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“You heard wrong,” I say simply, shrugging my shoulder.
“You callin’ my guys liars?” He raises his eyebrows and takes a step closer, and I fight with everything in me not to retreat.
I learned a long time ago that if you don’t stand your ground, people will walk all over you, and, as scared as I was, I wasn’t about to let this happen. Not here, not now, and not with this man. Not ever.
“I didn’t say that,” I respond simply.
“I have a source that says you didn’t finish your race the other night. And seeing as I didn’t receive a payment from you this week, I’d say it was an accurate assessment.”
“So what? Someone hit my car,” I say, doing my best to keep all attitude and emotion out of my voice.
“And what, you think that means you don’t have to pay me?” His accent thickens slightly, an indication that he’s getting more irritated.
“Did I say I wasn’t going to pay you?” I match his tone, refusing to back down, but realizing how risky that move is.
I have to rely on the fact that he remembers who my best friend is, and that Sander wouldn’t hesitate to bring down a world of hurt on this man. On any man that laid a hand on me.
“You better watch your tone, Mami,” he smirks, running the tip of his tongue over his eye teeth as his eyes trail over my figure.“I’d hate to put a hole in that pretty head of yours.”
“I still have two days before the week’s out,” I state, clenching my jaw tightly to fight the tremor in my voice. “You’ll get your money.”
“You pay me when I say. Don’t forget that.”
I say nothing in response, just stand my ground and hold my gaze. He chuckles, as if I amuse him somehow.
“Have my money to me in the next forty-eight hours, or Madre’s flowers are going to be the least of your worries this time.”
He eyes my body one more time, and as a bead of sweat rolls down the front of my chest, I fight every instinct I have to shiver as his eyes follow it into my cleavage.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Mami.”
With that, Mateo turns and stalks back toward his SUV, climbing in and driving off without a second glance. It isn’t until I see the taillights round the corner that I release a shaky breath, fighting back the sting of tears that prick my eyes.
There’s no way the Camaro is going to be done in time for the race coming up. Which means Ma’s medical bills are going to be late again this month. I hate dipping into savings to pay that asshole, but it’s a lot better than the alternative. Something tells me Mateo will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Regardless of whether that thing is money or not.
Chapter 13
Milo texted me the day after I spoke to Keaton to let me know he’d received her car and asked me what all I’d like to have fixed on it. After hearing the number of things that were damaged or just needed to be replaced in general, I had half a mind to just have him do what was necessary to make the car drivable, but after some thought, I told him to go ahead and just fix it all.
I’d be lying if I said that little outburst of hers yesterday didn’t get to me. I believed her frustration was over more than just the car, can when she admitted to being the one person her family counted on, I knew that I needed to do more than just right my wrong. I needed to make sure that she got her car back in race ready conditions. After all, a princess shouldn’t have anything less than the royal treatment, right?
Milo got to work on ordering the necessary parts and said he’d be in touch with an update soon.
It’s now Wednesday and I haven’t heard from him, so I decide to give him a quick call.
“If you two don’t stop,” Milo answers, the warning tone in his voice throwing me off.
“Well, hello to you too, sunshine.”
“Hi,” his short and brisk tone leaves me feeling a little less hopeful about the progress of the Camaro.
“What do you mean, if you two don’t stop? Who two, and stop what?” I ask, leaning back in one of my kitchen chairs.
“Keaton has already called me twice a day since her car got dropped off last Friday.” He sighs and the sound of a muffled clang echo in the background.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, man. She’s stressing out. Says she needs to race.”
