Stealing Iris: A Dark Mafia Romance (Blood Ties Book 1)

by Sahara Roberts

  Muffled voices filter in from outside. “It’s okay, man.” Conrado’s voice sounds shaky. His footsteps come closer, hesitating at the door.

  “Decide what you’re going to do,” I snap, letting some of my annoyance slip through.

  Conrado cranes his neck to look inside before he ducks back. After verifying it’s me, he glances around the SUV to make sure I’m alone. “Hey,” he says, relieved.

  Tino gives him a thorough pat down.

  “Rad?” The other guy’s voice breaks on the question.

  He looks over his shoulder, holding up a hand. “I’m good, man.” His voice is back to normal. “Go inside and grab a table.” Crouching, he slips in and sits back in the plush seat next to me. Tino closes the door then opens the driver’s side. His dark shadow fills the front again, making Conrado hold himself away from the front seat, and Tino. Testing my patience, I wait, letting Tino start the engine while Conrado starts worrying.

  “This isn’t what we agreed to,” I state, watching his companion hesitate at the entrance to Chili’s. While I make sure my voice is modulated, Tino recognizes the tone. I turn in time to see his gaze flick to the rearview mirror, focusing on me. He knows I’m in the mood to be a bastard but doesn’t know why.

  “It’s okay, man. Iz, he’s my boy.” As if his sad explanation matters. Tonight’s dinner was for one reason, and he showed up without her. Two days ago, I had no qualms walking away. Now, that’s not going to happen. Not until I figure out how Iris is tied to this motherfucker. Because the time I spent with her, more than I ever spent with another woman, isn’t enough—nowhere near enough.

  “You fucked up, again, Con-ra-do.” My disdain at his name should have been enough to point out where he stands, but I’ve already witnessed more than one mental midget moment. “Anyone else would terminate business dealings.”

  “No,” he says, wide-eyed. “You don’t gotta do that.”

  “With anyone else…” I pause so he thinks we have some kind of bond he violated. “The options would range from walking away from the meeting to dropping you on the spot.”

  Conrado swallows hard, glancing to the front seat then outside before looking back to me. “I-I won’t do that again.” The reality’s sinking in. Obviously, he’s never considered the negative side of getting involved in the illegal trade. “Iris was tied up.”

  Of course she is. My stomach churns again.

  “And Iz’s gonna run with me,” he rushes to explain. “Figured he should hear about what he’s getting into.” The smell of his sweat, a mixture of cheap cologne, desperation, and fear, reaches me in the enclosed space. While it doesn’t fully satisfy, it’s enough to make me feel better—at least for the moment.

  “My part in this business is to set up the introductions for my clients. The people I deal with pay a lot of money for peace of mind. They expect someone they can count on. Someone who can maintain a certain level of discretion.” My tone makes it clear he isn’t among the people I mentioned. “So, when I give you explicit instructions on when to show up and who to show up with, and you decide on your own to change the terms, you demonstrate to me I can’t trust you. And if I can’t trust you, I can’t, in good conscience, let you be included in these dealings.”

  “Dude, no, don’t do that,” he whines.

  Iris… The name crosses my mind, and I want her again. “The only thing I can offer is an anonymous connection.” Tino shoots another glance into the mirror. All our deals are anonymous, not that he needs to know that.

  “Okay.” He nods enthusiastically. “What’d I gotta to do for that?”

  “Put down a deposit.” After some quick math in my head, I double the original total, a penalty for leaving Iris behind. “Fifty thousand dollars.”

  Conrado’s face falls, and my satisfaction comes tumbling back. “We’ll set the money aside for the client, in case things go wrong.” We set aside a fund for every client from the membership cost and the nominal percentage we earn off each transaction. The paltry 50K wouldn’t even cover transportation costs. “We’re getting together this weekend. I might be able to consider you if you can meet the requirements.” I can almost see the wheels in his head turning. “Can you do that?”

  His eyes go unfocused as seconds tick by. “Maybe.” Now I wish I’d tripled the amount. Damn it, nothing in his workup said he could pull together that kind of money in a couple of days. “If not, we can work something out, right? You guys set up auc—”

  “I’m already giving you slack, Conrado,” I point out, shaking my head.

