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

by Sahara Roberts

  “I’m okay,” I sniff. “I didn’t find out he was missing until days later since I’d been avoiding him. Olga, his girlfriend, came looking for me. She was a mess.” I wiped my nose. “Even hit the back of the carport when she came in. But she managed to do a police report on his disappearance. There’s just not a lot they can do in these cases.”

  Dante clears his expression, obviously familiar with having people disappear in Nuevo Laredo.

  “She said she thought he was being held for ransom. She’d had some big fight with Conny, so she sent me to get the money out of the safe and bring it to the house.”

  “No one called,” he says, realizing the setup.

  I purse my lips, shaking my head. “I feel like such an idiot for believing her.” I let my hands fall to my lap in defeat. “The money’s gone. My father’s gone. And now she disappears for days at a time, dropping in unexpectedly whenever she feels like it.” I swallow hard, knowing I have to tell him everything. “Conny…” I couldn’t continue with the rest.

  “He’s a fucking pig,” Kassy spits out.

  Bitter tears threaten as memories pummel me from where I stuffed them at the back of my mind. Being thrown, my clothes ripping, desperately screaming for a dad who would never come, and through it all, Conny’s laughter.

  “After…the first time, I told Conny I was going to call the police.”

  Dante’s hold grows firm.

  “But Olga had already filed a police report on the “theft.” He showed me the recordings: the fight then my father disappears, and a couple of days later, I’m taking his money out of the safe in the middle of the night.” I twist the napkin around my fingers until Dante places his hands over mine. “He pointed out anyone who saw the tape would think I was stealing. And that’s just what they’d tell the police.” I sniff hard. “I was scared. The truth is, I kept hearing noises, and I thought someone else was in the building.” I wipe my nose. “There I am, clear as day, pulling money out of the safe.” The tears start again. “More cash than I ever imagined my father would keep on hand.” Dante pulls out another napkin. “I look guilty as hell,” I explain between sniffles. “I kept checking over my shoulder because I was afraid someone would catch me.”

  “We can check into that tomorrow. If things look bad, we’ll hire the best lawyer in the country to defend you,” Dante assures me.

  With that burden lifted, I could drift off on a cloud. For someone to believe me without hesitation is a marvel. Hopefully they’ll have some luck setting things right.

  Dante shifts me in his hold. “How can Conrado come up with a hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”

  I push up in his lap. “He’s been siphoning money from the store. I don’t think it would be that much.” Wringing my fingers, I run some rough numbers. “He’s fired nearly everyone, so he’s saving on salaries, and he hasn’t paid our vendors.”

  “Would that be enough?” Kassy sits back in her chair, scrunching her brow.

  “Well…” I raise my shoulders. “If you include what Dad had in there from before, maybe.”

  Dante frowns. “Where’s he keeping the money?”

  “No clue.” I’m no help at all.

  “The cash is in the safe,” Kassy supplies. We both turn to stare at the screen.

  “What?” My jaw nearly drops. He’s had the money at the store the entire time, and yet he hasn’t paid the bills.

  Dante squeezes my hand. “Are you sure?”

  “Saw him pull stacks of money from the safe on a video clip from this afternoon.”

  Dante turns to me. “Have you checked in there?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t really go in the office.” I hike a shoulder. It wouldn’t make a difference if I did. “Besides, Conny changed the combination.”

  “Did you see him open the safe?” Tino asks.

  “No.” She turns to the keyboard, clicking away for a bit. “The guy was smart enough to clear the security footage, but he kept some files on you.” My face burns just thinking about what’s on those clips.

  The scene comes up, and Conny’s whooping as he shows off the stacks of money. He brought two bundles out and kissed each one before putting them on the desk.

  “Dude, you sure we got enough?” Iz leans forward and frowns.

  “Don’t worry, man.” Conny waves a hand. “We’re close, then we hit easy street.” He gets a wild look in his eyes. “These people are talking millions. Millions.”

