Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection

by Dakota Willink

  “Why? Because you have another girlfriend, you don’t want me to meet? Is that why that girl thought she could talk that way about me?”

  “It’s dangerous here, Mia. I’m not going to say anything more than that. You already know without asking that running The Pink Pistol is not my only job, and you don’t get to question me about it. Now get your ass in the car and keep quiet. I’m taking you home, where you’ll stay.”

  She stared daggers at me, but she did what I said once I unlocked the door with my key fob. I slammed the door after her, then rounded the car to slide into the driver’s seat. I could feel my pulse throbbing in my neck as we drove in silence. She’d surprised me. I’d thought my temper would scare her, turn her into a crying mess, but she stood up to me. I was angry yet secretly amused. If only she knew what I’d done to grown men for lesser offenses.

  When we pulled up to her apartment, she quickly jumped out, leaving the passenger door open. I cursed loudly before following her, pausing only to close her door.

  “Mia, stop acting like a brat. It’s not pretty.”

  She whirled around, the fire still blazing hot in her eyes.

  “I don’t give a fuck. Go back to your whores, Dantes. I may not belong there, but you obviously do.” Mia turned, unlocking her door then slamming it in my face.

  “íCarájo!” I shouted before stomping away, but not before I heard her bolt the door. Once I was back in the car, I called Oscar.

  “I’m on my way back,” I said when he answered. “Make sure Carmen is gone by the time I get there.”

  “We’re already on the way to her house. Can’t say when I’ll be back, but hopefully, not until morning,” he said with a chuckle.

  “You know she’s Cisneros’ daughter, don’t you?”

  “What’s he gonna do? Stop taking bribes because I fucked his daughter?”

  “Cabrón, isn’t she right there with you?”

  “She’s on her phone, trying to score coke, but it doesn’t matter. She knows who we are Dantes. She told me she overheard José talking about you and the Desalmados. She said danger excites her, right before she reached down and grabbed my cock.”

  No wonder the dumb bitch wanted to come to the club. If I was going to keep Mia safe, I was going to have to figure out a way to separate the two of them, but that was a problem for another time.

  “Make sure she doesn’t show up again and do what you have to do to convince her that talking Mia into foolishness isn’t compatible with living a long life.” I decided to head to my place. Andy could run that shit show now we’d finished with Kosareva. I’d report back to El Tuerto about the weapons in the morning. I just wanted the fucking night to end.

  11

  Mia

  I woke up the next morning, hungover and still fuming over Dantes forcing me out of The Pink Pistol. I knew he’d be mad I went, but I didn’t think he’d really throw me out. What was the real reason he didn’t want me there? I wasn’t some delicate flower who couldn’t handle being around adult entertainment. Was he messing around with one or more of his dancers? Was that the real reason? Maybe he was just like all the assholes I’d fallen for in my past. The idea brought tears to my eyes. When would I ever learn there were no men who wouldn’t cheat? Why wasn’t I good enough to be the only one for somebody?

  Just as I’d climbed back into bed, planning to stay there licking my wounds for the rest of the day, my phone rang. Throwing the covers off, I pawed at the nightstand, finally grabbing hold of the device. I smiled when I saw it was my sister, Hayley, rather than Dantes.

  “Hey,” I said softly when I answered the phone. “I’m surprised it’s you! Mom said, you wouldn’t be in town for another couple weeks.”

  Hayley was a junior at Princeton and my total opposite. I was four years older, the calm, artsy dreamer, and good girl. Hayley was the wild child and the baby of the family, who could do no wrong in anyone’s eyes, including my own. Rather than play with baby dolls when I was little, I had a real live baby to play mother to, and I’d always taken the job seriously.

  “I was feeling homesick for my family and friends, so I figured why not come back early? There’s no shortage of nightlife here.”

  “In other words, you’re out of money and decided to hit Dad up for a loan,” I replied, knowing my sister all too well.

  “Well, that too, but I did miss you. What are you up to? Why don’t you come home? We can do girly stuff and gossip, then go out tonight.”

