Tijuana Nights (The Nights Series Book 1) (21 page)

I shrugged, and played with the stem of my wine glass. "Davin has him working at the moment."

"Tell me, what line of work is your brother in?"

I had to think of the answer for a second. "Mergers and acquisitions, mainly. He’s working with some companies here while they expand. That's why we were at the ball the other night. I think Davin and Lucero are trying to get some political influencers on-board with them."

Alvarez chuckled. "Aren't we all," he said, taking a sip of wine, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"So, now that you know all about me - what about you?" I asked. "What sort of work do you do?"

"I have a security company," he said simply.

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "I provide security to all sorts of people. Dignitaries, politicians, and so on. Anyone who wants to pay me."

"Do you do it all by yourself?"

He laughed. "No, no, Ciara. I have a large team that work for me. Surely you have noticed how dangerous Mexico is while you have been here?"

I nodded. "Sort of. I haven't been exposed too much since I've been here, but I hear and read things through the news."

"And yet you chose to come here," he said good naturedly.

The more I looked at Alvarez, with his laughing eyes, the harder time I had believing he was a member of the El Diablo Cartel. He just seemed so genuine and real. He wasn't pretentious at all like Javier was. He didn't seem power hungry or money driven. And he lived in modest but nice surroundings. He just didn't fit the profile.

"Do you mind if I have a cigarette?" I asked, pointing out to the garden.

He shook his head. "Not at all. Come." He walked over to the French doors. "Enjoy my little piece of paradise."

As I lit a cigarette, I peered out towards the garden and lowered my sunglasses over my eyes. I didn't want Alvarez following my line of sight as I looked in the branches of the trees, wondering where Chase was.

I couldn't see him. Alvarez was still talking to me about the garden, and how his mother planted most of it. He liked to keep the garden in the same condition she always left it in, with the plants she loved.

"I'm not exactly... how do you say it? Green handed?"

"Fingered. Green-fingered," I clarified with a giggle.

He laughed. "That too."

"Guess you really love your mother then, huh?"

He nodded. "Of course. Everyone loves their mother. But mine passed on some years ago. Now I celebrate her life with a garden she loved."

See, now after a statement like that, I was actually questioning whether or not this guy had enough badness in his heart to even consider joining a cartel. Maybe he was just on Regina's security detail, or maybe he was at the ball protecting someone. Maybe… just maybe... we had the wrong Intel on this guy. He was too genuine and kind hearted.

"Well it's a beautiful celebration," I admired.

Alvarez turned to me, smiling. "Are you able to stay for dinner, Ciara?"

I swallowed, and looked shyly up at him. "Yes?" I found a place to stub my cigarette out without making too much of a mess since he was so proud of his garden and all. "I guess so. I'm not exactly expected home any time soon. Both Lucero and Davin are meeting with people."

Alvarez clapped his hands together. "Wonderful."

I followed him inside to his kitchen, where I put my half-empty wine glass on the counter. I perched on a barstool, while he used an intercom. He was speaking in fast Spanish, but I heard my name mentioned.

When he finished, he walked across and leaned on the counter. "Are you hungry now?"

I shrugged. "Yes, I guess so. It's been a long day." Damn right it had. Starting with a ridiculously early wakeup call from Chase wanting to go for a swim. I rubbed the back of my neck, only just realising how tired I actually was.

Alvarez looked at me with sympathy in his eyes. “Tell you what,” he said as he walked around the counter. “Why don’t you go and relax in the lounge—” He picked up my glass of wine— “and dinner will be here shortly. We can dance later.”

I paused. “Here shortly?”

He laughed. “I don’t cook much. I don’t have the time, so I have someone here who cooks for me.”

“Here in the house?”

He shook his head. “No – there is a cottage out the back where they live. It’s just you and me here.”

And Chase… somewhere out in the trees apparently. I sighed as I considered Alvarez’ offer. Relaxing actually sounded pretty good. I gave him my hand, and got off the barstool. “Relaxing and dinner sounds lovely.”

He led me through to his living room, where an enormous sixty-odd inch TV was mounted on the wall. Leather sofas with chaises sat in front of it, and the large bar was surrounded by an extensive DVD collection on the back wall. This was most definitely a man-pad. I walked over to the DVD collection, and brushed my fingers along the spines as he stood back and watched me. A load of them were in Spanish, but there were a few blockbusters in English.

"You like films?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I love them. Stories I can experience in a couple of hours."

He turned on the TV to show a range of video camera shots of the house and surrounding areas. I pushed down my panic, thinking of Chase. "Gosh," I choked out. "That's a lot of cameras."

Alvarez smiled over at me. "Yes, Well, I am in the security business, and my home is my testing place." He changed the channel, and an old black and white movie came on. He patted the leather upholstery. "Come sit down." I did as I was told, and he handed me the remote. "Just make yourself at home. I'll be back shortly - just going to check on dinner."

He left me in front of the TV. Something told me that if he had cameras everywhere outside, he probably had them inside as well. I didn't want to look around though, just in case I spotted one. It was better that I acted completely normal. I didn't even want to check my phone, just in case there was a message on there. I knew how effective Gabe's cameras were, and how he could zoom in on the minutest detail.

