Malo - Page 20

“You look out for yourself, Malo,” he warns me. “Don’t let any woman throw you off your game. You hear me?”

“Si, boss,” I reply. But the truth is, at the back of my mind, I’m already worried that this girl has thrown me off my game, and that I can’t say no to her. No matter how stupid a mess she might get me into.

Because when she hits me with those gorgeous eyes, I know I can’t turn her down.

CHAPTER 16

MARIA

Ishift on the edge of the bed, trying to keep myself calm as I wait for Rayo to arrive. The pressure of the wire tucked up under my shirt is irritating my skin, but I can’t touch it or adjust it, worried that I’ll make it obvious that I’m ready and waiting to expose Rayo the first chance I get.

I hate being here, in this fucking room, but I need to remind myself, it’s for the greater good. Now that Malo has agreed to do what he can to get my father out of Mexico and back to safety, I am feeling a whole lot more motivated to work with the Kings, and do whatever it takes to play the game they want me to play.

I reach up and touch my cheek where Rayo struck me the last time we met. I can’t imagine he’s going to be any nicer this time around, and, on this occasion, I don’t even have Malo in the closet, ready to jump out and intervene if things take a turn for the worse.

He and a couple of the other guys, Sin and Thor, are in the room next door. They kicked the door in and hid out in there, hooked up to the listening device that’s attached to my chest right now so they can keep track of what’s going on in here. I know they’re just a matter of feet away, but I’m still scared at the thought of being in here all alone with Rayo.

I have this feeling he’s going to catch on to me soon enough. It’s only been a couple of days since I saw him last, and as far as I know, nobody has been by the room. I don’t think they noticed I snuck out that day and I’ve been staying at the Kings’ compound since.

I shiver at the thought of what they’d do to me or my father if they found out. I hate feeling so helpless, knowing there’s nothing at all I can do to get him out of there. I just want to… I want to be able to hug him again, that’s it. Give him a huge hug and tell him how sorry I am that it took so long to get him free. I close my eyes, and try to focus on that thought in my head, try to focus on the way it makes me feel. The dream I had the other night, of us at the waterfall together, I need to believe we’ll have days like that again, even if this dingy room feels as far removed from that life as it possibly could be.

A knock on the door makes me jump slightly, and I catch my breath and get to my feet, checking the wire to make sure it’s hidden beneath the fabric of my top. I feel like I’m going to open that door and it’s going to be the first thing Rayo sees, but I need to remind myself that he’s not looking out for anything off. He has no idea I’m working against him, and me acting strange is just going to give him reason to doubt me.

I open the door, and he pushes past me and into the room.

“What else have you got for me?” he demands, and there’s a clear tension in his tone. Has something happened since the last time I saw him? I swallow hard, trying to remember what Malo passed on to me. They’ve been giving me just enough to make it feel to Rayo as though I really am working in his favor, but not so much that it will actually give Las Rosas Negras some kind of advantage.

“The new sheriff knows about the trafficking ring,” I blurt out to him. “He used to work with the Kings, I think, and that Malo guy, he told me he heard that from him.”

Rayo eyes me for a moment, and I can’t tell if it’s because he’s doubting me or because he doesn’t like what he’s hearing. I meet his gaze as steadily as I can, not wanting to look like a liar. I remind myself that Malo and the guys are just next door, and I have nothing to be afraid of.

But that’s a hard thing to believe. Rayo takes a step towards me, his eyes pinned to mine.

“How much do they know about it?” he demands.

I shake my head. “I didn’t get to that part,” I admit.

“Useless bitch,” he snarls back at me.

I bristle in anger. “I’m doing all I can,” I reply, defensive. “I just want to get back to Mexico and see my father?—”

He grabs my arms, shoving me back against the wall, knocking the air out of me. His face is red with fury, and his eyes blaze as he glowers down at me.

“Shut your mouth, puta,” he orders me. “You don’t get to decide when you leave. You understand? You’re lucky El Serpiente has kept you alive this long. If it were up to me…”

He trails off, his hands tightening on my arms. I let out a cry of pain, but he ignores me, clearly enjoying my struggle.

“I suppose you’re good for some thing,” he adds, his eyes skimming down my body. My heart pounds in my chest. Please, don’t see the wire, don’t see the wire…

“Let me go!” I cry at him, squirming as I try to pull away, but his grip on me is too tight.

“You need to learn your lesson, talking back to me like that,” he warns, pushing his face against mine. I can smell his putrid breath on my skin, and I twist my head away, trying to catch a lungful of air, but I feel the panic starting to set in. If this is what they will do to me just for talking back to them, what will they do to my father if they find out I’ve betrayed them?

But, before I can say another word, I hear a slam against the door, and the panic breaks. Rayo spins around just in time to see Malo kicking the door in, sending it flying from its hinges. I dive onto the bed, putting as much space between Rayo and myself as possible. I can still feel the grip of his hands on my arms, and I rub at them, trying to brush away the sensation.

“Stay away from her,” Malo growls at Rayo, closing in on him.

Rayo reaches for the gun tucked into his pants, but Sin knocks it out of his hand, sending it flying to the floor.