  Suddenly, my weekend didn’t look too bad. I could put all thoughts of Dantes to the side and enjoy the company of my baby sister.

  “I’ll call over to the day spa and see if they can squeeze us in for massages. God knows I could use one.”

  “Ooh! Book us pedicures, too. My toes are in bad shape.”

  “I’m on it. I’ll bring my overnight bag and stay with you guys. We’ll make a whole weekend out of it.”

  “This is going to be so much fun!” she squealed before hanging up the phone. I no longer felt so bad. My sister and I had always been close despite our age difference. For most of our years, I looked out for her. While I probably always would, as she’d grown older, my motherly hovering over her had taken a back seat to an emerging friendship. Her going to college all the way in New Jersey had interrupted it, but that was the great thing about family. No matter how much time or distance was between you, that connection was never severed.

  “So, what’s new with you?” Hayley asked as we sat in wide, comfortable chairs with our feet soaking in warm, effervescent water.

  “Same as ever. Painting and trying to get them into the local galleries.”

  “What about men? Anyone new since David?”

  “Well, there is somebody. Or there was. I’m not too sure about it right now.”

  “What do you mean?” my sister asked as she put aside the magazine she’d been flipping through.

  “We had a fight last night. He owns a nightclub of sorts. He’d warned me away from it, but Carmen and I showed up anyway, and he was really mad. He hustled me right out and took me home.”

  “Why would he want you to stay away unless he has something to hide?”

  “Normally, that’s what I would think, but his club is The Pink Pistol. He says it’s the wrong element for a person like me.”

  “Get out! You’re dating a mobster,” Hayley whispered excitedly as she leaned over the arm of her chair.

  “What? No! Don’t be silly,” I whispered back, shocked she’d think something like that.

  “Don’t you know those places are all money-laundering fronts? How do you think it’s the only titty bar in town? Somebody on the City Council had to have taken a bribe.”

  “I think once you graduate college, you need to find a job that lets you use that wild imagination. You could make a killing.”

  “Mark my words, Mia. The man is into something illegal.”

  “Dantes comes across dangerous, but I’ve never felt anything but safe with him. Physically, anyway. My heart is another story,” I replied, trying to decide if there was any truth to Hayley’s claims.

  “I get it. We like the men our mother warned us about,” she said, picking her magazine back up. “I just got out of a relationship with one of my own. The lead singer of an up-and-coming rock band. Talk about drama. I had to fend off bitchy chicks right and left, who wanted to take my place. Unfortunately, Caden didn’t seem to find it necessary to keep them at bay.”

  “Ugh, cheaters,” we said simultaneously, then cracked up. We were silent for a few minutes before Hayley tossed her magazine down again.

  “Let’s go out tonight and find new men to take our minds off everything. Nothing like some flirting and free drinks to get your head back on straight.”

  “I don’t know…” I said, nibbling on my lower lip. “I don’t think it would be right unless I knew things were over with Dantes and me.”

  “God, Mee. Don’t you ever get tired of always doing the right thing? Forget the rules fo
r once and just do what feels good.”

  “I did that and look where it got me,” I pointed out. “I see your argument, though. Let me call Carmen and see if she’ll join us. Why don’t you call Bethany? We can go to The Underground.”

  “Yeah! Girls’ Night Out!”

  We pulled out our phones, even though it was a no-no in the spa, and called our friends. Carmen was just waking up, but as I suspected, she was more than happy to join our impromptu party.

  “Bethany said she’d come, too. We’re really going to let our hair down and go all out tonight. Fair warning, big sister.”

  I doubted I’d do anything that qualified as letting my hair down, but at least I’d have my mind off Dantes… or so I hoped.

