Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Rico

I hated having to slip out of bed. Hated having to be away from my boy for any length of time. But I needed to be outside while Alfonzo did this weapons exchange with our dealer from Mexico. The cartel leader liked having me available for the exchanges, and it wasn’t because he didn’t trust Alfonzo.

It was that he didn’t trust me. Which was fine because I didn’t fucking trust him either. The only reason I dealt with him was that he had pull here in the States and dealing with him made it easier to get weapons across the border.

After showering and dressing in a pair of slacks and a plain black, button-down shirt, I headed downstairs. Alfonzo was already waiting on me. He glanced at his watch as he stuffed the last bite of toast into his mouth, crumbs falling down the front of his t-shirt. He brushed them away as he looked at me.

Didn’t matter how much money this man made; he was always going to just be… him.

“We’ve got about five minutes,” he told me. “With it being such a small order, I should be able to quickly do the count so you can pay and they can be on their merry fucking way.”

I nodded once. Sounded like a fucking plan to me.

Alfonzo’s phone went off, and he glanced at the text before heading for the door. I followed, letting him walk out ahead of me. When I stepped outside, Emmanuel was just sliding out of the back of his SUV, his driver holding the door open for him. We met halfway and shook hands, while Alfonzo walked to the van to do a weapons count.

“You look well,” Emmanuel said.

“ Mmm ,” was all I responded with. He chuckled and straightened his suit jacket. “You normally order a larger amount, Rico. Why the change?”

“None of your concern,” I told him bluntly. He hummed, obviously not liking my answer, but I knew he wouldn’t push me on it. He might have had pull here in the States, but I had a bigger pull and more connections. I wasn’t an enemy he wanted.

I was always on alert when Emmanuel and his men were near, so when the front door opened, and Anurak stepped outside, I was immediately aware, my attention shifting to him. The moment his foot touched the porch, multiple guns were trained on him. He shrieked in alarm, his wide eyes locking on mine, fear blurring the dark depths. Snarling, terrified for my boy and fucking furious someone dared point a weapon in his direction, I gripped the front of Emmanuel’s shirt and slammed him against his SUV. “Order them to stand down!” I barked. “ Now !”

He called out the order in Spanish, and the moment the guns were off my boy, I leaned in, glaring at him. “If you or your men turn a weapon on my boy again, I will tear your world apart,” I growled at him in Spanish, daring him to challenge me.

“Understood,” Emmanuel said, easily backing down to me.

I released him with a rough shove, then quickly strode to Anurak, who was still frozen on the porch, his eyes wide with terror. His body was trembling, his teeth chattering. Gripping his hips, I backed him into the house and kicked the door shut behind me before pressing him against the wall, my mouth sealing across his.

He clung to me, his skin cold and clammy from fear. And I fucking hated it. I was meant to protect him, and I’d almost fucking failed . Where the goddamn hell was Bento?

“I thought they were going to kill me,” he said, his voice cracking and thick with tears.

I shook my head and gripped the back of his neck, pressing my forehead to his. “He’s goddamn lucky I didn’t order every single one of his men to be slaughtered,” I snarled. “No weapon gets pointed at my boy. None .”

The fucking fear I felt in that moment that someone’s finger would slip on their trigger, that a bullet would pierce Anurak, had been a living, breathing thing in that moment. The only reason I hadn’t put a bullet in Emmanuel’s skull right then and there was because someone would have shot Anurak after. And that wasn’t a goddamn situation I could fathom.

I would go fucking feral and tear everyone apart before putting a bullet through my own skull. I knew it without a single fucking doubt.

There was no me without him.

“Who are those men?” Anurak asked, clinging to me. He was beginning to shake less, and his teeth were no longer chattering. It still didn’t stop me from wanting to go outside and slaughter everyone for making him afraid. This was his safe space. This was his fucking home . No one should have been making him feel unsafe here.

“Men who will no longer be allowed on this property or anywhere near you after today,” I swore. Cupping the side of his neck, I pressed my thumb into his jaw and tilted his head back, covering his lips with mine again. He sank into me, his trembling ceasing. “You are my entire goddamn world, Anurak,” I growled into his mouth, “and I swore to keep you safe. I will always keep you safe.”

He nodded and kissed me again. Our lips moved together soft and slow, in a rhythm as steady as a flowing stream. The front door opened behind me, and Alfonzo roughly cleared his throat. Reluctantly, I pulled back from Anurak, turning my head to look at my second in command.

“Yes?” I snapped, pissed at being interrupted.

“Everything has been taken care of. I wired the money to Emmanuel for you. He extended his apologies for his men’s actions.”

“Apologies will never be enough,” I said. Alfonzo inclined his head in agreement. I gripped Anurak’s hand in mine and led him toward my office. “Have Bento come see me,” I ordered. Alfonzo gave an affirmative from behind me before I heard his footsteps retreating.

Anurak fell into step next to me, his fingers linking through mine. “What’s going to happen now?” he softly asked.

“You are going to sit in my office with me until I feel okay enough to let you out of my sight again. And I’m going to have a talk with Bento.” I pushed open my office door and led Anurak over to the couch. He sat down and immediately tugged his blanket around him. I dropped a kiss to the top of his head and rounded my desk, taking a seat just as Bento knocked on the door frame.

“You called, sir?”

“Yes.” I beckoned him inside. He stepped further into the room. I leaned forward and linked my fingers together on top of my desk. He swallowed thickly. “When Anurak is awake and I am not with him, you are his fucking shadow, do I make myself clear?” Bento nodded once. “He just had several guns pointed at him, and had one of Emmanuel’s men slipped, my boy would be dead. And if I lose Anurak, Bento, I will burn this whole fucking world to the ground, do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal clear, sir,” Bento said.

“Good.” I waved him off. “You are dismissed. Do not let this happen again, or it’ll be my bullet in your fucking skull.”

Bento turned and walked back out. Anurak frowned at me. “You can’t kill him. He probably didn’t even know I was awake?—”

I held up a hand, and he immediately stopped talking, his teeth clacking together as he snapped his jaw shut. “ Perrito ,” I forced my voice into a calmer one for his sake, “while I like Bento and he has worked for me for years, your safety is not a fucking game. I will not let it be treated as such. He knows the rules of being your bodyguard, and he knows what is expected of him. He had one slip-up. He’s lucky I didn’t break his goddamn fingers, but without his fingers, he is worthless to both you and me. He’s getting a second chance.” I met my boy’s soft eyes. “I assure you, he won’t fuck up again.”

He frowned at me like I’d disappointed him, and it made my chest feel like it was caving in. “You can be really mean sometimes.”

I sighed and patted my lap. Immediately, he rose and crossed the distance between us. I tugged him down onto my lap and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Sometimes, perrito , I have to be mean. It comes with the business.” I cupped his cheek. “But I will never be mean to you. Understand?”

He nodded. “I understand.”

I kissed him. “Good boy.” And fuck, the way he preened under my praise… “I need to get some work done. Do you want to stay here with me or go back to the couch?”

He immediately rested his head on my shoulder. “I’ll stay here.”

Good choice .