  “That’s right, that’s right.” His leg bounces like a jackhammer. “Yeah, man, I can still get it together. Yeah, I think so,” he assures me. “Can I call you?” The hope in his eyes is a tangible thing.

  I should stop toying with this fool and put him out of his misery. Tino opens the door, and I take it as fate. “I’ll check in on you later this week.”

  *****

  DANTE

  Tino glares at the rearview mirror so hard I look over my shoulder. Conrado is trotting up the sidewalk to meet his boy at the entrance to Chili’s. The guy sags in relief at seeing Conrado back safe. The sad part is, we didn’t even leave the parking lot yet. Clearly Rad and his buddy aren’t a threat.

  Tino’s attention turns to my reflection once we hit the city street. The cold stare he reserves for his prey is all but measuring me for a headshot. “Do you plan on letting me in on what just happened?”

  I owe the guy an explanation. From his point of view, it would sound like I just thoughtlessly plunged him back into the deadly world he walked away from. Since he’s been with me, he’s watched my back, either gun in hand or through a scope. I would never willingly put him in a situation where he’ll need to kill someone if it isn’t absolutely necessary.

  Running my hand down my face, I exhale in frustration or maybe in defeat. “He just managed to piss me the hell off, man.”

  “So what’s this about making some sort of an exception, with a deposit? And since when do you bring emotions into a business deal?”

  My annoyance rises again. “I didn’t think he’d be able to come up with the extra money.” So either there’s a gap in the information I have on him, or I’m missing part of the story. I’ll reach out to Kassy, my IT guru, so she can dig through her sources and get updated intel on Conrado Villa. In our line of business, what you don’t know can get you killed.

  “So you won’t be working with him?” Tino raises a brow.

  “No. The guy doesn’t have a chance in hell of coming near our group.” We go to a lot of trouble to make sure the people we bring into the circle are a good fit. If there’s any inkling of doubt on a prospective candidate, we move on. We can’t risk having the law infiltrate the ranks. Well, the honest law.

  “Wondered about that.” His attention goes back to the road. “He doesn’t seem like your usual crowd.”

  “No, not even close,” I assure him. “The guy rubs me the wrong way.” I shift in my seat, my mouth twisting in distaste. “I wanted to let him sweat for a while, but he got to me.” I turn away, hoping my body language will deter him from asking anything else. But there’s an expectation in the atmosphere, and I know what’s coming before he opens his mouth.

  “Is it something to do with Iris?” The words echo what’s in my head.

  And there it is. The topic I want to avoid discussing with anyone. Hell, even with myself. How can I explain she got under my skin after one night together? Maybe even after one brief conversation, while fully dressed. That just doesn’t happen—not to me anyway.

  “Montoya says Conrado would be an asset.” Don’t ask if I purposely avoid talking about Iris. Mostly because I might ask to drive across town to that house standing silently on a corner, in a middle-class neighborhood.

  “Hrmph.” The grunt is more along the lines of what I expect from Tino. “I’m having a hard time with this one. Something’s off about him.”

  I had the same thought.

&
nbsp; “Even that car he’s driving doesn’t seem right.” True. The smart little four-door Toyota seems too sensible for him. “Then again, he could have borrowed his mama’s car.”

  Okay, mama’s boy would fit his profile perfectly. “I don’t know what it is. He’s playing things close, yet he can’t keep his mouth shut and can’t follow instructions.”

  “But Montoya says he’s a go.”

  “That’s why I haven’t blown him off.” It’s a partial truth, and might be enough to appease Tino’s curiosity.

  “Think you missed something in his background check?” He scans the area around us, making sure we don’t have a tail before turning into my neighborhood.

  “Yeah, I already tripped over a couple of things.” I stretch back against the seat. “But we did the review on him several months back.”

  “A lot can change in several months.” He shrugs. “Did you check to see if Montoya has anything new?”

  “No.” I hadn’t given Conrado a thought, until I ended up stuck with him.

  “We can see what he says tomorrow.”