  “Look at that one over there,” Hayley said loudly, jabbing me in the side with her elbow. All of us turned to look at a handsome blond standing at the bar, his hair falling boyishly over his forehead, big, expressive brown eyes presently fixed on Bethany. She blushed and dropped her head a little, giving him a look that beckoned him forward. He didn’t need any further encouragement. He and his friend, another attractive blond who might well have been his brother for as much as they looked alike, came sauntering over, full of swagger. They struck up a conversation with Bethany and Hayley. It wasn’t long before the two women were dancing with them.

  “We need to find ourselves a couple of hotties, too,” Carmen said as she danced in place with her drink, her eyes scanning the crowded club for a target.

  “Is my company not good enough for you?” I asked, one eyebrow raised.

  “Don’t get me wrong, you’re my girl, but tonight is about flirting, getting attention, and kissing hot boys. We’re here to make you forget about Dantes, at least for a little while.”

  “And by finding another lying cheater, I’ll get over him?”

  “No one is saying you should find a new boyfriend tonight. Just a few hugs, kisses, and a good time. Maybe a really good time.”

  “You mean like the one you had with Oscar last night?” I said with a smirk.

  “I mean exactly like that,” she sighed dreamily. “He certainly put his whole self into it, if you know what I mean.”

  “Then why aren’t you with him again tonight?”

  “I’m not trying to marry the guy, Mia. The most I’m looking for is a friend with exceptional benefits. Besides, Dantes has him working on something. I didn’t ask questions about what.”

  “It’s good you didn’t. The less I hear about Dantes, the better off I’ll be tonight.”

  “Amen,” Carmen said, lifting her glass and clinking it against mine. “Oh, hey, look. Carolina and her sister are here again. I’m going to go say hi. Be right back.”

  I watched as Carmen flitted away. It’d probably be another hour before I saw her again.

  Quietly sipping my margarita through the tiny stirring straw, I felt a sense of déjà vu. This was exactly what I was doing when Dantes found me. To further compound the sensation, I watched as another man approached me. He, too, was Latino, only with much darker skin and considerably shorter. While I found him attractive, it was only in the abstract. I didn’t think anyone, for the rest of my life, would draw me in as Dantes did.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he said in heavily accented English. “Why is a beautiful woman like you standing here alone?”

  “I’m on a girls’ night out, and all my friends are out dancing. I’m waiting to finish my drink, instead,” I fibbed. I didn’t want him to think I was just standing around, waiting to be asked.

  “Then you should dance with me,” he replied, clearly not understanding the part where I said I wanted to finish my drink.

  “Thank you,” I answered, trying to figure out how to politely rebuff him. “I still have plenty of my drink left, however. Maybe later.”

  “Drink up, señorita. You’re here to have fun, aren’t you?”

  “Well, of course. I just don’t want good alcohol to go to waste,” I said with a chuckle.

  “I’ll buy you another. In fact, I’ll buy you as many as you like.”

  “My mother taught me not to accept gifts from strangers.”

  “My name is Esteban. What’s yours?” he asked with a stunning smile. He was even better looking when he smiled with deep dimples sinking into his cheeks, but he still couldn’t hold a candle to the one man whose presence I couldn’t shake from my mind.

  “I’m Mia,” I said, taking the hand he held out to shake.

  “See, we’re no longer strangers. Now, you choose. Either we dance, or you let me buy you another drink.”

  “Okay, you win, Esteban,” I said, tossing back the second half of my drink. “Let’s dance.”

  He was a great dancer with superb rhythm that could rival a professional. He danced my feet off until I was exhausted and parched. I finally begged for a reprieve, so we headed back to the bar. I’d switched to a screwdriver and was working on another when Bethany came rushing to my side.

  “Mia, you need to come quickly. Hayley needs your help. It’s an emergency.”

  “What is it?” I replied, instantly concerned by her frantic tone.

  “She passed out. Carmen is with her in the ladies’ lounge, next to the restrooms.”

  I was stunned. It wasn’t unusual for Carmen to overindulge, I’d scraped her off the floor of many a restroom in our day, but Hayley wasn’t even of age yet. Sergei had allowed her into the club since she was Sheriff Bernard’s other daughter. I never should have taken my eyes off her.