I unexpectedly remembered the brooch I was wearing and gently fingered it; but again, I knew that it would probably look weird to someone if I suddenly started talking to it. Instead I left it alone, and examined the remote. I pressed down a channel, and a movie was playing that I recognised: The Sound of Music. I took a sip of my wine, and settled back into the sofa, listening to Maria sing her heart out on a hilltop with a bunch of children.

I suddenly woke up, fumbling around for my phone. Someone had covered me in a blanket. The room was dark, and it took a few moments for me to orientate myself. I was still in Alvarez's living room.

"Holy shit," I muttered. I found my phone tucked into my bra where I had last left it, and looked at the time. "Fuck," I swore. I had been asleep for hours. I suddenly wondered why Chase hadn't come and got me out already. One of my shoes had fallen to the floor during my slumber, and I fumbled as I put it on.

I could hear voices and I froze. I looked over to the double sliding doors, and could see light shining under from the kitchen. My heart raced. I had no idea who was there. I didn't know what to do. I questioned whether I should sneak out or not, but then changed my mind. It would be too suspicious if I did.

I put my head in my hands, and thanked my lucky stars that I always pinned my wigs nice and securely to my head. I brushed the hair a bit through my fingers, and tried to make myself look at least a little bit presentable. My dress was slightly skewed when I stood up, and I straightened that out before I crept across the plush carpets towards the double sliding doors.

Two male voices were behind the door, one I recognised. Unfortunately, they weren't speaking in English, so I could hardly understand a thing they were saying.

I really didn't want to open the doors and be exposed to god knew what. So I crossed back to the other side of the room, and hissed into the brooch. "Get me out of here." I just had to hope and pray that they would be listening at the other end of it.  "It's now or never," I murmured to myself in the dark.

I crossed the room noisily, and when I had almost reached the doors, I heard the conversation stop on the other side. I slid the doors open, blinking in the bright light.

"Ciara," Alvarez said warmly.

I took in the sight of him, half undressed, with only a plush white towel wrapped around his waist. The first thing I noticed was that the man was incredibly well built. The second thing was that there were extensive tattoos covered one side of his body, all the way from below his navel up to his left pec. His hair was damp, so I made an educated guess that either he had been for a shower or a swim. Another man was sitting at the counter with his back turned to me. Two beers were open between them.

Alvarez gestured me into the room. "Come in, come in," he smiled. "This is my friend Jose." He gestured.

I smiled, and held out my hand. As the man looked up at me standing there, I suddenly recognised him. I had just come face to face with Alicio Mendoza.

Alicio looked at me and took my hand. I tried to settle my raging thoughts into a sea of calmness, but it was hard to do that when I was holding the hand of a killer who disposed of bodies in vats of acid.

"Nice to meet you," I said. I could hear the tremor in my voice, but he didn't show any signs of hearing it.

"You too," he said in thick English.

Just then, my phone rang, and I fished it out of my bra, much to Alvarez's amusement.

"Hello?"

"Ciara," River's voice came down the phone. Relief swept through me.

"Hi." I said tightly.

"Where are you?" I could tell he was asking me this just in case they could hear my conversation.

"I'm still at Alvarez's place." I chewed on my lip. "I'll head home soon."

Alvarez was watching me, but Alicio was ignoring me, and slugging back his beer.

"Make sure you are," River answered. "We have an early start in the morning."

"See you soon." I hung up the phone, and smiled with a shrug at Alvarez. "I guess we have to postpone our dancing lesson to another day, then?"

He shrugged, and looked down at his beer. "Yes, we'll do that." He looked forlorn, and I felt sorry for him until I remembered that Alicio Mendoza was sitting across from him.

Alvarez picked up my purse from the counter and handed it to me. As he lifted his arm, I saw something I recognised inked on him. It was another panther, almost identical to the one on Nicandro's body. I paused, and Alvarez saw me looking at him.

"Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed.

Alvarez laughed. "No, no, look all you like."

"It's just..." I semi-stuttered, whilst trying to compose myself. "The work you’ve had done... it's very tasteful." I wasn't lying when I said it. I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but a lot of his looked like they were from the Aztec culture. That appealed to my historian side. I was curious.

He shrugged, still amused by me. "One day I'll tell you what it all means."

I grinned. "Deal." I opened up my purse and dropped my phone inside. "I'll call you?"

"Please." He smiled.

If it weren't for the fact that he had a cold-blooded killer sitting in his kitchen, I would have thought he was one of the nicest men I'd ever met.

He touched my elbow. "I'll walk you out." But he wasn't looking at me when he said it - he was looking at Mendoza. I saw a sort of fierceness in his eyes that I had never seen before. It was almost as if he were protective if me.

"Thanks." I turned to Alicio. "Nice to meet you, Jose."

His eyes met mine, and he gave me a slow smile that crept down my body with appreciation. Before he could say anything, Alvarez was shuffling me out the door.

"Sorry about my friend..." Alvarez said quietly when we stepped into the night air and out of earshot. "He doesn't get out much."

I smiled up at Alvarez. "And I'm sorry for falling asleep on you," I said changing the subject. "It can't have been much fun."

He shrugged. "No bother. You obviously needed it." He moved closer to me, leant over and kissed me gently on the cheek.

I froze. "I did," I whispered. I was faced with his pecs.