  Something akin to embarrassment digs into me. The Monday before every party we drive out to the ranch and sit with Montoya, reviewing backgrounds. I document everything from favorite drinks to preferred cigars, and family ties to family feuds. Anything to put the client at ease and avoid possible confrontations due to unknowingly pairing up enemies. But over the past couple of days, I haven’t gotten a damn thing done. “I’m rescheduling.”

  The suspicion in Tino’s eyes claws at me from the rearview. “That’s unexpected.”

  Heat burns at my collar. “I’m running behind with the files.” Which is much better than explaining how I’d been sleeping off a sex hangover then been distracted by the oddest memories of a stray curl and the scent of her skin mingled with mine.

  “I can hook up with Kassy later this week and dig into Conrado’s background. I’ll send her the plate number off the car.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” I confirm, relieved at the shift in conversation. “A fresh pair of eyes may find something I missed.”

  “Or we’ll find out something about his mama,” he adds dryly.

  I grin into the darkness as we pull in front of the wrought iron gate leading to my house. “Anything we can find on him will be useful.” Especially if it includes anything to do with Iris.

  CHAPTER SIX

  IRIS

  “Iris to the front, please. Iris to the front.” Carol’s voice, brimming with excitement and a little amusement, comes over the speakers. I frown. What is she up to? Tuesdays tend to be slow after a hectic weekend and Monday shoppers, so what does she need? Did I lose track of time?

  I set a box of tomatoes on the rolling cart for restocking and wipe my hands on my smock. Sidestepping this morning’s produce delivery, I head to the front.

  As soon as I pass the heavy service doors, something flutters in my chest. Dante, looking shockingly handsome in a forest-green pullover, chats away with Carol. She’s especially bubbly, which means she’s flirting with him.

  He looks directly at me as he finishes his conversation. “Excuse me,” he says, without breaking eye contact then starts in my direction. My cheeks warm, and my insides do a few Beyoncé moves as snippets of the other night flash through my head.

  Carol swivels around to check him out as he walks away, her gaze centering on the back of his jeans. Her hair slips off her shoulder as she leans across the counter to keep watching. The twinge, coming from somewhere deep inside me, slows my steps. We’ve grown close in the time she’s been at the store, so I’m not shocked when she puts her fingertips to her mouth as she flicks the other hand. Yeah, no denying Dante is hot, but I can’t appreciate her teasing this time. Right now I want to smack her. I guess the fact Dante and I have been naked together changes some things.

  “Hey.” His casual greeting makes my pulse skip a beat. A killer smile plays peek-a-boo, popping up for just a few seconds before melting away. Long enough to let me blow off the rest of Carol’s antics without plotting any serious payback.

  “Hi.” My voice gives out, only sharing the H in my greeting. I clear my throat, forcing myself not to wring my fingers or blush. “You looking for Conrado?”

  He looks around at the fruits and vegetables section before turning toward dairy. “I don’t look like I’m shopping?” he asks in his cool, laidback manner.

  I raise a brow then take Carol’s lead, checking him out under a thinly veiled pretense. “No basket, no cart, no list,” I tick off on my fingers. “So no.”

  A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “Okay, maybe not. But I’d like a word with you, in private.” His mouth on mine reminds me of how he looked when he kissed me. The idea of being in private with him warms me in ways I have no business feeling at work. “Can we borrow the office for a few minutes, or is he there?”

  His suggestion lands on my chest like a ten-pound sack of potatoes. “N-no, he’s out.” I shake my head.

  He frowns.

  “But…” What? I’ve worked myself into a corner. He can’t know I take pains to stay away from that area, and Conny. I’m not about to explain my reason to Dante when he’s looking to get me alone. However, he’s handed me the perfect excuse. “There’s a security camera in there,” I murmur.

  “Ah,” he says, with understanding. So I’m right about why he wants privacy.

  “Have lunch with me.” It isn’t exactly an invitation, if you go by the confidence in his tone. Yet in the background, Carol’s giving a thumbs-up from where she’s charging Mrs. Rocha, one of our long-time customers.

