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I brushed my lips over Greyson’s and twisted to glare at Dominic. Smart man that he was, he held out a slice of pizza as a peace offering, though we both knew I’d heard what he’d said.
“You’re lucky you’re cute and I’m in a good mood.”
“I know.” He grinned and hopped up on my other side, leaving me boxed in between my men. Exactly how I liked it.
We ate in relative peace. Smiling, laughing, poking fun at one another. It was nice. Restful, even.
How often did we get a moment to just exist with one another? Hardly ever.
Even when things with Cash were slow, we had businesses like Gilded and Wicked to run. The world didn’t stop turning just because we were in a war. Honestly, without Shara, we would’ve been fucked. She deserved two raises for everything she’d done to keep us afloat while the boys and I were occupied. Still, this was nice.
As always, the real world had a way of intruding on our peaceful existence.
I was halfway through my third slice—foursomes burned a shit-ton of calories—when Nate’s phone rang. My food stilled in midair.
“Cash?”
He shook his head. “Paez.”
Well, shit. Lunging for a napkin, I wiped off my fingers and answered the call but said nothing. He’d called me; he could start the conversation.
When he finally spoke, I got the impression that my silence amused him. “Interesting picture you sent. It certainly got my attention.”
“Good. I hoped it would provide context for the request I’m about to make.”
“What is that, little queen?”
I let the nickname go. I’d started it by calling myself Queenie. Besides, men with as much power as Victor Paez got off on making other people feel small. They needed the ego boost to feel alive, and I wasn’t concerned enough about my ego to worry about his attempts to squash it.
“Slow your supply.”
My men slid closer but didn’t try to add anything or involve themselves in the conversation. They knew I’d tell them later.
Paez paused, and I got the impression I’d surprised him, though I doubted he’d show it. “Why would I do that?”
“Because your mule is about to die.”
“I have others who could take his place in a heartbeat. There wouldn’t even be an interruption in the flow of things.”
At first, I thought he could be just as terrible as Cash, but something about the way he said it didn’t feel genuine. It felt like he was testing me.
“Maybe, but with all the attention this one’s garnering, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to start over in my city right now.”
The words were a warning and a claim. This is my territory.
There was a beat of silence, then low laughter. Oh, goodie. I loved amusing men.
“You know, I heard about the hidden Osorio. The little princess they allowed to live out of the roost. I thought about finding you more than once, but I wasn’t sure if it would end the war between your grandfather and me or make things worse.”
Whether he would’ve killed me or kept me he didn’t say, and I wondered what he’d think if he knew there was a lost prince out there, too. Would he feel the same about Two-Bit?
“There’s no love lost between Emmanuel and me,” I said. Grey’s brow ticked in annoyance, and I grinned, knowing he hated being out of the loop for even a second.
Paez grunted an agreement. “Maybe not, but I doubt he’d have let me live if I’d come for you. Family is the most important thing to Emmanuel.”
I played with the hem of my shirt absently as I spoke. “You know him better than I do, but let’s agree to disagree. Besides, we’re not talking about my grandfather.”
“No, we aren’t.” Paez sighed, and it was an oddly vulnerable sound. “I’ll admit, I’m a little leery to continue sending product, considering how much publicity your city is getting right now. It’s certainly not doing me any favors.”
