's fingers trailing up and down my bare back were the gentle wake up I needed.

I let my eyes flutter open and there he was, up on his elbow, watching his fingers. A look of deep concentration made him appear slightly older.

"I'd say good morning but it's after ten pm." There was a note of amusement in his words.

"I know it's night. I can tell from the lack of sun coming through the windows," I grumbled.

Sitting up, I stretched my arms over my head and let out a groan as my back cracked in a couple places.

"You don't have to get up. We still have until tomorrow before we figure out next steps."

"I can't." I climbed out of bed and found my phone. There was one missed call and text from Germaine. And one text from Amorette.

Amorette: I wanted to check in. Want to have a drink ?

Before answering her, I called Germaine. He was the head manager at Lucia's, the highest performing club the Dirty Dogs owned.

It was also the most high-end, which compared to Amorette's decor choices, wasn't much.

"Took you long enough!" Germaine grumbled in English. He was German, and did speak Spanish, but it was hard to understand him. He spoke English to anyone he could to make his life easier.

"What's wrong?" I shut myself inside my bathroom to do the essentials.

"We're out of at least five liquors." He rattled off a handful. "We'll have to BYOB it tonight unless you can make a miracle happen. I've already spoken to the other two clubs nearby and they don't have any extra stock."

I closed my eyes and worked my brain. It was coming back online slowly, and it took me an extra minute to think. "There's stock here at the club. I think we have all of those."

"Good! I'll see you in a few." He clicked.

Well, fuck. I stared down at my phone. I hadn't meant to offer to take it, but this was good. It would keep me busy and give me a chance to get my head right.

Me: I have to run stock to Lucia's. Meet me there in one hr?

I finished brushing my teeth then stepped out to fill Esteban in. He was still sprawled back on my bed, his jacked arms tucked behind his head. I shivered at the delicious sight.

It couldn't be said that when I went out, I went all the fuck out.

"I have to take some cases to Lucia's."

"In what car? "

I froze my efforts to find an appropriate clubbing dress. "Shit." That was right. I'd rode here on Esteban's bike.

"It's fine. I have a spare SUV here. I'll drive you." He rolled out of bed without an ounce of irritation.

"What are you doing, Esteban?" I tilted my head, waiting for him to look at me.

He slid his jeans over his toned ass and glanced over his shoulder. "Getting dressed. What I assume you're about to do. Unless you want to make Germaine wait?"

The thought was tempting, but... "I can't. The club's already packed at this hour. Anyway, you know what I mean."

Sighing, he turned around after he'd zipped up his jeans and pulled on his shirt. "I told you. I want a chance. This is me taking it."

I nodded, pressing my lips together. This was fun, and I liked him. More than liked him. But I was so fucked up right now for so many reasons.

Did he understand that?

The seriousness in his gaze as he watched me said he did. He also didn't care.

"You also need a bit of normalcy. And time to just breathe. I'm going to make sure you get it."

I grinned and raised one brow. "So you're going to pamper the shit out of me until I can't live without you?"

"Yup." He stepped closer, cupping my waist and dropping a kiss on my lips. "No regrets." Then he slid past me to go to the bathroom.

Esteban directed several of the workers to unload the back of the SUV. We had everything I thought we had in inventory at the compound. It was nice, knowing something and being right about it.

These employees weren't part of Dirty Dogs. Papá had always handled the gang as mostly above board and he wanted clean people to do that. The guys had a momentary identity crisis when we'd pulled back from some of our other activities after Vicente and Valentina died.

Shit. That could be part of why the men were all fired up to go hard after this other club. They were insulted, their pride had taken multiple hits, and they were struggling to fill their time.

I checked the time. Amorette should be here by now.

"I need to go find Amorette." I touched Esteban's arm.

He worked his jaw as the last worker took the final box. "I'll come with you."

"I don't need a bodyguard in our own club." I tucked my phone in my clutch and waited. I wanted him to come with me. I wanted him to fix that fundamental thing inside me that Matías broke.

"Ask me if I give a fuck," he hummed.

Beaming, I led the way through the back entrance of the club. The blacklights overhead gave everything a dark and sinister vibe. The employees all wore white to stand out in the crowd. Hilarious considering that the Dirty Dogs owned it.