  “Fuck, dude.” Iz throws his hands up in the air. “If you’d closed the deal for this chick…”

  “I know, man.” Conrado stomps a boot down. “I was this close. This close.” He holds up his thumb and index finger. Shaking his head, he tightens his lips, muttering something to himself.

  “You know what?” He turns to Iz, who’s still drooling over the money. “Get Iris the fuck in here.”

  Every muscle in Dante’s body goes rigid as Iz disappears off the screen and Conny puts the money back in the safe. He may not have seen the rest of the video, but he knows what’s going to happen.

  Biting my lip, I turn to him. “Are you sure you want to see this?”

  He looks over to where the bruise is forming next to my eye. “Yes.”

  *****

  DANTE

  Seconds tick by as I wrestle with a wave of anger. I only saw a snippet of the video earlier, before I lost signal, but it was enough. There’s a hollow in my chest because I know what that asshole is going to do to her. And all I can do is sit here, in my own personal hell, and watch what happens.

  Iris’s voice comes in from beyond the screen. She’s cautious, clearly wanting to keep her distance, so this isn’t the first time she’s dealt with him. What I wouldn’t give if I could reach in and pull her back.

  The other guy, Conrado’s boy, is there, too. His hands are on her, and I want to tear his throat out for touching her.

  My conscience is drawn in. Every time Conrado says my name, a rail spike goes through my gut. I did this. Why didn’t I cut him loose when I had the chance? Because I don’t let anything stop me from getting what I want—and I wanted Iris Gloria for myself.

  The side of her beautiful face hits the desk, and I flinch. I’ve seen much worse, done much worse, and it’s never bothered me. But this is Iris, and that makes all the difference.

  “I won’t help you screw Dante over.” The hammer comes down again. Even though she’s in obvious danger, she’s trying to protect me, while I immediately condemned her as a traitor and sent her away. I’m a fucking bastard, and I don’t deserve her.

  Iris sets her hand on my chest. “I’m okay,” she whispers. I squeeze her tighter.

  The clip ends, and I drag in a painful breath. “That piece of shit is never going to touch you again.” My voice is rough as I make the solemn promise. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  She swallows hard, her eyes filling with a trust I plan to earn some day.

  “Has the alarm at the store been deactivated?” Tino’s gruff voice breaks in, reminding me we’re not alone.

  Kassy flips to another screen. “No.”

  “I’ll cover the money.” Tino starts the car. “And I’ll send someone over to the house, in case anyone shows.”

  “Yeah,” I agree. “Though I think it was them when we heard that car take off.”

  “Which means we’re blown.” Kassy scrunches her face.

  “Then I can go home?”

  Kassy sits up so fast she sends a cat running. “Don’t you dare.”

  I tighten my hold. “You want to leave?”

  Iris meets my gaze. “I need clothes for work.” Leaning forward, she stares at her toes, wiggling them. “I didn’t even grab shoes when I left, and I have to go in tomorrow.”

  My frown is immediate.

  “You can’t,” Kassy cuts in.

  “But I need to open,” she insists. “It’s still my family’s store.”

  I hadn’t thought much past getting her out of there. “Can anyone else open
the store?” I understand her desire to keep her father’s legacy alive, but she needs to lie low until we can get this mess under control.

  “Well, yes.” Her voice holds a world of uncertainty. “Carol helps me, but she and Oscar are the only employees right now.”

  “Call and tell her you’re sick.” I run my palm along her side, trying to comfort her. “There’s a lot of work to do, and I need you safe.”

  Biting her bottom lip, she makes her decision. “Okay.” Her resigned tone cuts deep. “But I’ll need to borrow a phone.” She holds her cell up, rocking her wrist from side to side. “No service.” She puts her thumb to the home button. “But it’s full of my parents’ pictures.” She flips through, a small smile on her face.

  Despite everything I’ve managed to amass, I feel so small right now. Insignificant. She has no car, no electricity, no phone, and with her life falling apart, she can still find happiness in the memories at hand.

