by Faith Gibson
“No, like this.” Spyder stood behind Hayden and gripped Hayden’s waist.
“You don’t have to exaggerate the moves the way Spyder does.” Jericho demonstrated what Spyder was attempting to show Hayden, and after a couple minutes, Hayden got into the rhythm.
“That’s it. Now try it with a partner.” Jericho took Hayden’s hands and placed them on his shoulders before Jericho clutched Hayden’s hips. “You’ll need to lead since you’re the male, so feel how I guide you with my hands.” Hayden was too busy concentrating on getting the steps down to feel self-conscious about dancing with his great-nephew.
“You’re a natural.” Spyder danced beside them, popping his hips with his arms stretched out as though he had a partner.
“Naturally awkward.” Hayden fumbled several times, but he thought he was doing pretty well for his first lesson.
When the song ended, Jericho stepped back. “We’ll keep practicing, and by the time we hit the clubs, you’ll have all the ladies swooning. This is going to be fun.”
Hayden had to admit he was enjoying himself. Then again, he was with family. They wouldn’t make fun of him. “Are you sure I can’t just dance like I normally do?”
Spyder arched an eyebrow. “When do you normally dance?”
“Uh, never.”
“Exactly. Trust me; it’s easier to blend in on a crowded dance floor than sitting at the bar staring. It’s also a lot more fun. Who knows? You might find the love of your life amidst all the ladies begging for your attention.”
“I’m not here for love. I’m here for a job.”
“Truth. But there’re no rules saying you can’t enjoy yourself. “
“Like you did with the waitress?”
Spyder gave a full-body shiver. “Yeah, no. She only pretended to be a kinky minx. Turns out she wanted a bad boy in name only. When it came time for spankings, she turned into a vanilla chihuahua. She had a lotta bark, but she literally turned in circles to keep me from getting my hands on her ass. C’est la vie.”
“Yet you spent a week with her,” Hayden reminded the male.
Spyder shrugged. “I had to hide somewhere. Now, enough about that. Let’s go shopping.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Jericho was already walking toward the door. “I want to hear more about the vanilla chihuahua.”
Hayden almost felt bad for Spyder. If anyone understood about females wanting to be with a bad boy, it was Hayden. He should hook Spyder up with the last woman Hayden had taken on a date. She would probably have loved a spanking.
“I feel like you’re trying to make me look like the ‘Staying Alive’ version of John Travolta.” The pants Spyder insisted Hayden try on were so tight he couldn’t breathe. “And who wears white pants?” He turned to look at his ass. The seams of his briefs were clearly visible.
“What’s ‘Staying Alive’?” Jericho asked from his own dressing room.
“A fantastic disco movie from the 1970s,” Spyder answered before breaking into a Bee Gees song, his falsetto strangely on key. When his voice moved, Hayden opened the door and stuck his head out to see Spyder strutting down the carpeted floor in step to the song. Instead of white pants, the shorter Hound was wearing black slacks. He had topped those with a lavender shirt he’d left unbuttoned halfway down his chest.
“All you need are a few gold chains, and you’ll have the local pimps beating your ass,” Hayden teased.
“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” Spyder flipped his long hair over his shoulder before turning and strutting back toward Hayden. “Let’s see what you got.” Spyder pushed the door open before Hayden could stop him. “Yeah, those don’t work. Your ass is too thick.”
“Did you just say I’m fat?” Hayden placed his hands on his hips, glaring.
“Are you kidding me? I’d kill to have a bubble butt like yours. Hang on.” Spyder disappeared back into the store, and Hayden turned to look at his ass. He couldn’t help if all of him was muscular.
“Bubble butt, my ass,” he grumbled. Jericho burst out laughing from just outside the door. Hayden eyed his nephew, who was wearing gray pants with a pale blue shirt. “Why do the two of you look normal while I look like a gigolo?”
“Here. Try these.” Spyder thrust several pairs of darker pants at him. “I brought the next two sizes up.”