  Heat shoots up my face. “Um…” How can I agree to go anywhere with him? Even if I had a dime to my name, I’m not dressed to go out. I put off laundry, so this morning I grabbed a faded-peach V-neck with dark leggings. Together with my old runners, my outfit probably doesn’t cost what he spent on the shirt he’s wearing. “Actually, Carol’s scheduled for lunch in a bit,” I explain, turning toward the register.

  “I can wait…” Dante assures me, without looking at her.

  “Go ahead,” Carol says at the same time. “I’m good with going later.”

  “I can pick up something for her,” Mrs. Rocha offers. The retiree, and devout churchgoer, spares a quick glance or two at Dante. If I’m not reading her wrong, she’ll need to bring up how she was checking him out during her next confession.

  It’s hard not to grin. The image of getting thrown into a shopping cart, and wheeled outside, is both vivid and hilarious.

  “We can bring you back something,” Dante offers, the corner of his lips pulling up, “if you can wait.” He finally looks over, now that he has her support in dragging me to lunch. “It’s the least I can do for stealing Iris away early.” Oh yeah, with that tone, he’ll have her wrapped around a finger in no time.

  “Sure.” Carol waves at the aisle, a little jittery. “I work in a grocery store, so it’s not like I’ll starve.” As expected, he charms her without really trying.

  Dante waits, knowing he sidelined any reason for me to say no.

  “You sure?” I ask sheepishly.

  “Anywhere you want to go,” he offers, his gaze flowing down me like a caress. Oh yeah, the guy knows he made the invitation sound as if he’s offering something much more decadent.

  Poor Dante. Letting me choose may get him more than he bargained for. We wouldn’t end up somewhere you have to dress up. So, let’s see how he’ll do with anywhere I want to go. “Okay, then.” I untie the smock, knowing he’ll have a look. “Let me wash up and we can take off.” Even with my back turned, I know he’s watching me walk away, and a little part of me is lapping it up.

  *****

  IRIS

  Ten minutes after we’re seated, Bunny figures out I’m at the café. “Ham and egg tacos, a la Mexicana,” Bunny’s voice bellows out the kitchen, right before she pokes her head out of the rectangular window, searching me out. “Ahhhhhhhh…” The loud and cheerful sound drags
out, even when she makes it away from the line and out the swinging doors. The regulars, used to her boisterous personality, don’t bat an eye.

  “I-ris.” Bunny comes barreling between tables, pulling off an apron printed with If you stare more than a minute, I’ll start charging across her considerable chest. I have enough forethought to get up from the booth as she tosses the apron across her shoulder. Big, solid arms built from rolling out a mountain of flour tortillas every day come around me in a bear hug. “Glad to see you, chula.” As always, she squeezes me to within an inch of my life. “It’s been way too long.”

  The last time I set foot in Bomberos café, I dropped off Dad’s missing person flyer. “Too long.” I squeeze her right back. Being wrapped up in her arms is the first time I’ve felt normal in forever. A ball of emotion threatens to suffocate me, or maybe Bunny’s just cutting off my oxygen.

  “Let me look at you.” She steps back, eying me head to foot with a critical eye. Her frown is immediate. “You’ve lost weight.”

  “Some.” It comes from having an empty pantry at home, but I’m not about to share my situation. “The rest slid down to my hips.”

  “Nonsense.” She gives my hip a quick smack. “Those are breeder’s hips, if I’ve ever seen them.” She puts her arm around me and turns to Dante. “Am I right?” Heat travels across my cheeks, but I wouldn’t shush her, as if anyone could. I love her for being herself. If I’d been prepared for Dad to date after Mom, I wish it had been someone like this woman who is all love and emotion.

  “Bunny, this is Dante. Dante, Bonnie Bustos, or Bunny, as I’ve known her all my life.”

  He stands, reaching out a hand. “Ma’am.”

  “Oh,” she says, looking him up and down before shaking his hand. “Good eye,” she says leaning in, pretending to lower her voice. “You got yourself a nice one, hon.” She winks in appreciation.

  I’m sorry, I mouth to him, because not everyone’s ready for such an immense personality, much less to have her focus her attention solely on you.