The smile lifting lips couldn’t be helped just as the butterflies taking flight in belly couldn’t be stopped. “I know.” Unable to sit still, I bounced on the spot and grabbed her hands. “There was just something about him that made me want to let go. It was exciting. Exhilarating.”
Kasia squeezed my fingers. “Yeah, I bet.” She studied me for a beat then leaned forward. “He really had his hands in your pants on the dancefloor.”
Before I even had time to feel embarrassed about that again, my phone chimed to life from inside my bedroom. I gave my friend an apologetic look before I hopped up and rushed to answer it.
I knew it was impossible that Santiago would be on the other end of the line, that still didn’t stop the sliver of hope spreading through my veins when I pressed the phone against my ear without even checking the caller ID.
“Becs.”
My “Oh, it’s you,” slipped out before I could check myself.
“Wow! Is that any way to greet your favorite brother?”
Perching my butt on the edge of the bed, I rolled my eyes even though the idiot couldn’t see me. “You’re my only brother.”
“Haha, funny. Listen, Becs, I hate to do this but I’m going to have to cancel our dinner plans tonight.”
A deep frown pulled my brows together. I couldn’t remember the last time Jack had canceled on me. “Everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” He didn’t sound too convincing. “Uncle Ben wants me to meet the client and you know how it goes.”
I didn’t. Still, I nodded and said, “Sure.”
“Maybe we can do sushi tomorrow night?”
Something in his voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. My meeting is about to start, but I’ll see you tomorrow, kay?”
The line went dead before I even had a chance to utter a response. “Goodbye Becca,” I muttered to the empty room as I pulled the phone from my ear. “Have a nice day.”
I was about to set it back on the bedside table when I saw a new message from a number I didn’t recognize. I opened it and smiled like a freaking loon almost immediately. I had no idea how or where he had gotten my number, but apparently Santiago Morales wanted me to meet him tonight.
Guess Jack canceling our dinner plans wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Chapter Seven
Santiago
My index finger brushed the trigger of the gun firmly pressed against my thigh. My gaze bouncing between Jack Martin and his uncle where they were huddled together over two steaming mugs coffee.
With the way Jack was frowning and pressing his lips into a thin line, it wasn’t hard to gather that he wasn’t too happy with the conversation they were having.
My finger twitched, the need to lift my gun and put a bullet between that asshole’s eyes so strong, I almost gave in. Almost. The thing stopping me this time wasn’t how badly I wanted to see Jack suffer but rather how desperately I didn’t want my brother to go after Becca.
And if I killed Jack, Jorge would kill Becca. He’d make me watch too.
“The hell is wrong with you?” I muttered to myself. I fucked her once and all of a sudden all my plans—plans that’d been put into motion months ago—were changing.
Jack’s uncle grabbed him by the tie and yanked him forward. My own musings momentarily forgotten as I gave the pair my full attention. The older man’s face was turning a dangerous shade of red where, in contrast, all the color had drained from Jack’s skin.
The uncle shoved a piece of paper into his nephew’s breast pocket and released his grip on Jack’s tie. Pushing to his feet, Stuart waved his index finger under his nephew’s nose then smacked his palm against his cheek before strolling toward the sleek black Benz parked on the curb.
I’d never seen this interaction between them before, and something about it had my gut twisting. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I dialed Hank’s number. He was the only other person who knew about Isa and Jack.
And right now, he was the only one I trusted.
“This is Hank.”
With my gaze still trained on the man who stole so much from me, I spoke into the phone, “Something’s going on with Jack. I need you to tail him.”
“Whatever you need.”
I rattled off our current location and then hung up
Like I’d done countless times before, I slipped the key into the lock and felt a rush of excitement when the door slid open. Each time I got closer, stayed longer, I thought for sure she was going to change the locks.
I stepped inside, locked the door, and slipped the key into my pocket. Closing my eyes, I took a deep drag of air to my lungs. I’d been inside her apartment so often over the past couple of months, I didn’t even need to open my eyes to know there was a small table against the wall with a few framed photos of her and her asshole brother along with a family portrait with them and their uncle and aunt.
I opened my eyes, immediately making my way to her bedroom where the smell of her perfume still lingered even though it was almost time for her to be home. My fingers brushed over the soft material of her comforter.
Laying on my front, I slipped both hands beneath her pillow before my burying my nose in it. I’d been in her space so many times before, but this was the first time it felt different. I didn’t want to steal these little moments anymore, I wanted her to give them to me.
Willingly.
The sound of the front door opening had me quickly slipping into the closet, cracking the door just enough to see Becca enter the room with her cellphone pressed against her ear.
“I don’t know what to wear,” she said to whoever she was speaking with. “Should I