Hayden closed the door in their faces, then struggled to get the tight, white pants down his legs. He let out a sigh when he was no longer constrained. His dick thanked him for the reprieve. Hayden chose a charcoal pair, fastening them with no trouble. “Now that’s more like it.” He admired them in the mirror, twisting to look at his bubb— “Fuck you, Spyder,” he mumbled.
“What was that?” Spyder opened the door without knocking. “Those are too loose. Try the next size down.”
“What? No. These are perfect.”
“Dude, you want to show off your assets.”
“My assets like the way these fit. And why are you so interested in my assets anyway?”
Spyder waved his arm down Hayden’s body. “I’m secure enough in my malehood to admire a nice form.”
“Fine, just close the fucking door.” Hayden begrudgingly tried on the smaller size, and he had to admit they did make his ass look good. They weren’t so tight he would split them if he moved the wrong way.
“They look great, don’t they?” Spyder asked, his voice smug.
“Nobody likes a know-it-all.” Hayden separated all the clothes from ones he wanted to those he didn’t. Back home, he had a couple pairs of suit pants, but none that fit the way these did. He rarely wore them because most of the time he was in jeans. The jobs he’d been on so far didn’t require him dressing up to fit in, but he had to admit he was looking forward to going to the club to scope out Alvarez. And yeah, maybe dancing with a pretty señorita or two.
When they returned to Jericho’s, Hayden tossed all their purchases in the washing machine so they wouldn’t have that stale, just-bought smell. While he waited, he asked the males to help him some more with his dancing. Hayden would never admit he was enjoying himself, but he loved art in all its forms, and he considered the elaborate moves they were doing to be just that.
Jericho called several of the Hounds and asked them to join the trio on their first night out. There was no guarantee Alvarez would be at the club, but it would give Hayden a chance to practice his newly learned skills.
Chapter Six
Mercedes
Mercedes was amazed at how much the new house mirrored the one they’d left behind in Mexico. The layout was practically the same with his and hers suites on the opposite ends. The furnishings were opulent if less gaudy. She wasn’t dumb. Mercedes knew someone had lived there recently, and she wondered what happened to the family, but she wasn’t about to ask Juan. When she said her prayers that night, she would include them, whoever they were. There was a large swimming pool just outside a sunroom, but there were no tennis courts. The landscaping surrounding the property was lush, even this late in the year.
Mateo was happy to see his own playroom, which his father informed the boy would double as his classroom. Mateo’s face lit up, but Mercedes’s heart broke for whatever child or children the room had belonged to. Antonia and two guards followed the three of them on their tour as though Juan wasn’t capable of walking through the house unaided. Mercedes should be used to their presence after all this time, but she hated having shadows.
Juan had them eat supper together in the large dining room as a family – just the three of them. Mercedes preferred when it was just her and Mateo in their suite, but Juan was in a good mood. Much different than the night before when he’d striped her ass. After they finished eating, Juan, along with Antonia and a couple guards who had been waiting outside the dining room, escorted Mercedes and Mateo to their wing of the house. When they reached Mercedes’s suite, Mateo ran ahead. Mercedes made to follow, but Juan paused at the doorway, grasping her hand. “We’ll be going out tonight.” Antonia beamed beh
ind her brother, until he wound a strand of Mercedes’s hair round his finger. “You’ll be coming with me.”
Mercedes wanted so badly to laugh at the shock on her sister-in-law’s face, but she knew she’d catch hell later if she did. Instead, she turned to Juan and gave him her most sincere smile. “Really? Oh, thank you, Juan.” Mercedes threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “You know how much I love to dance,” she whispered in his ear. When Juan nuzzled Mercedes’s neck, she didn’t miss the daggers Antonia glared her way. Seriously, what was the woman’s problem? Juan was Mercedes’s husband. Did Antonia expect him to never allow her to leave the house? She probably wished it were that way. Mercedes leaned back and cupped her husband’s cheek, pretending to be appreciative. “Would you like me to wear red or black?”
“Black. I don’t want you looking too sexy. Be ready by nine.” Juan kissed her forehead before walking away. If he were any other man, the gesture would have been sweet. Mercedes entered her room and checked the time. She only had a couple hours until she would have to get ready, so Mercedes spent all that time with Mateo. The little boy had already settled into his new environment. Mercedes wished she could do the same, but thoughts of who previously walked those same halls haunted her. Had Juan sent them away with nothing? He had to have since the home was filled with everything except for clothes and toiletries.