Not all of our clubs had a VIP section, including this one, but we did have a section that was in the corner just for Dirty Dogs. It wasn't roped off, it was simply known as off-limits to the locals.

As I pushed through the sweaty crowd, I craned my neck looking for my tiny friend. She was a bitch to find in these places because she was shorter than everyone and refused to wear anything bigger than kitten heels .

I'd asked her once why she didn't rock taller heels. She'd said she wanted to be able to run if she needed to. Given her chosen men, I understood it.

We reached the bar, and Germaine propped his elbows on the counter. "You're a lifesaver. Tonight is wild!" he yelled over the music.

"No problem." I gripped the wooden edge of the counter and Esteban caged me in with his arms. Warmth pooled in my stomach. This was what I'd always wanted. The feeling that I was the most important person in someone's life.

I opened my mouth to ask if he'd seen Amorette–he'd met her a couple times in the last year, when he pointed to our section.

"Your friends are over there."

"Thanks!" I called, but I was already weaving through hot and sweaty couples.

"Fuck a bitch," Esteban muttered.

I would have asked why, but I wasn't turning around so he could hear me. My path would get swallowed up and we'd be stuck here for another ten minutes. It wasn't that I minded, but as much as I wanted to see Amorette, I hadn't wanted to stay out very long.

Just enough that both Amorette and Esteban saw that I was okay.

Another gap appeared and I cleared it. Then some scrawny ass kid stepped in my path.

"Dance?" His smile was as slimy as his polo. The tourists found us.

"Get lost." I flicked my fingers, but his smile didn't change. He moved closer.

He used his one chance. Shooting out my hand, I cupped his feeble balls, making sure to dig my nails in. At the same time Esteban caught his throat .

I sputtered out a laugh, leaning closer. "If you want to keep your life and your balls, I'd hit up Lorana's. That's where the tourists party."

As if synchronized, we let the kid go, and he wasted no time scrambling back.

I glanced back at Esteban and we shared a smile, before his gaze flicked over my head. Murder entered his expression and he curled his hand around my waist.

Oh fuck. I had a good idea what he was frustrated about. I almost didn't want to turn.

But I did.

There was Amorette, sitting in the center of three of her men, minus Andre, and in the fifth chair was Matías, looking grumpy as hell as he returned my stare.

As soon as our eyes met, I looked away as heat blistered my cheeks. I'd done nothing wrong, but my body reacted like I'd betrayed him. Fuck that.

Moving forward, I switched my attention to Amorette. She had the decency to look sheepish. When I reached her, I nodded my head toward the other table. Smiling at her guys, she excused herself and followed me.

"Why did you bring him?" I demanded once we were seated.

"Grey and Parker didn't want to leave him at home." She gazed at them with too much love. It was going to make me sick.

"I don't want to see him, Amorette." I wasn't kidding.

She shrugged. "So don't look. We're at a different table anyway."

Yeah, she said that, but my eyes had a mind of their own. Every few seconds they wandered to his seat and slid away from his heated stare. He was making a scene with how intently focused on me he was .

Esteban glanced between Matías and me. He seemed torn between staying with me and starting another fight with Matías. Finally, he released the tension in his shoulders and came to stand against the wall behind me.

I sighed. I hadn't realized how concerned I was that they'd start fighting in the club. In our compound was one thing, but in one of our businesses was another. It required paying off a few officials for turning their heads the other way.

We'd had to do that for Parker last year.

"Parker told me about what happened at the school." Amorette flicked her gaze to Esteban and back again. The music wasn't as loud here, but she still kept her voice low so he couldn't hear what she was saying. "Why didn't you call me?"

"And tell you what?" I played dumb. One-hundred-percent.

She reached for my hand and tucked her small hand around mine. "I'm just worried about you."

"Yeah? Well, bringing the man who broke my heart isn't the way to check on me," I snapped.

Amorette pressed her lips together and glanced at Matías. I did too and wished I hadn't.

He wasn't looking at me anymore. He was talking to Ricco and a couple of the guys from the club. They slapped him on the back like a long lost friend. It was hard to see.

