“Looks like the fight is over,” Camden mused, staring at the crowds spilling out of the bullring and into the surrounding plaza.

“We’re not here to see the fight,” Javier explained. Thank god. The idea of watching a bull fight made me feel sick to my stomach. I remembered being fifteen years old and actually donating money to some charity at school that was trying to make that event, and other animal sporting events, illegal. Obviously it did shit all. Bullfighting looked to be as popular in Mexico as it ever was.

I parked the car in an empty spot and Javier tapped the back of my seat to be let out. I sighed and got out. It was cooler here in Aguascalientes, the sky blue even as the sun began to set.

He started to walk away so I reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Where are you going?”

He paused and looked down at my fingers around his wrist, then looked back at me, brow raised.

I immediately dropped his hand like a hot potato and licked my lips nervously. I hated how I couldn’t even touch him without him making a big deal about it.

“I’m going to see Dom,” he said, trying to hide a smile.

I folded my arms. “I’m going too.”

“Ellie, he doesn’t know you.”

“He’ll get to know me. I’m not letting you walk in there, leaving me, Camden and your poor sister in the car like easy prey.”

He frowned and shoved his hands into his pant pockets. “You’re so mistrustful, after everything I’ve done.”

“Because of everything you’ve done.”

“Such a short memory.”

“My memory is just fine. I have a hard time thinking that any of the good you’ve done lately, for us, is because you’ve found your soul.”

He chuckled. “Oh angel, you forget. You’re the only one who gave me a soul. If I don’t have one anymore, it’s not my fault.”

I automatically dug my nails into my arm in frustration. “I’m going with you,” I said again, making each word sharp.

He sighed and brushed his hair behind his ears. “Very well. You may come. You better make sure your ape doesn’t try anything with my sister.” He walked off.

I turned and looked at Camden who was leaning over my seat, hearing the whole thing. He gave me a grim nod, one I knew meant he’d stay and take care of Violetta, and then mouthed to me “be careful.” I smiled uneasily and went after Javier. I hoped we’d be quick.

I also hoped Dom wasn’t waiting for us with a loaded gun.

Javier didn’t say much to me as we went into the building and unlike the way he was in Mexico City, he was relaxed and confident. Considering the way his sister was, the way we all battled our way from death on those barrio rooftops, he was acting like none of that even happened. I don’t know why I was so surprised – I guess from the way that Javier would describe his sisters before, they sounded like they meant a great deal to him. After this, I wasn’t sure of that. I wasn’t sure of anything involving him.

He looked over his shoulder at me as we walked down a cool, linoleum tiled corridor. It felt like we were heading backstage at a concert or a hockey game.

“I can feel how nervous you are, angel,” he said. “It’s coming right off you, like sweat.”

“Can you feel this?” I stuck up my middle finger at him.

He only looked amused at that. Great.

We went around the corner to a room that said something in Spanish and Javier lightly knocked on it. A very distinctive knock. Code. Funny how cartels had the same knock as those No Girls Allowed clubs back when I was in middle school.

We waited for a few moments, Javier looking as cool and collected as he could ever be. Like he didn’t fear a single thing. Like we were on his turf again.

That could be both a good thing and a bad thing. My gun tingled in my boot.

Finally the door opened and I was somewhat shocked to see the face of a good-looking man staring back at us.

“Javi,” he said with an easy smile. “Entrar, por favor.”

The man brought his dark eyes to me and I could have sworn they were twinkling. His hair was black and cropped short to his head, a layer of thin stubble on his angular face. He was probably in his late thirties and I could see a wedding ring glinting on his left hand. He looked like he’d be a family man, albeit one in Javier’s cartel. He was built like a runner, tall and lean, but like Javier he had fluidity and grace to his movements. He opened the door wider to let Javier in then extended his hand to me.

“And you must be his friend, Ellie,” he said, his voice light but heavily accented. I gave him my hand and he shook it heartily. There was something impish in his expression as he watched me and I had to figure that he knew I once was the infamous Eden, the heartbreaker.

“I’m not quite his friend,” I said, my words coming out harder than I meant them to.

He smiled. “Of course not. Javi doesn’t have friends.” He dropped my hand and welcomed me into the room.

I went inside and stood against the wall, looking around the room. It looked like an ordinary office, filing cabinets, a messy desk, a fax machine. On the walls were a few colorful paintings of bullfighters.

“Take a seat,” Dom said as he eased himself into his leather chair and gestured at the two chairs across from him.

Javier shook his head. “We have to make this fast. I need your help.”

Dom smiled and brought out a cigar from his desk, pulling it out of the silver canister. He had no interest in making this fast.

“Care for a cigar?” he asked Javier. When Javier refused he looked to me.

I shrugged. “Sure.”

Javier shot me a dirty look but I didn’t care. A cigar would take some of the edge off the day. Hell, it would take some of the edge off the right now.

“I like you,” Dom said. He lit his own with a thick match from an antique-looking matchbox. After a few satisfied puffs, he pulled out another cigar and offered it to me. I went over to him and took them from him. Both he and Javier watched me closely as I lit it and once I showed that I wasn’t an idiot and knew how to smoke a cigar, Dom murmured something in approval.

“Now that the formalities are over,” Javier said, glaring at me for no real reason. I glared right back, my eyes cutting through the cigar smoke trailing up from my lips. “We have something urgent to discuss.”

Dom nodded. “Si. You’ve said so already. What is it?”

“I need a doctor, for my sister. Someone who won’t talk.”

“Which sister?”

“Does it matter?”

Dom shrugged. “No, I guess not. What else do you need?”

“I need you to get us to Travis Raines.”

He frowned and looked at me. “Us? What does she have to do with Travis?”

“That’s not important,” Javier told him. “What’s important is that you’ll do it and do it fast. Dominique, I know you know where he is. This is part of your job.”

Dom smiled wryly. He had this calm, bemused air about him but underneath it all I could see there was that layer of fear. Whether it was for Travis or Javier, I didn’t know.

“My job, Javi, is taking care of my men.” He eyed the paintings on the wall.

“The matadors?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No. Well, yes. But only Americans call them that. We call them Toreros. You see, after Javier decided to restructure the cartel, I was sent back to Mexico. There’s money in bull fighting, yes? There’s not much money in Javi’s business. Not anymore.”

I could feel Javier’s posture snapping. It was like his mood could change the air pressure in a room, maybe even in a whole building.

Dom’s eyes flew to Javier’s face which was struggling to stay calm. “Sorry, Javi. You know it’s true. Travis took a great deal from us. Well, anyway, no hard feelings from me. I much prefer dealing with bulls here than dealing with the bullshit in America.”

Javier swallowed loudly. “You’re still on the payroll, Dom. You owe me this.”