Page 64 of Hart of Redemption
“Apparently, not this time,” I growled out. “Mateo is confident he has something of yours that you’ll pay top dollar for.”
“He has nothing of mine. Unless…”
Vince’s blue gaze was fixed on the phone as he sat across the desk, seemingly holding his breath.
Complete silence on her end.
“Rosario?” I asked.
She snapped her fingers. “Maria, call my daughter,” she said, addressing somebody who was with her in Colombia.
Rosario’s daughter, Alexa, was attending college at Penn State on an exchange program for two semesters.
My blood gelled, more at the prospect of Mateo using Grace to get to me than at the thought that Rosario’s daughter might be in danger. Mateo knew how to scare us, for sure.
Vince paled, and I was pretty sure I had too.
“Duke, I need to call you back,” Rosario said. “Alexa isn’t answering.” She hung up.
I could almost feel Rosario’s rage and panic as if they were my own. I tore out of my office and down to the main floor, pushing people out of my way in the process. My fucking heart was about to burst out of my chest until I laid eyes on Grace. She was sitting at the end of the bar, talking with Joy.
As if Joy sensed my presence, her gaze darted in my direction. Then she said something to Grace, who in turn followed Joy’s line of sight.
I made my way over to my sister and sat on the stool beside her.
“It looks like you’ve seen a ghost,” Grace said. “Does your panic have anything to do with Mateo?” She snarled. “I hate that guy.”
“Joy, double shot of Maker’s Mark, please.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Grace, I’m putting more men on you, and I need your word that you won’t do something stupid regarding Mateo.”
She flashed her brown eyes at me. “I’m sick of men guarding me. You, Dillon, and Denim are suffocating me.”
Joy set my drink down. “Is everything okay?”
I gave her a nod because I wasn’t about to tell her shit.
Joy lingered, swinging her gaze from me to Grace.
“Can I have a moment with my sister?” I asked Joy nicely.
Amber waltzed up to the waitress station on the other end of the bar, and Matt shouted for Joy.
I watched Joy until she was safely out of earshot. “Grace, I promise, once Mateo is out of the picture, I’m done.”
“Really?” she asked. “How is Rosario going to take that?”
“You let me worry about her. I need to hear you say you’ll let me handle Mateo.” After her outburst in my office, I was worried Grace would take matters into her own hands.
“I’ll let you handle Mateo. Satisfied.”
“Thank you. Vince will drive you home.”
“When I’m ready,” she said, climbing off the stool. “I need my phone. My purse is in your office.”
As she stomped away, I sat, fuming and worrying as I ogled Joy making drinks. What I wouldn’t give to be balls deep inside her right now. To take my mind off my problems. To have one more night with her. What was I saying? I wanted, dare I say, forever with her.
24
FALLYN
