Kobe, Bad Blood (Blood Roses Book 1) by Danielle Norman (great reads TXT) 📕

back room allowed me to see Dante as he paced back and forth, his fingers woven together at the nape of his neck, his greasy black hair falling over his fingers.

“Thane,” Dante said, his voice low and dangerous. “I knew it is that weasely bastard.” I racked my brain, trying to place a face to the name. “I want him taken care of.”

I raised my hand and pressed the bracelet carefully against the vent, hoping to God that Capitan Getty could somehow hear or see what was going on at the table. I had a feeling that whatever happened next wouldn’t be good.

“It was him, I know it. He was acting weird at the party, I can’t put my finger on it, but I didn’t get to this position without being able to read a man and I’m telling you it was him,” Dante hissed.

Thane, Thane, I tried to think of the members that I hadn’t seen often. He wasn’t the one who had been in the room while Dante played Russian Roulette, and when I left, I couldn’t remember if he had been the one getting a blow job in the hall or not.

“What do you want us to do?” Crow asked as he stepped into view, his broad shoulders wide, his stance open, ready to accept any challenge.

“Kill him,” Dante said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from inside his jacket and opened the package. “I want him dead. I have no use for people I don’t trust. You know what to do with the body. Spread the word.”

My heart pounded in my ears as I carefully pulled away from the vent, terrified to make a sound that would alert them to my presence. I needed to get out of here and make a very important phone call.

I climbed down from the fridge, placed the stool back where I found it, and strode out of the kitchen. Dodging Sasha and the other patrons as I headed for the exit.

“Where are you going, girl?” Sasha demanded.

“Oh,” I said as my heart pounded in my chest. “I need to get tampons from the Jeep.”

Sounds of disgust echoed through the room. It surprised me that they would think that this was something vulgar, considering the lifestyle they led. But the guys dismissed me and what I was doing, so I didn’t get too uppity about it. Men and periods, that was something I’d never understand.

I jogged to my car, pulled open the door, and slammed it shut. After locking the doors, I dialed the number for Capitan Getty.

“Capitan Getty,” he answered.

I started the engine and inhaled deeply at the rush of air that flowed through the car. It was still hot, but better than sitting in this oven.

“I wanted to tell you about a conversation that I heard. There’s a kill order—”

“I know,” he said, cutting me off.

“You know?” I asked, and I watched the empty parking lot, making sure that no one else was coming.

“Yes, maybe it wasn’t explained well enough to you, but the bracelet is a live feed. I hear and see everything as it happens,” he said, sounding proud.

“Yes, Easton told me, I’m just not thinking straight.” Relief flooded through me, and the cold air slowly began to flow through the car.

“Don’t worry, Kobe, we have it all taken care of. The kill order has been noted. Don’t take any chances by calling me anymore, I’m monitoring the bracelet.”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

Easton

I sat in the barber’s chair inside Miguel’s private barber shop.

“A little longer on top.”

His wrinkled fingers skimmed through my dark hair. There was one other person in the shop, and the kid seemed to be lingering for no reason. He grabbed a black cape and wrapped it across me, snapping it at the back.

After another minute of neither Miguel or I talking to him or each other, the kid turned to the door, and Miguel called out a quick, “Have a nice day.”

As soon as the door clicked shut, Miguel let out an annoyed huff. “I thought he would never leave.” Then the shears clattered onto the counter and he crossed the barber shop to lock the front door. “He’s a good boy,” Miguel said, and his voice still held some of the heat of Cuba. “But he tends to overstay his welcome.”

“He’s young.” I turned back to the mirror and examined Miguel’s progress. I needed a shave too but doubted I would have the time.

“Let’s talk.”

“Fine,” I said and sat perfectly still as he resumed trimming my hair, the waves drifting to the floor.

“How’s everything going with Dante?” Miguel asked, his tone conversational.

“Things are going okay,” I said. “Tense as usual.”

Miguel grabbed the hair clippers, and the low buzz filled my ears as he began to clean up the back of my neck.

“All the Coyotes have been on alert since the party. No one trusts anyone, and I feel like I’m being watched more than usual,” I said as I wiped a stray hair from my nose. “I see people talking but when they see me they shut up.”

“Listen, I know this is your first undercover operation, but it won’t be your last.”

Miguel said that but I wasn’t sure if there would be others, not because I thought that I was going to die but…I hadn’t planned for anything more than bringing Jared’s killer to his knees. When I started my journey to be a DEA agent it was with one goal and only one goal— destroy the DT Coyotes. Even at Quantico when my instructors talked to me about different areas of the job, my focus had been on drugs since that was what the Coyotes dealt in.

Miguel hadn’t realized that my mind had wandered. “There are certain signs you will learn to watch for, things that tell you it is all getting ready to blow up. The number one thing is paranoia. If Dante is getting paranoid and jumping to