Mercedes had plugged in the hot rollers earlier, so while her hair set, she meticulously applied her makeup. Juan seemed to appreciate when she went for what the magazine writers deemed a smoky look, so she chose the darker colors. Thirty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go. Since he was taking her dancing, Mercedes opted for a pair of platform pumps. The shoes had a five-inch heel, but they allowed her to move gracefully without the tightness of her stilettos. If she ever got away from her husband, Mercedes was going barefoot the rest of her life. Or maybe she’d find a nice pair of cowboy boots. She really missed those and blue jeans.
Ana Marie was already seated in the living area, so the knock on the door didn’t bode well. Juan would’ve walked in with no warning. Mercedes grabbed the small purse which matched her shoes and strode to the door. She caught Ana’s eye, and the woman smiled.
“Te ves hermosa come siempre. Diviertete.”
Mercedes would never call herself stunning, but she appreciated the sentiment. As for having fun? She would. Somehow Mercedes would enjoy the evening, even if Antonia attempted to ruin the night. Instead of her sister-in-law waiting in the hallway, it was one of the older male guards. Tomás looked to be in his forties, but he was no less intimidating than the younger men Juan employed. He was also one of the only men who didn’t give Mercedes a once-over every time she came out of her room dressed to go out. Maybe it was because he was old enough to be her father. Whatever the reason, she appreciated it.
They walked in companionable silence through the quiet house and out the front door where three SUVs were waiting. Tomás opened the back door of the vehicle in the middle, closing it once Mercedes was safely inside. Juan was focused on his phone, so Mercedes enjoyed the silence. They were fifteen minutes into the drive downtown before he looked up. Juan eyed her appearance, then looked out the side window. His moods were ever shifting, and Mercedes prayed whatever new project he was working on was going well. She knew it was shitty and selfish to think that way. He wasn’t a good man, but when his business dealings stressed him, he took his frustrations out on her. If it weren’t for the miracle ointment she used on her backside, Mercedes wouldn’t be sitting comfortably on the leather seat, no matter how soft it was.
When they rolled up to the curb outside the club, Mercedes waited for Tomás to open her door. She slid from the vehicle, and while she waited for Juan to join her, Mercedes looked around. The club was quieter than those back home. The music was barely loud enough to hear from outside. There was a line of people waiting to get in. Every head was turned their way, and Mercedes chanced looking at a few faces, but Juan wrapped his arm around her shoulder directing her to the front door. Antonia was a couple steps behind, dressed similarly to Mercedes. Had the woman worn black just because Juan insisted, or had she done it to try and outshine Mercedes? Antonia was beautiful when she wasn’t glaring, and she turned just as many heads as Mercedes did if not more.
Three guards preceded them, and three more flanked their walk through the busy downstairs area. The dance floor was crowded, and Mercedes wished to join in the throng. She would have to wait until Juan had several drinks in him. He pretended he didn’t care for dancing, but once he was out on the floor, he ate up the attention. Mercedes just loved to dance.
The elevator was crowded with all nine of them shoving in, but the ride was short. Mercedes would have gladly walked up one flight of stairs. It wasn’t like they were hiking five miles for goodness’ sake. The area where Juan led them was like other VIP sections they had visited before, overlooking the floor below. The revelers couldn’t see them if they were seated, so Juan took a spot by the railing, insisting she stand beside him. Antonia stood on his other side. Mercedes wondered what strangers thought of her husband and his two women. To anyone who didn’t know the man, it probably appeared as though both Mercedes and Antonia were his companions. He liked to flaunt his wealth as well as his young wife. Mercedes thought it was tacky, a man his age married to someone so young. If she ever found someone else, he was going to be young and sweet. And honestly, Mercedes didn’t care if the man had a lot of money. As long as he loved her and her son, that was all she needed. Like Juan would ever let her take Mateo away from him.
