“What are you, a public service announcement?” Adam snorted and started picking potatoes off her plate.
“Adam, I had no idea you were looking to get into the drug trade yourself. I don’t support that at all.”
“But you support my working with Dad in the drug trade?”
She shoved her plate away. “You don’t even know if Dad is El Gringo Viejo. This whole thing could be a wild-goose chase. Clay said...”
“Stop. Not interested in what Clay has to say.” He tapped his knife against his plate. “Is that why you’re agreeing to helping me find Dad? You don’t believe we will find him or, if we do, he’s not El Gringo Viejo and he’ll take me off your hands. Then you’ll be free of me, and you can spend all of Mom’s money and sell her house and not give any to me.”
April had heard this poor-me story many times before. This time it raised a flag of anger in her breast. If Adam had more self-control, Mom would’ve trusted him with money and a share of her home.
“My goal was never to help you become a drug dealer. You must know that or you wouldn’t have had to trick me into marrying Jimmy.”
“I didn’t force you to marry him. You agreed to his proposal all by yourself.”
“Because you modeled him into something and someone he wasn’t. You took advantage of my vulnerable state. I can’t believe you set me up, and I can’t believe I fell for it.”
She covered her eyes with one hand, but she didn’t feel sad or broken. Anger had started percolating in her veins. Adam wouldn’t even make this deal with her. She’d help him find Dad or maybe they wouldn’t, but he’d never turn over the flash drive to her.
“Jimmy wasn’t going to hurt you. He wanted access to El Gringo Viejo, just like I do. After you helped us, I’m sure Jimmy would’ve consented to a divorce or annulment.” He slurped his coffee. “Probably would’ve paid you off, too.”
“As if that’s what I wanted.” She dug some cash out of her purse. “But you must’ve decided to go it alone without Jimmy when you stole the flash drive. Why’d you do that?”
“Opportunity presented itself one day.”
“Who thinks like that?” She smacked down her money for her half-eaten meal. “I’m done, Adam. If you won’t give me the flash drive now, I’m not going to help you find Dad or El Gringo Viejo or any other gringo. I’ll tell Clay that you have the flash drive with intel on Las Moscas, and the authorities will arrest you. Whether or not you can keep safe from Las Moscas in prison is going to be your concern. My concern will be staying alive, as you’ve seen fit to put my life in danger.”
Throughout her tirade, Adam had shoved his hand into his backpack. Maybe she’d gotten through to him. Maybe he’d give her the flash drive now.
Instead, he dropped his hands into his lap, and his lips curled up into a smile. “You’re not going to do any of that, April. You’re going to help me, just like you always have to make up for our parents’ treatment of me.”
“I’m sorry for the way Mom and Dad treated you, but that’s not my fault, either.” She draped the strap of her purse across her body. “I’m going back to Paradiso.”
“No, you’re not. You’re coming with me just like you promised. And if you don’t? I’m going to shoot you with your own gun, which is pointing at you right now.”
CLAY SHOT UP in his seat as April rounded the corner with Adam close by her side, holding her arm. Adam never displayed much affection, so April must’ve agreed to do his bidding. If so, he probably hadn’t told her he was the one who’d killed Jimmy. Even April wouldn’t condone that from Adam.
He gritted his teeth. He now had in his possession a surefire way to pry April away from her unhealthy codependence with her brother—and he planned to use it.
He threw open the car door and stepped into the street. Adam must’ve seen him immediately because his head jerked up and he moved behind April’s car.
“Damn him.” Clay jogged across the street, facing them down the sidewalk. As he moved rapidly toward them, April swiveled her head around and held out one hand.
Adam created some space between himself and April, and Clay lurched to a stop when he saw the gun jabbed into her side.
Clay’s eyes darted to the pedestrians on the street behind Clay and April. Nobody could see a thing.
With his hand hovering over his holstered gun, Clay drew closer to the car. “Let her go, Adam. I know everything. I know you’re the one who killed Jimmy. Jimmy’s blood was all over, not yours.”
April gasped and wrenched away from Adam.
Adam pinned her between his body and the passenger door of the car, the barrel of the gun still beneath her ribs. “Stay back, Archer, or I’ll kill her, too.”
“He means it, Clay. Let us go. I’ll be okay.”
Adam reached back and yanked April’s hair. “You told him you were meeting me? You liar.”
April opened her mouth, but Clay growled. “Of course she told me. She didn’t trust you.”
Adam snorted. “That’s rich. She didn’t trust you, either. That’s why she never told you why she called off your wedding. Thing is, Archer, she was having a fling with Jimmy Verdugo while she was engaged to you.”
“Clay.” His name ended in a cry on April’s lips as Adam yanked her hair again.
“We’ve got some business to attend to. So, back off or I’ll shoot her right here, right now. You don’t think I’d hurt family? Think again.” Adam chuckled, and the hair on the back of Clay’s neck quivered. “I did it before.”
April sagged against
