by Sandra Owens
“Where’s Ramon?” Alex let go of the man’s fingers.
“Upstairs. He’s got a table.”
Alex followed Ramon’s bodyguard, thinking it was going to be a hell of a long night.
It had been an exciting opening week, and as Madison studied the spreadsheet detailing their expenses and income, she tried not to think of Alex. He hadn’t called or texted once, obviously honoring her request not to return. Every night, she’d waited for a tap on her window that never came, and she had to stop hoping he would show up even after she’d told him not to. She could have texted him, but her pride had kept her from doing that.
She took a sip of coffee, grimacing. It had gone cold, and she eyed the clock, debating making another pot. It was after midnight, though, and she really should go to bed. Lauren was out on a first date with a guy she’d recently met, and Madison had been trying to wait up for her.
Not that she was worried about Lauren . . . well, she was a bit. Her friend was a little on the wild side when it came to men. All Lauren knew about this new guy was his name, Nelson Lopez, and that he was a drop-dead gorgeous model who liked to collect old books.
Lauren was hot in a bad girl kind of way. Madison envied Lauren’s short, spiky brown hair with blonde highlights. She would love to wear her hair like that, but where on Lauren it was sexy, on her it would just look stupid.
Edgy totally worked on Lauren, though, and men were drawn to her like drone bees to their queen. There was an air about her that promised excitement and a bit of naughty fun. She was also the best friend Madison had ever had. Underneath the fun-loving, devil-may-care persona was a woman who Madison knew without doubt she could always depend on, and she hadn’t hesitated to sign on as Lauren’s business partner.
Hemingway dug his claws into her legs when she tried to pick him up so she could stand. “Ouch, you little monster.” He blinked sleepy blue eyes at her, and she tapped his nose. “I’m not buying that innocent look.” She set him on the floor, carried her coffee cup to the kitchen, and grabbed a peanut butter cookie, munching on it as she headed to her bedroom.
Their bookstore opening had been better than they’d hoped, especially considering they’d not done any advertising. The first month was all about settling into a routine, learning the business of operating a bookstore, and working out any bugs that popped up. If things went as planned, they would be able to hire a part-time person before their grand opening so that she and Lauren didn’t have to be on hand six days a week, from the moment they unlocked the door until closing.
Everything was perfect in this part of her life. It was her mother who weighed the heaviest on her mind. As hard as Madison tried, it was proving impossible to pry Angelina Parker away from her twin brother’s influence. As far as Madison was concerned, her uncle Jose was a control freak, and saw himself as some kind of godfather who had the right to decide what was best for his sister and her.
Ever since Madison’s father had died, Angelina had leaned on her brother, allowing him to take charge of her life. As much as she could, Madison stepped between her mother and uncle, and she sensed Uncle Jose resented it. In most families, being close to a sibling was probably a good thing, but Madison couldn’t help feeling that the relationship between Angelina and Jose wasn’t a healthy one. It was a Cuban thing—especially with the older generation of males—this attitude that they knew what was best for the women in their life. And God forbid you should disagree with them.
Madison was still furious that Uncle Jose had taken over paying her mother’s bills. Then he’d decided his sister shouldn’t have to cook, so he’d arranged for La Cantina to deliver meals to her each day. Madison had seen red when she’d learned that he’d even taken to buying Angelina’s clothes. Her mother needed to learn to stand on her own two feet, and Uncle Jose was doing his best to prevent that. All Madison knew to do was to continue to try and keep her mother away from him as much as possible.
An hour after going to bed, Madison gave up trying to go to sleep. Her mind was crammed too full of thoughts—worry for her mother, the bookstore, Lauren still being out, and yes, Alex—and sleep was elusive. She turned on her lamp, deciding she would read for a while. There were two books on her nightstand, one a romance, and one from her business management class. She chose the latter, figuring it would make her sleepy.