  Forgetting all about Esteban, I turned my back on him as Bethany grabbed my arm and hurriedly dragged me to the back of the club. She pushed through the door where Hayley was lying, not moving on a low, one-armed sofa, Carmen hovering over her, trying to rouse her. I rushed to her side.

  “How much did she have to drink?” I asked as I knelt down next to her, grabbing one limp hand in mine.

  “Oh, Mee, thank God Bethany found you. I think Hayley only had a few margaritas, but that’s not what did this. She came in while Carolina and I were getting high. She begged us to share, but we’d just done the last of the coke, so Caro gave her a couple of pills she got from a friend. We’re not sure what they were. We were laughing and chatting as we passed around a joint, then the next thing I knew, Hayley just slumped over next to me,” Carmen said in a flurry of words as she sniffled and wiped her nose discreetly.

  “Did you call nine-one-one?” I asked, stunned there weren’t already paramedics on their way.

  “No, of course not!” Carmen exclaimed. “Sergei would kill us if we brought the authorities to his door.”

  I didn’t even want to consider the implications of that statement. I whipped my phone out of my purse, ready to dial emergency services when Carolina stopped me with her hand.

  “Seriously, Mee. You don’t want to do that. At the very least, The Underground could get shut down,” she said, a warning look in her eyes.

  “Have you guys lost your minds? My sister could be dying!” I tore my arm away from Carolina and started dialing. “How could you give her drugs? Especially when you didn’t even know what they were?”

  “Mia, think of your father’s reelection campaign. If this gets into the news, it could destroy his chances. Call Dantes instead,” Carmen pleaded. “He’ll know what to do. He’ll help us.”

  Every instinct told me to tell them where they could go, but the looks on Carmen and Carolina’s faces made me pause. There was more to the situation than met the eye, but I didn’t have time to contemplate it. Acquiescing under the pressure of their intent stares, I called Dantes.

  12

  Dantes

  As promised, twenty-four hours later, I sat across from Sergei in his office upstairs in the nightclub. The room was accented by smoked glass windows that looked down onto the dancefloor, but my focus was solely on the Russian, Oscar at my back, as usual.

  “Have you located my weapons, Kosareva?” I asked pointedly.

  “Yes. Well, maybe not so much thei
r exact location at this point, but I know what happened to them,” he replied, looking grim.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It seems they’re in the possession of the Soldados now. I had an unfortunate situation with some defectors, the men who were assigned to keep watch over the shipment until it could be delivered safely to you. Upon learning of their treachery, the men were dealt with accordingly.”

  “You exterminated them before learning the whereabouts of my weapons?”

  “Yes and no. After some… aggressive persuasion, they gave us the location where they exchanged the weapons for cash,” Sergei said, taking a cigar from the ornate box atop his desk. He rolled it between his fingers, an obvious sign of nervousness.

  “So, how will you go about getting them back?” I asked, my tone communicating there was no other acceptable solution.

  “I have my top men on it. They assure me they’ll have them tonight.”

  “Assuming the Soldados haven’t distributed or sold them already.

  “Before their untimely demise, the thieves informed us they intended to use them to prepare for war against the Desalmados.”

  I sat back, processing the information. I wasn’t overly worried about Luís and his crew trying to wipe us out. We had our own means of fighting back, and in light of this new development, I was certain El Tuerto would mobilize his lieutenants to take the war to the Soldados doorstep sooner rather than later.

  “I appreciate the information, and it may have bought you a little more time to come up with replacements. Because I’m a generous man and we have a long-standing relationship, I’ll advance you half of the product, the rest once two-hundred and fifty Kalashnikovs are delivered to me, in keeping with your last offer.”

  “One week, Dantes. That’s all I ask.”

  “Just make sure you deliver; otherwise, you’ll find a similar fate as your double-crossing men.”

  Before I could press him for additional information about the drop-off location, my cell phone rang shrilly in my pocket. I took it out, fully intending to silence it until I looked at the screen and saw it was Mia calling.