  “Kassy can take care of your phone,” I whisper. “Just give her your number.” The monitor reflects in the tears gathering at her lashes. She leans back and looks away. Pride or shame? I’ve become so jaded I can’t tell. I’m used to people jumping at the chance for a freebie. And the one person I want to help is having an issue with taking what’s offered.

  “You can keep a list of expenses if it’ll make you feel better,” I offer.

  Kassy watches from the screen, but I ignore her reaction.

  “Meanwhile, you can work on getting your employees back,” I continue. “I’ll front you the money to pay them and the vendors you owe. We’ll settle up once things are back to normal.”

  “My tab might run a little high.” She looks up, pressing her lips together in a slight grimace.

  It’s all I can do to contain myself. “It’ll be alright.”

  Iris leans into me and rattles off the number.

  “Here we go.” Kassy grins. “You have phone service now. And I found you a personal shopper,” she announces. “I’m sending you her contact number. Call or text her with your sizes. She can deliver a whole new wardrobe by midmorning.”

  Hmm. Okay, maybe clothes could have waited. The thought of having her in nothing but a thin cotton T-shirt...

  "Thank you.” She exhales, her body going limp, like she’s just put down the weight of the world.

  “Why don’t you try to get some rest,” I suggest.

  “Okay,” she whispers against my shoulder.

  “I have a few things to discuss with the guys.” She shuffles out, closing the door behind her. After a handful of seconds, I turn back to the monitors.

  “Caitlin’s on board,” Tino barks.

  “Send a plane if you need to.”

  “Already did,” he says with authority. “She’ll be here in the morning to crack the safe.”

  “You got to her just in time.” Kassy blows out a breath. “It was them you heard. I tracked down two cell phones where he sent copies of the clip. They’re a couple of yards from each other, about a mile from the house.”

  Tino grunts. “They ditched ’em.”

  “Probably.” She exhales in a rush. “But with no damn cameras, I can’t be positive.”

  “Conrado claimed to have a crew that would support his venture. His friend, Israel, has family with some background, but I can’t find anything to make me believe they’d work for him.”

  “Something about this whole thing stinks,” Tino agrees. “I’ll ask around, see what I can find.”

  “I’ll see what I can dig up on my side.”

  “Okay. Get eyes on the store. I want new locks, new codes, new passwords, and a new combination on the safe. I need the guys fully armed and ready for anything before Iris steps foot in there again.”

  “You got it.” Tino disconnects.

  “Gotcha.” Kassy’s face fills the screen.

  “Find anything you can on these police reports,” I add before she logs off. “I need to know where we stand.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  DANTE

  I walk out of the office and open the bedroom door. Within two steps I know she’s not in here. Flipping on the light, I confirm the room is empty. Frowning, I double back, craning my neck to glance into the living room. Sure enough, she’s curled up on the couch, her legs covered with the throw pillows I’d always found so useless.

  It hadn’t occurred to me to talk to her about where to sleep. When we got in, I left her to wash up and went directly to the office without showing her around. Talk about being a bad host. I drag in a breath, letting the unexpected pressure in my chest disappear.

  Taking careful steps, I go around the coffee table and lean down to work my arms under her. She barely gives me time to straighten up before she tenses.

  “I’m awake,” she says, looking toward the ground.

  Yes, I could have easily put her down, but damn if I’m not enjoying having her in my arms.

  “Shhh. I’ve got you.” I maneuver around the end of the coffee table while she puts her hand on my shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t get to show you around earlier.”

  “It’s okay,” she says with understanding. “I didn’t want to assume anything.”

  “Ah. I guess I’ll have to assume for both of us.”

  “Silly.”

  “Sweetheart, a better man would ask if you wanted to take a guest room.” I turn back toward my room, taking each step with utter confidence. “Unfortunately for you, I am not a better man.” She chuckles. “I’m the kinda man that’s wondering if you’re flashing something like those pretty purple panties you had on the other day.”

  “Dan-te,” she says with mock disapproval. The amusement in her voice gives her away.

