A girl, donning a skintight dress that was entirely too revealing for casual wear, and sunglasses too large for her face, stepped forward. A lascivious smile spread across her lips as she looked me up and down.
Last night, when Dash had finally come over, Mario called to tell me that he would be bringing his daughter by in the morning, reminding me of the favor I had promised him a couple of weeks ago. Dash didn’t think it was a good idea, and I couldn’t agree more, but what could I do? Staying on Mario’s good side would get me what I wanted.
“Well, well, well, this little criminal getaway might not be so bad after all.”
“Diana, behave yourself. That is not why you are here,” Mario scolded. He turned his hard gaze to me, and I could see the clear warning in his eyes that said ‘Don’t touch my daughter.’
I snorted. After Anya, there was no way in hell I would ever touch another broad like her. Besides… Monroe already ruined me for all girls that weren’t her.
“Relax, dear ole dad. I won’t do anything he doesn’t beg me for.” She winked at me and licked her lips.
I did snort that time, and I even rolled my eyes. Big hair and too much makeup didn’t do it for me. She was pretty, but in an obvious way that said she tried too hard and cared too much about her appearance.
“Are we done here?” I was growing impatient and needed to be in place for Keenan’s transport back home. With all eyes on me, I needed to make sure he was guarded at all times. Speaking of which… I typed out a quick text to Quentin letting him know to be ready. No matter what happened to me, Keenan would be protected at all costs.
“Sure. Diana, give us a moment to talk, will you?”
With one last lustful look, she strutted away to stand by my ride. I shook off the warnings telling me this was a bad idea. I’d already agreed, and I figured this would be a sure way to keep Mario close.
“Another one of mine on the inside was found out. He’s running things tighter, and his trust is waning. We need to move faster.”
“No, we need to move smarter. The people you got on him are stupid and weak. He’s been in this business for a long time. He knows all the tricks.”
“He also knows I’m gunning for him just as much as he’s gunning for me, so he’s even more cautious.”
“Yeah, well, he’s expecting me to deliver you to him soon. I have to figure out a way to stall him a little longer. I’ve got too many eyes on me with the investigation and my uncle being in town long term now.”
“How is your brother holding up?”
“He’s surviving,” I answered simply. I wasn’t about to disclose any information about my brother to Mario. We may be working together toward a common cause, but it didn’t mean I trusted him.
“If he’s anything like you, then I’m sure he’ll pull through.”
“You don’t know me well enough to say that.”
He regarded me with a serious look. “I’ve seen enough.”
I didn’t have a response, and so I shook hands with him and parted ways. Diana was standing by, chattering on her phone. I walked up to her and snatched her phone away. The last thing I needed was her leading a bunch of unknowns to my place. I didn’t know her, and I didn’t trust her. I considered trashing the phone but thought better of it. Maybe there was something useful in it. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, and Mario was the culprit.
“Hey! Excuse you!”
“You’re fucking excused. Before you get any ideas of how this is going to go, let’s get something clear. I don’t care about you. You aren’t my priority. I’m doing this as a favor, and while I’m at it, I’m going to pump you for information. You do what I say, or I kick you out, and I won’t look back. Is that clear enough for you? I won’t repeat myself again.”
She peered up at me, and rather than appearing afraid, she looked curious if not amused. “Are you sure you’re eighteen?”