Page 36 of Brutal Monster
"No, it’s my job to keep you alive. Which is considerably harder when you're distracted by a woman."
I watch as Inez stands, stretching her arms above her head. The movement pulls her swimsuit taut against her body, highlighting curves that I know intimately. "She's not a distraction. She's an asset."
"She's both, and you know it."
I end the call without responding, slipping the phone into my pocket. Mikhail isn't wrong. Inez complicates things—makesme consider variables I'd normally dismiss without a second thought. Makes me vulnerable in ways I can't afford.
And yet, the thought of walking away never crosses my mind.
She spots me watching her and raises an eyebrow in silent question. I cross the terrace to join her, schooling my features to reveal nothing of my concerns.
"Productive swim?" I ask, keeping my tone casual.
"Always." She studies my face with those perceptive eyes. "Productive calls?"
I consider lying, then dismiss the impulse. We're beyond that now. "Emilio's making moves. His men are headed this way.”
She absorbs this without visible reaction, though I notice the slight tightening around her eyes. "How many? How close?"
"Cancún, at least for one of them. Mikhail is tracking the others."
"Cancún can be reached by boat in under two hours," she notes, calculating just as I had. "When were you planning to tell me?"
"I just found out myself." I reach for her hand, surprised when she doesn't pull away. "Mikhail is coming with the additional security I've called in. We'll be ready."
"We should be more than ready," she says, her fingers cool against mine. "We should be hunting them instead of waiting for them to come to us."
"After the wedding," I promise. "For now, we focus on securing the perimeter, controlling access points, and ensuring every guest is thoroughly vetted."
She nods, but I can see the wheels turning behind her eyes. Inez isn't accustomed to playing defense. Neither am I, for that matter.
"Your cousin," she says suddenly. "Do you trust him completely?"
The question surprises me. "With my life. Many times over."
"Good." She steps closer, drops her voice. "Because I don't trust anyone right now. Not even my own people."
This is new. "You think you have a leak?"
"I think Emilio knows things he shouldn't." Her gaze is steady, unflinching. "Details about security protocols, about our schedule changes. Things only someone close would know."
The implications settle like ice in my veins. If Inez is correct, we're more vulnerable than I thought. "We'll need to compartmentalize information. Create a need-to-know circle."
"Already started." She releases my hand, reaching for her robe. "I've prepared a list of people I believe are above suspicion. It's short."
"How short?"
"Three names besides us." She slips the robe over her shoulders. "Santos, Mikhail, and Lucia."
I nod, mentally reviewing what I know of each. Santos has been with Inez since before her father's death. Lucia—her personal security chief—has taken bullets for her. And Mikhail... well, blood still counts for something in our world.
"Agreed," I say. "We'll bring them in this afternoon, establish protocols."
She ties the robe at her waist, her movements economical. "And in the meantime?"
I step closer, lowering my voice though we're alone on the terrace. "In the meantime, we play the happy couple preparing for our wedding. We give Emilio nothing to suggest we're onto him."
A cold smile crosses her face. "I've always enjoyed a good performance."
