get rewarded for his honesty with a bullet that could cut him in two. “I can’t help you if you won’t let me. If you don’t want my help, then why the hell am I here?”
“Sit down,” Juan said, “and close the door.” The box’s hinges made no noise when Juan opened it. He scooped a bit of the white powder onto the sight of his pistol and snorted it off before dipping his finger in and scrubbing it along his teeth. The drug, Anthony guessed, was what made him shake like a wet dog.
This behavior had surprised Anthony. He’d thought people like Juan sold this stuff but were smart enough not to partake. That was a myth. Juan and his men were all hooked, and the level of the box never went down.
“Do you need something?” Anthony closed the door and sat down as far to the left as he could to have a chance of reaching for his gun, if it came to that. “You haven’t up to now. Between making jokes about me and whispering with your friends, you’ve got it all under control. There’s no need for me to be here.”
“You know why I haven’t told you my plans?”
“Considering all I’ve given up to help you, I’d love to hear it.” Anthony crossed his legs and clamped his mouth closed, trying to keep down the nausea as he watched Juan dip the tip of the gun into the cocaine again. He silently wished Juan just needed another hit.
“You with me, Mr. FBI, or you with G.I. Joe on the corner?” Juan neared and pointed the barrel under Anthony’s nose. “You want me to let you really work for me?” He pressed the barrel to the skin of his upper lip. “Then show me you’re with me.”
Of all the things that could’ve popped into Anthony’s head, his talk with Annabel Hicks came to the forefront of his mind. The Bureau always knew what you did wrong, no matter how much you tried to hide it, and they didn’t care what your reasons were. This was his line in the sand. If he crossed it he could still go back, but the return would be tainted.
“My uncle’s a fool, but he’s right about you,” Juan said.
The words weren’t a commentary on the truth but, in Anthony’s mind, a taunt. He looked directly at Juan and snorted the coke off the pistol, then repeated the action when Juan held it up on the opposite side.
Anthony felt like someone had pried shingles off his eyes and he was seeing the world in its true bright colors for the first time. The drug pulsed through his system and wrapped seductively around his brain, making him feel euphoric enough to question why he’d fought so hard to keep this away from whoever wanted to use it.
“Tell me,” Anthony said. The barrel of Juan’s gun was still pointed at his head, but he was flying too high to think about fear.
Juan put his gun down and his hand on Anthony’s head. “Whatever you want to know.”
Annabel and her warnings melted from his thoughts as he looked at Juan. He’d taken his chances and now was in the stronghold people like Shelby and Joe would never find. There was only one difference in his plans. He would take Cain and Juan out, but no matter how that went down, the teak box was his. No way was he giving up the chance to feel like this again.
Chapter Forty-Seven
“Hey, none of that.” Remi tried to reach up to touch Dallas, but the movement made her grimace in apparent pain. “We knew this guy’s signature, and Cain had Mano order the best body armor available for both of us. And the guys think I’ve been reading all those knight books for nothing.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Dallas tried to keep from crying, but having Remi on her back appearing so vulnerable made her realize that no matter how she felt about her, she could lose her. “When I saw that, I thought my heart would stop.”
“I’m sorry. I never expected it. Once I was on the ground, Simon got me in the car and out of there.” Remi held her hand and smiled. “We’re really going to have to do something about that front lock of yours.”
“I’m just glad you’re all right. You’re all right, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t been x-rayed yet, but our family doctor made a house call and said I probably have a couple of either bruised or cracked ribs. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
“Since I have you at my mercy, I want to have that talk with you before we take this any further. It’s the only way I can make this fair to you. You need to know the real me before you commit to anything.”
“Come closer,” Remi said. Dallas lay down carefully and tried not to add to Remi’s pain. “I want you to know how committed I am to you.”
The phone next to the bed rang and Dallas picked it up, thinking it was Kristen. “Sorry,” she said to Remi.
“I know you’re home, so don’t think about avoiding me. I’m just around the corner,” Bob said, and disconnected.
“Who was it?” Remi asked.
“Bob, he wanted to see me, but it’s—”
Remi moaned, and she obviously didn’t do it out of pleasure, but she rolled over and kissed Dallas. “You don’t want to—is that what you were going to say?”
“It’s hard to explain, but I have to put up with him. You might think I’m insane for doing it, but like he keeps reminding me, he’s not going away.”
“I want you to let Emil deal with him. That way we can finally have that talk.”
Dallas sat up and ran her fingers through her hair to try and order it. “Let me get rid of him and make him understand I need a few more days alone.” She backed out of the room, but when Remi said nothing, she came close to getting back into the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
Halfway down the stairs, Dallas heard the buzzer to the gate and ran to press the button to release the lock. Even if she wanted Emil’s help, she didn’t notice him on her way out. Bob was already halfway through the courtyard and snarled when he saw her.