After reading a few chapters, she was nodding off when she heard a tap on her window. Alex? She waited for his special signal, and when it came, her heart screamed, Yes! Let him in. As she grabbed the robe she’d tossed onto a chair earlier, her brain questioned the wisdom of opening the window for him.
He had a girlfriend, and he’d made it clear that there wouldn’t be more kisses, or anything else happening between them. She opened the window anyway, but when she stepped back for him to enter, he shook his head.
“I don’t trust myself in a room that has both you and a bed in it,” he said, leaning back on the fire escape’s metal railing.
She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He’d just admitted he felt something for her but refused to do anything about it. Yet, since he had a girlfriend, she had to respect him for not being a cheater. Which only made her like him more.
Madison sat on the windowsill, noticing that he was dressed as if he’d been out for the night. It was impossible to decide whether she liked him better in his bad boy biker leathers or his trendy casual clothes. He must have been out clubbing. With Taylor? If so, why was he here instead of with her?
“How are you, Madison?”
She lifted her gaze to the sky. The earlier rain clouds had moved on, and stars twinkled against a black velvet background. Someday she’d love to go to a place where there were no artificial lights, lie on her back, and spend hours stargazing.
“I’m fine,” she said, shifting her eyes to his, sucking in a breath at how intensely focused he was on her. He confused her, and she wished she could have five minutes inside his mind.
“I’ve been worried about you.” He braced his hands on the railing behind him, causing his shirt to stretch across his chest and shoulders.
“Have you?” Her mouth dried as she imagined how he’d look without a shirt, because it was impossible to miss how muscled he was.
“I didn’t want to, but . . .”—he spread out his hands—“there you have it.”
“Alex, what do you want from me?”
“I don’t know.” He stared into the distance.
He seemed to be having some kind of internal battle. As she waited for him to say more, she asked herself what she wanted from him and was surprised to find her answer was the same as his. She didn’t know, and she let out a weary sigh. The roadblock was that he had a girlfriend, and if there was one role she refused to play, it was that of the other woman. Also, his involvement with her cousin made her uneasy.
“How serious are you and Taylor?” And there went her mouth, saying things that weren’t supposed to leave her mind. Eyes she couldn’t read met hers. That wasn’t true, though, because she realized they were troubled. About what, she didn’t know, and she didn’t think he was going to tell her.
“Taylor? She’s a friend and we go out sometimes.”
Friends with benefits? At least she’d kept that question to herself. “I see.” Not really, but if they were only friends, what was stopping him from wanting to see her?
“No, you don’t see. There are things about me I can’t tell you, and I’m trying to stay away because I don’t want to hurt you.”
“And how’s that working for you, Alex?” What things couldn’t he tell her? That he was a drug-dealing biker outlaw? What else would be the kind of secret he couldn’t talk about? And if that was the case, she needed to stay far away from him. Having one drug dealer—if she was right about her cousin—in her life was one too many.
He chuckled, but by the sound of it, he was mocking himself. “Since I’m standing on your fire escape at two in the morning, it appears it’s not working so well.”
“You still up,
Madison?”
Madison almost fell off the windowsill at hearing Lauren’s voice.
Lauren walked into the room. “Why are you sitting in the window?”
“Ah . . .” She glanced to where Alex had been standing, but he wasn’t there. “Just enjoying the stars and waiting up for you.” As she stood to close the window, she leaned out, seeing him at the bottom of the stairs. The man had the quiet feet of a cat. He nodded once before disappearing into the night.
Their conversation spun in her head, and although she was glad Lauren was home safe and sound, she wished she were alone so she could analyze what Alex had said. Perhaps she was a fool, but she just couldn’t believe he was a drug dealer.
“How was your date?” She moved to her bed, sitting on it cross-legged. Hemingway jumped up, curling in her lap.
“I think I’m in love.” Lauren dreamily sighed as she kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You said the same thing three weeks ago about what’s his name . . . Brian?” She stroked the cat’s sleek black fur.
“Brad, but I mean it this time.”
“Of course you do. I only met him for a short time, but he seems nice.” She grinned. “Definitely easy on the eyes.”
