Page 64 of Fortune's Kiss
“Ah, a pleasure you can join us, señorita.”The man folded his arms.“Not that I should be surprised that you’re the one holding all this up.”
Excuse me?Lo bit back her words.The man hadn’t addressed her, but instead Mayté, who bristled and tensed her jaw.Did they know each other?
“Who is he?”Lo whispered.
“The asshole that wouldn’t sell me supplies for my commission,” Mayté said loudly.
Everyone else looked between the man and Mayté.The man’s left eye twitched and his golden-brown face turned a bright scarlet, bordering on purple.
“I’m not surprised you had to come here after being so stingy,” Mayté continued.“Treating customers like that, people probably took their business elsewhere.”
“So, he’s the reason I didn’t get my commission?”Dominic blurted.
“Enough,” Mayté said.“I can handle this myself.”Even though she had scolded him, Dominic’s lips tugged into a grin.Mayté returned a secret smile.
Envy simmered inside Lo, tiny bubbles pricking against her heart.Since when was she an outsider between these two?She squeezed her hands together and tried to focus on her desires for this round, her mantra.Her gaze drifted to Carlos, who sat next to the shopkeeper.He flashed a small smile.Her face warmed.
She had almost forgotten about the quick kiss they had shared when he was drunk.Did Carlos remember it?He looked much better now.His cheeks were no longer red, and his eyes no longer seemed unfocused.
If hedidremember—she bit her lip—had he enjoyed it as much as she had?
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened.But it wasn’t Misterioso.Instead, it was the burly grump from the elevator ride that morning.
The shopkeeper groaned in disdain and checked his pocket watch.
Mayté quickly glanced away.She looked like she was going to be sick.Every fiber in Lo went on high alert.Even the hairs on her arms stood on end.Why was Mayté so frightened of him?Lo kept her eye on him as he rounded the table like a caged jaguar.
“Could you sit down, señor?”the shopkeeper grouched.
The man ignored him and pointed.First at Mayté, then at Carlos.“Robles’s kids.I knew you looked familiar.”
Mayté froze.Her eyes were wide.She looked absolutely panic-stricken.
He headed straight for her.“Your old man’s so pathetic, you both had to come here, hmm?Since you owe me a debt, maybe this is the place to collect what I’m owed.”His eyes were fixed on Mayté.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”Dominic started to get up, but Lo beat him.
“Who are you?”She stared at the man straight on.She wasn’t scared.He was nothing to her.“What do you want with my friend?”
“First off, linda.”He eyed her up and down.“The name is Rodrigo Domingo.”
Lo continued to stare, not even pretending to be impressed.
“Their pendejo father, José Robles, owes me a lot of money.Too much.”His face twisted.“Why else would I be here?But you see, Robles and I came to an agreement.”Rodrigo gestured at Mayté.“If he couldn’t come up with the coins, we’d take his daughter instead.”
Lo’s vision flashed red.This was one of the vaqueros Mayté had told her about.She would never have thought such a lowlife would be permitted to gamble in Fortune’s Kiss.
“I could get my money’s worth from her.Put her to work, and then—”
The rest of his words blurred together.Lo clenched her trembling fists and bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood.No.No.No.NO.Mayté wasn’t a piece of property to be sold off.She was worth more than every gold coin in existence combined.She could barely think straight, but she managed to growl out the only words that came to mind.“If you so much as lay a finger on her—”
Rodrigo burst out laughing.“Then what will you do, cariño?”He leaned closer.
Kill you.
Rip your face off.
Break those fingers of yours one by one.