I was the Dirty Dog. I was Papá’s fucking daughter and they all knew he dropped me. Yet they fawned around him like he was royalty.

"I just don't understand..." Amorette trailed off.

"Don't understand what?" My voice changed from angry to frustrated .

"He came back for you. I hoped it would fix things. I want you both to be happy."

I pulled a face. "He was the reason I missed Papá's passing."

She faced me. "That's not his fault. Andre or any of my guys would have gone to get him for you. You wanted to be the one to go. That was your decision."

My chest squeezed at the uncomfortable feeling pressing down on it. "You think I don't know that?"

"You don't know that!" Amorette tossed up her hands. "Otherwise you wouldn't blame him for it."

I shook my head. "You don't understand."

A roar of laughter came from their table. I recognized Matías' laugh. It wasn't often he laughed like that. I used to savor those moments.

I glanced over as Matías did the same. A bright smile on his face for the first time since he came back and I wasn't the one who put it there.

Not able to hold his gaze, I looked back at Amorette. "I think a night out is more than I can take."

Turning to get Esteban's attention, I was ready to call it quits. I had bigger things to worry about. Like how I was going to win the vote. Actually that wasn't even in the top three. The most important was figuring out how to keep a bunch of man babies from running to their deaths.

"Wait." Amorette leaned over the table, reaching for my arm.

"What?" I'd lost all my good mood.

Someone screamed in the crowd and people started running toward the back of the club. The music cut and men's shouting echoed off the walls.

The brothers surrounded Amorette and I ran from the table, straight for the front. Esteban was hot on my heels .

Ricco called for the Dogs, from right behind me, and when I glanced back, Matías was on his other side.

Several women almost ran into me in an effort to get away but I wove as Esteban pushed.

At the front of the club, Due stood toe to toe with a couple men I didn't recognize. Their new leather jackets gave me an idea of who they were and my stomach sank.

"What's the problem?" I asked, stopping shoulder to shoulder with Due.

He glared at the man in front of him. "Looks like the new gang in town wanted to scout out our club. Not fucking happening."

The man in front of him smiled, not the least bit intimidated. "What? You don't want to make friends with your new neighbors?"

"You don't want to be friends. You made that clear when you killed one of our men."

The man scoffed. "You killed your own man and delivered his head. Don't blame that on us."

"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about Tiago. He was dropped at our gates today." Due lifted his chin.

I had to give it to the man. He looked genuinely confused. "That wasn't us."

"Don't lie!" Due shot forward but Esteban pulled him back and took his place.

"Tonight, you're not welcome here. If you didn't deliver our man like you say you did, leave as a show of good faith," Esteban said as he placed his shoulder slightly in front of mine.

"You expect us to just roll over anytime your club says? It seems you don't have your shit together and you're holding onto your businesses by your fingernails." The guy laughed and slapped his friend's chest. The three of them were having a good laugh at our expense.

"Your first mistake is assuming the Dirty Dogs aren't lethal. They are." Matías' shoulder touched mine as he made his allegiance obvious. "Your second is assuming they don't have friends."

The guy glanced at Matías, his gaze lingering. He didn't outright recognize him, but he must have thought he looked familiar.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Matías smiled, and it was the one he'd always had for the Institution or his enemies. A crazy and rage-filled show of teeth. "Matías Castillo. You might have heard of me. And if you haven't heard of me, you've surely heard of Andre Medina. Or Grey Morozov, or Parker Adair. Maybe even Lafe Nilsen." He rattled off his brothers like he was reading a shopping list.

The men backed up. It was only half a step, but it was enough to show they did fear the brothers where they didn't fear us.

That was bullshit.

I stepped forward. "You have two seconds to get off of our club property. This is us being nice. We'll pay you a visit and talk to your president soon. Send him our regards."

The men glanced at Matías, then each other. That was all it took for them to leave.

Anger like I'd never experienced before burned through me. When they were gone, I grabbed Matías' wrist and walked him to the back office. The others fell away. I heard Esteban shouting but when I glanced back, he wasn't behind us.

Inside the office, I shut the door and faced Matías. He wanted to have this talk. Fine. We'd have it right now.