  I walk into the bedroom, my strides getting longer as I get closer to the bed. Lowering her on my side of the king-size bed, I drop a quick kiss on her lips. “Get under the covers and scoot over.” She moves to the other pillow, watching me undress in record time before turning off the light and joining her.

  Within minutes, Iris is asleep against my chest, her legs entwined with mine. I can’t stop touching her, yet I’m afraid I’ll wake her up. She deserves this moment of peace because she’s going to need all her strength when I tell her I know where to find her father.

  *****

  Thank you for reading STEALING IRIS.

  You can read Tino and Bonnie’s story in Saving Bonnie.

  What happens when an innocent café owner finds herself in danger and a stone-cold killer comes to her rescue? They strike a deal, of course. Keep reading for the first scene.

  If you want heroes on the side of the law, try Desire & Deception, Book 1 in the DANGEROUS DESIRES series.

  Now, on to Tino’s story…

  EXCERPT FROM SAVING BONNIE

  Tino

  Lightning streaks across the night sky, illuminating a shadow with a panicked face across the street. He looks left, right then leans over to whisper to his partner before checking again. Fool doesn’t realize the danger isn’t on the street. I’m on the second floor.

  “What’ve you got?” Marshal Cord Benson’s voice comes across the radio.

  “Burglary in progress,” his partner, Frank, replies from a car down the street. “Two males, mid-twenties.”

  Burglars. Scrambling around like ants–amateurs. One looks like he’s got some experience, but the other, with the round face, still has his cherry.

  “Hold position.” Law enforcement, always dealing with nonessentials.

  “What the hell, Tino,” Frank barks over the radio. “These guys are about to break into the café.”

  “Aww, shit,” Cord cuts in. “What’s the status, Frank?”

  “Suspects checked the door and windows. Now they’re in front of the gate, trying to look inconspicuous. Gonna wait for one to go over the fence so I can move in,” Frank reports.

  “I’m headin’ in.” Cord’s voice comes across, uneven. He’s already on the move.

  “Hold. Your. Position,” I shoot back.
<
br />   “Criminal or fugitive apprehension is one of the most dangerous parts of law enforcement.” Spoken like a true marshal. “One man can’t—”

  In the years I hunted men, tracking those who carried out atrocities, I always hunted alone. Cord thinks I’ll get involved in apprehension—this is exactly why he’s sitting south side. He’s better off watching the apartment where Conrado Villa’s buddy lives while we look out for his mother.

  I’m not used to working with law, at least not honest law. With their nonstop chatter, to “keep things lively,” I’m ready to cut them both loose.

  “Hold on, man,” Frank interrupts while the skinny guy goes over the three-foot fence, nearly losing his pants as he lands. The heavier one uses the chain link as footholds and gets his shoe stuck. Just then, skinny realizes the gate isn’t locked.

  Damn, stupid criminals. If they weren’t so common, high-end services, like the one I work for, wouldn’t exist.

  Frank scoffs into the radio. “I think we’re good.”

  “Suuure.” Cord’s got that note in his voice that makes me want to punch him. “What’s a little B&E among friends, right?”

  Turns out this stakeout is a test of my patience. If it weren’t for Dante, I’d do the world a favor and get rid of this asshole. Three days of his shit. I should put in for sainthood! If God existed, I’d believe he was fucking with me, I muse while lying in the balcony of the Catholic church across the street from the café. Thanks to a “generous donation,” the area has been blocked off, so I can stay out of sight while waiting. Intel has Olga Villa coming by at least once or twice a week, but so far, she’s a no-show.

  “Building’s empty,” I point out. Bonnie Bustos, or Bunny, as Iris and Dante call her, is out. She’s not due back for at least a couple of hours. “They’re gonna head back to Frank. He can stop ’em then.” Though Frank’s got a badge, he understands what goes on at the border, and why we do the things we do. “Just don’t fuck with my stakeout.”

  “Yes, sir, sir,” Cord shoots back with condescension.