The Muscle Part Two Read Free Page B

his men for betraying him, for coming after him. What new fucked up game was this?
    “What about Hector?” Luca asked.
    Diego waved the fingers of one hand. “Hector is no longer employed here. You have his job now.”
    Luca raised an eyebrow. “You’re promoting me for beating the shit out of your head of security? For coming after you last night?”
    “I’m promoting you for having cajones, carnal. ” Luca didn’t mention his use of brother. He was obviously just doing it to get under Luca’s skin. “You’re the only man I’ve ever had in my employ who isn’t afraid of me.”
    “Sounds dangerous,” Luca said. He could have accepted the unexpected boon. He couldn’t have cared less about the money, but it meant he could stay near Isabel without a fight while he figured out a way to free her from Diego’s clutches. But he just couldn’t do it.
    Diego nodded. “Maybe. But I like dangerous. And I think you do, too.”
    Not when it comes to the lives of the innocent,” Luca said.
    “That punta who calls herself my sister isn’t as innocent as she seems.”
    “I’m going to refrain from pulling out my gun this one time,” Luca said, his voice dangerously low. “But if you ever call Isabel something like that again in front of me, I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.”
    For a minute, Luca wondered if he’d pushed too far. Then Diego leaned forward, clapping loudly. “There it is!” He was barely able to choke out the words around the cigar. “That’s the spirit I need.”
    “This isn’t some attempt to impress you,” Luca said. “In fact, I couldn’t care less what a man like you thinks about me. But I won’t have you disrespect your sister anymore than you’ve already done.”
    Diego stubbed out the cigar, held up both hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “Whatever you say, carnal. ” He leaned forward over the desk. “The point is, my sister isn’t as sweet as you seem to think.”
    “I’m not interested in talking to you about Isabel,” Luca said.
    For a long minute, they were at an impasse, Diego’s face slowly hardening while Luca wondered if he had a gun in his desk next to those cigars, if maybe he’d have to reach for his own and end it here in spite of his determination not to kill Diego without Isabel’s permission.
    Then Diego leaned back, sighed. “Whatever you say, carnal . Are you interested in Hector’s position or no? It comes with quite a raise.”
    “I don’t need your money,” Luca said.
    “How about this then?” Hector asked. His eyes seemed to shrink to the size of pebbles. “You will take Hector’s position, and I will let you stay here with the my sister.” He hesitated. “For now.”
    “I’m not sure Robert and the others will work for me,” Luca said.
    “Robert and the others are gone,” Hector said.
    “So I’ll need to hire new staff?” Luca thought about Elia. Would it be this easy to get him on the property under the guise of one of the security guards?
    “No, I’ll need to hire new staff,” Diego said. “That will be my responsibility from now on.” His smile was too bright. “Can’t have you staging a coup now, can I?”
    “A coup implies that I want to take over your position,” Luca said. “I don’t. “I just want to get Isabel and Sofia out of here so they can have a normal life.”
    “I'm afraid my sister is needed here,” Diego said, standing to indicate the meeting was at an end. “The business requires her presence.”
    “You mean her money,” Luca said coldly.
    Diego shrugged. “Lo llaman lo que usted quiere.”
    Call it what you want.
    “So I take it you’re on board with the new position then?”
    Luca hesitated, but there wasn’t much to think about. He needed to stay close to Isabel, to protect her and Sofia from Diego. He’d have to hope his connection could slip Elia into one of the open positions onsite.
    “I accept,” Luca said. “For now.”
    A faint smile touched Diego’s lips. It was