“You have a gift for understatement.” Lauren flopped back on the bed. “I look at him and almost start drooling. It’s embarrassing.”
“Try not to do that. It wouldn’t be pretty.” Her only concern was that this one might break Lauren’s heart before all was said and done. But she shouldn’t see doom where there wasn’t any. There probably wasn’t any reason to worry. This time next week, her friend would be in love with some other man. That was how it always went with Lauren.
“I know,” Lauren said, sitting up. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night. You should come. I’m sure Nelson won’t mind. You can kick me under the table if you see drool dripping down my mouth.”
“Thanks, but it’s my mom and uncle’s birthday tomorrow, and there’s a family dinner planned.” Which she was so not looking forward to, and she still needed to buy a present for her uncle. He collected antique swords, and although she couldn’t afford to purchase anything like that, she recalled seeing a coffee table book on old swords when she and Lauren had been stocking the bookstore’s shelves. Awesome! Problem solved.
After Lauren left, Madison went back to the window, opening it. Alex wouldn’t like her being exposed like this, but if someone tried to get to her, she’d easily see them coming. She sat back on the sill, lifting her eyes to the sky.
“Are you there, Daddy?” she whispered. No answer from the man she missed every minute of every day. No night bird trilled an answering song, no stars shot across the sky giving a sign that he heard her.
For some reason she didn’t understand, she’d never felt so alone as she did this night. Her beloved father was gone, her mother couldn’t see past her own grief, and Alex would never be a part of her life no matter how much she wished otherwise.
In the distance, she heard the low rumble of a motorcycle. It wasn’t Alex. He’d left long before, but her heart ached to see him walk back up the stairs, a smile just for her on his face.
Stupid tears slithered down her cheeks. She angrily swiped them away before jumping off the sill and slamming the window shut. To hell with Alex. As of this very minute, he was banished from her mind.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What’s been eating you this past week, Alex?” Nate asked after they’d finished lunch.
Court punched Alex’s arm. “Yeah, bro. You’re worrying us.”
“I’m just tired of Ramon’s shit. He dangles a carrot, hinting that he’s got a big score in the works, but he’s cagey. I told him we were looking to expand our money-laundering operation, and that we had the means to do that through Aces and Eights, along with a few other places we owned. He’s interested, but I don’t think he trusts me yet.”
“If he’s hinting, then he’s starting to trust you,” Court said.
Nate nodded. “True, but maybe you need to push a little harder. Possibly imply that you have some other big dealer in mind if Ramon doesn’t get off his ass and bring you in?”
“Might work.” Alex drummed his fingers on the table. “I’m supposed to drop by his place later tonight. Said he wants me to meet his father, who, strangely enough, I’ve never seen when I’ve been over there.”
“That’s a good sign,” Nate said.
“I guess so.” Alex checked his watch. “About time to head over to Aces and Eights.”
Nate leaned his chair back on two legs. “Not so fast, baby brother. Now tell us what’s really got you moping around like a lovesick girl.”
Damn. He didn’t want to talk about Madison, still feeling an inexplicable need to protect her from this bad business he and his brothers were involved in. Not only was it bad, but it was going to get worse before it was over.
Two pairs of eyes identical to his pinned him to his seat. There was no getting out of telling them about her, but he didn’t have to like it. “There’s this girl—”
“Name?”
As soon as he heard it, Nate would connect the dots, since they knew everything there was to know about Ramon Alonzo. “Madison Parker.”
Alex could almost see his older brother scroll through the list of names stored in his brain. Nate was sharp; he had to be to raise two hell-raising brothers. Not that Nate hadn’t raised his own hell—but, whatever.
“First cousin to Ramon.” Nate dropped his chair down on all four feet. “What the hell, bro? You’ve been hiding a prime link to Ramon and his father?” His gaze zeroed in on Alex’s. “Questions. Does she know what her cousin and uncle are into? I’m thinking how could she not. That wasn’t a question, but I have three more. Why aren’t we using her for intel? Is she Spooky Man? Last one, you’re not soft on her, right?” He leaned across the table and wrapped his fingers around Alex’s wrist in a tight grip. “Tell me I’m right, Alex.”
