“I’ve got that figured out,” he said as he pulled on white linen pants. Always commando. “What I’ve really got to focus on is what to do with the intel on Hernandez. We can’t screw this up. We get one shot to get him, and anything after that we are fucked right up the ass.”
I nodded, feeling privileged to be let in on this information again, feeling a part of his life, like a true partner. “Well, other than making sure Evaristo is comfortable, whatever you need from me, just ask.”
He smiled at me in the mirror’s reflection. “I’m glad you asked that. Because there is something I would like to ask you.”
“Yeah?”
“And Esteban.”
My blood turned to ice. My lungs froze right over.
Oh fuck.
“Oh?” I said, and Javier slowly walked over to me as he slipped on a belt through the loops on his pants.
“Yeah. I would like to ask something of the two of you.”
I plastered the fakest damn smile on my face. “What is it?”
He smiled right back but I couldn’t be sure if it was fake or malicious, or what it was. I was so paranoid that my heart was threatening to fly right out of my chest.
He knows. He knows. He had to know.
“It’s something that can wait for now,” Javier said, putting his hand on my shoulder. He leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. I had to force my body to break the freeze and kiss him back as I normally would.
I wondered if he could taste the fear on me.
“I’ve got a busy day,” he said, turning around and walking back to his dresser to slip on his watch. “I think I’m going to head with Diego to La Perla or maybe Durango and see if we can get some work done. It’s better to do the work in the car and pilfer someone’s wifi. It won’t leave a trace, just in case our systems are being watched.”
I nodded absently. “Is that possible?” I asked, just wanting him to keep talking.
“Anything is possible, my queen,” he said, shooting me a wicked smile. “You should know that more than anyone.”
I couldn’t swallow the brick in my throat. I smiled again and slowly got out of bed. “I should get dressed,” I said, willing my voice to remain steady.
“I’ll see you later. Bring Esteban back here around nine tonight,” he said before he strode out the door and into the hall, closing it behind him and barking at Diego who must have been outside.
Oh shit.
SHIT.
What the hell did this mean?
I felt like I was about to have a full-blown meltdown. Panic was creeping up my body, worming its way into my chest. I had to remind myself to breathe in and out, to not let my guilt get the best of me. The fact that he wanted to talk to both of us didn’t have to mean the worst. It didn’t mean he knew.
It didn’t, it couldn’t.
I had to find Esteban right away, but I had to wait until Javier and Diego were gone, so I practically forced myself to shower and spend time getting ready before I went out to look for him.
I didn’t have to look far. Esteban was on the porch, staring off into the distance, a cup of coffee in his hand. It was a lovely beautiful morning, the sky saturated blue and stretching as far as the eye could see. There wasn’t a single cloud.
It’s too bad I couldn’t take the time to fully appreciate it.
“Esteban,” I said warily as I walked across the porch to him. He didn’t turn to look at me. He was probably mad about me standing him up last night.
I stood beside him, watching his gaze. That favorite horse of mine was in the distance. Esteban seemed so focused on him, and not in a good way.
“Where were you last night?” he asked me, voice hard. He still wouldn’t look at me.
“Sorry about that,” I said.
“But where were you?”
I hesitated. “With Javier.”
He nodded. “I see. In what way were you with him?”
“Esteban, I think he knows,” I said, skirting the issue.
Finally he looked at me, and his eyes were smoldering with hate. “What did you do?”
My chin jerked back, surprised that he would blame me so fast. “I didn’t do anything!” His look intensified. I shook my head. “I swear to god, I didn’t do anything or say anything.”
“Then why do you think he knows?”
“He asked if the both of us would come to his room tonight. At nine. That there was something he needed to ask us.”
He stared at me for a moment. “Did you fuck him last night?”
“Esteban,” I warned, stepping away from him. “That’s none of your business.”
“You’re wrong,” he sniped, and reached out to grab the back of my neck, his fingers squeezing the skin as he yanked me to him. “Everything you do is my business now. You’re not his anymore, you got that? You’re mine. And there’s nothing you can do to change it. It’s happening.”
What was happening? I wanted to ask, but he squeezed my neck harder and I winced from the pain.
“Hey,” I heard Borrero say as he stepped out from the kitchen to the porch. “What’s going on here?”
Esteban immediately let go of my neck, and my hand flew back there to press on the pain. “Nothing you should worry your pretty little head about,” Esteban said to Borrero.