Juan stood watching the crowd as though he were a king looking out over his kingdom. Maybe he was. Her husband was well known back home. Had he already secured his place in New Laredo? She had so many questions about why they had moved, but she knew better than to ask. He made it clear early on that his business wasn’t any of hers. All she had to do was whatever he told her while looking pretty. Those had been his words to her when she was seventeen and her curiosity got the better of her. In those early days, she prayed her brother would somehow figure out what happened, but the more time went by, she gave up on someone saving her. Mercedes vowed to save herself and her son. Somehow.
Movement below caught Mercedes’s attention. Several men moved through the club, some with women, some not. Those who were single had caught the eye of every female and a few men in their vicinity. Mercedes was enthralled, but she was careful to keep her gaze averted lest Juan catch her looking. Tomás presented a tray of drinks, and Mercedes grabbed her champagne, thanking the man. While her back was to Juan, she glanced down to where the group had snagged a high-top table. One of the men, a blond, caught her eye, but before she could get a good look, Juan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.
For the next hour, Mercedes sipped champagne and pretended to enjoy herself. She swayed to the music, letting it and the alcohol mute her worries for a little while. Antonia remained plastered to Juan’s side the whole time, though her eyes seemed to be set on the same table Mercedes had been sneaking peeks at.
“Dance with me,” Antonia suggested to Juan. Mercedes couldn’t see his face or hear his answer when he leaned in and spoke to his sister, but whatever he said to her did not make the woman happy. She chugged her drink, then slammed the empty glass down on the table so hard Mercedes was afraid it would break. With a glare at Mercedes, Antonia brushed by the guard standing at the top of the steps and headed downstairs.
“I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“She’s jealous,” Juan replied. Mercedes looked up at her husband, certain she had misheard. “I want to dance with my stunning wife, not my sister. Are you ready?” Juan held out his hand, and Mercedes took it. Instead of getting back on the elevator, Juan escorted Mercedes down the stairs, one slow step at a time. It was more for his benefit than hers. Juan was making his entrance, allowing his admirers to get a good glimpse of the man with the beautiful young woman on his arm
. Mercedes knew she was nothing more than a shiny bauble Juan dangled to make everyone else jealous. It was times like these when she wanted to duck her head and hide her face. She didn’t want anyone to believe she was with Juan of her own volition. But she had a part to play, and if she didn’t play it well, she would suffer. This she learned early on too. So, with a fake smile on her face, she allowed herself to be led downstairs.
As though they knew he was someone important, the crowd parted, allowing the two of them to walk to the center of the floor. Antonia had snagged one of the men from the table Mercedes had been watching. She was grateful it wasn’t the blond. Why, she couldn’t figure out. There was something about the man that Mercedes couldn’t stop thinking about. When Juan gripped her waist a little too tightly, she turned her attention to her husband and kept it there. Mercedes allowed the music to wash over her, and soon she was lost in the rhythm. Other than spending time with Mateo, dancing was when she was happiest.
Hayden
There was something familiar about Mercedes Alvarez. Hayden couldn’t believe their luck in finding the drug lord in the first club they entered. When Jericho tuned Hayden and Spyder into that fact, it was all Hayden could do not to stare. He had tried to catch Mercedes’s eye from the moment he’d stood by the open table, but other than a few glances his way, the woman had kept her face hidden. When he and the others first arrived, Hayden had seen Juan Carlos standing by the rail in the VIP section with two gorgeous women beside him. Hayden didn’t know which one was the wife until the taller of the two had made her way downstairs and approached their table. She had eyed each of the single men, but it was Spyder who spoke to her.
“Hello, darlin’. I’m Jay,” Spyder said, giving a fake name. “And you are?”
“You may call me Antonia.” The gorgeous brunette’s accent was thick as she looked Spyder over.
“Well, Antonia. Would you care to dance?” Spyder held out his hand, and she took it. Spyder drew the woman onto the dance floor and proceeded to garner not only her attention, but that of everyone around them. After a few beats, it was apparent the male had been holding back in Jericho’s kitchen. Even Hayden was enthralled by the way his friend commanded the room. That was until all heads turned toward the stairs.