Alex had never been able to lie to either of his brothers. “No, I don’t think she knows, and yes, she’s Spooky Man, and I wish I could tell you I’m not soft on her. That answer your questions?” And that was his reason for being miserable. He glanced at Court to see sympathy in his middle brother’s eyes. When Nate had you in his sights, it didn’t end pretty.
“Dammit.” Nate stood, kicking his chair away. He flattened his hands on the table and lowered his face until it was only inches from Alex’s. “From this point on, Madison Parker is off-limits to you. I’ll decide how best to use her.”
Alex reared, pushing Nate away. “Like hell you will. You go near her, brother, and I swear, I’ll . . .” He’d do what? Kill his brother? Beat the shit out of him? He walked out of Nate’s kitchen before he really lost it. If he had to choose, it would be Nate who owned his loyalty, but he wasn’t sure he could handle throwing Madison to the big bad wolf that was Nate. As he reached the door to leave, he was grabbed from behind.
“Does she mean that much to you?”
Alex pressed his forehead to the door. “I don’t want her to, but yeah, she does.”
Nate heaved a sigh. “Not good, baby brother. Not good.”
Like he didn’t know that.
Alex parked his car behind several others in the driveway of Ramon’s house. Looked like either Ramon or his father had company. Since there were security cameras watching him, he held his phone down by his leg, out of sight. As he walked by the cars, he snapped photos of each license plate.
At the door, he rang the bell after discreetly sliding his phone back into his pocket. “Mrs. Gutierrez,” he greeted the housekeeper when she answered. “Ramon’s expecting me.”
“Si, señor. Come with me.”
He followed her through the house and out to the backyard. “Everyone is up there,” she said, pointing to a set of stairs that led to the roof.
“Thank you.” She returned inside, and Alex took a moment to look around. It was the first time in his six or so visits her
e that he’d seen the back, and he hadn’t realized how protected the house was. There was a high stucco wall topped with a row of pointed spikes. Although they were decorative, Alex didn’t doubt they were razor sharp and meant to keep out unwanted guests. He noted the security camera mounted under the eaves, figuring there were more scattered around, like in the clump of palm trees on his left, or in the sunburst mounted on the stucco wall. The place was a damn compound.
He jogged up the steps, and when he walked onto the roof, he paused. The Alonzos had created a rooftop paradise, and it appeared he was interrupting a celebration of some sort. From this vantage point, there was a great view of the Atlantic Ocean that had been hidden by the wall at ground level.
Profusely blooming red bougainvilleas wound around a pergola, under which sat a long table that could probably seat twenty people. Alex did a quick head count, pausing when he saw unmistakable fiery red hair. Madison had her back to him, and Ramon sat next to her with his arm around the back of her chair. Gritting his teeth, Alex headed toward them.
An older version of Ramon sat at the head of the table, and at the other end was an attractive woman about the same age, and both had wrapped gifts in front of them. A birthday party? If so, then the woman must be Madison’s mother, Jose Alonzo’s twin sister. The people facing Alex all looked over at him, causing the ones with their backs to him to glance behind them.
Madison’s eyes lit with pleasure, and she smiled. Alex ignored her and, although he did it for her sake, he was sorry to be the reason her smile faded. She turned her face away, which was good because now he could concentrate on Ramon.
“Alex,” Ramon said, waving him over.
“My apologies. I don’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, man, it’s cool. Grab a seat. As soon as my father and aunt open their presents, we’ll take off.”
Since manners had escaped Ramon, Alex held out a hand to Jose. “Alex Gentry. Happy birthday, Mr. Alonzo.”
The man eyed him, assessed him, dismissed him. Alex let his hand drop. “Perhaps I should wait for Ramon downstairs.”