Page 30 of High

I rose, grabbed the gun that Rafael had stuffed into his belt in the middle of his back, and pointed it at Daniel’s leg, firing. The bullet pierced just above his knee and he let out a painful howl, collapsing onto the ground. He grabbed at his leg, yelling out in agony, but the men around him stayed still.

“Thio….” Manny’s surprised voice didn’t stop me from stalking over to Daniel and pointing the gun at his head. Tears flooded his face, but he froze again, staring up at me with frightened ice-blue eyes. He’d always stood out, with his light blond hair and pale skin, but he was as Mexican as the rest of us. He fucking knew better than to act this way.

“You forget who’s Jefe around here. I am, and I will not let you speak badly about Manny. He. Is. Mine. Si me entiendes guey?”

Daniel nodded, his bottom lip shaking and wet from tears and slobber. “Sí, Jefe.”

“Entendieron?” I said louder, staring around at all my men. “Manny is mine.”

A range of “Yes, Jefe” and “Sí, Jefe” sounded throughout the yard.

“I may be gay, but don’t forget what I can, and fucking will do to you if you open your mouth. This fag will bury you with the rest of the rats if you question my decisions again. I will not have men I can’t trust in my cartel.”

The men lowered their heads and I sneered at them. Jaw tight, I spun around, handing the gun to Rafael before I headed back to Manny. He gave me a thoughtful stare but didn’t say anything. Maybe he’d finally learned not to question me in front of my men.

I crouched again and smiled. “You’re safe here, hermoso.”

Rafael was at Manny’s side in an instant, passing him another piece of fruit—a cut banana this time—just as Preciosa finished her apple. He smiled at Rafael in appreciation before he handed it to her. She took the treat, munching on it gratefully before letting out a screech that made us both cringe.

“They’re loud creatures, and nocturnal. We should get her back to her hiding spot. Usually she’s sleeping about now.”

Manny nodded.

“Hold out your arm to her,” I ordered gently, and he did just that. She took the cue immediately, jumping onto his arm and up to his shoulder. He laughed and it was the most beautiful sound I’d heard.

“She’s heavier than I expected.”

I chuckled and we rose together, slowly walking toward the back door of the house as Manny tried to handle the extra weight on his shoulders. “Yes, she is. Be careful of her claws. She’s as domesticated as any wild animal can be, but she still might accidently scratch you or nibble you.”

“I don’t mind,” he said, turning his head to stare at her with a kind of awe I hadn’t seen on his face in a long time. It took me a moment to remember that he’d been locked in a room for over four years with no one but his guards to keep him company. He’d been mentally tortured without even seeming to realize the extent of it. The thought made me want to find Don Antonio and put a bullet in his head.

I opened the door for Manny and he gave me a gentle smile in return. We walked through the house and I led him toward what I called Preciosa’s room, which was just another guest bedroom on the second floor that had been transformed with wooden boxes I’d had built to resemble a tree trunk.

“What’s her name?” he asked as he settled her on the bed. She jumped from the mattress onto the top of the nearest box, and then into another one higher up the stack. The blackout curtains were already closed, so the room was dark.

“Preciosa.”

“Precious?” He tilted his head toward me with a smile.

“She is precious.” I wrapped an arm around his waist. “Come on, hermoso, let’s leave her. I’ll make you lunch.”

Manny laughed and tilted his chin back. “Don’t you mean the cooks will make me lunch?”

“Not today. Today, I am.” I led him out of the room and closed the door behind us, making sure it was shut tightly. When it became nighttime and everyone went to sleep, I kept the door open for Preciosa to run around the house.

I guided him down the circular stairs again and toward the kitchen, which was located near the back of the house with a view of the backyard. The men had already returned to their usual positions, rifles in their hands and on alert. A couple of the men were helping Daniel stand, and he limped toward one of the cars. They were probably taking him to Ryan to be stitched up. I’d never hear the end of it from him. I’d shot one of the men before and he gave me an earful. I never shot anyone who didn’t deserve it, though.

The kitchen was always kept in pristine condition. Gray stone countertops with swirled patterns gleamed. The rest of the kitchen was up to date: two stainless-steel stovetops with four burners on each, a large two-door fridge, a wide island counter, and spacious cupboards. There was a lot of room to move, and the layout had been planned with plenty of space for when I had big events and needed a full kitchen staff to make the most wonderful food for my guests. Even when I didn’t have plans, there were always two cooks and four maids to feed and care for me and my family, including my higher-ups, like Rafael and Axel.

“Come here.” I led Manny to one of the barstools in front of the island counter and sat him down on it before I strode around to the other side and then threw open the fridge.

“What are you making me?” he teased, and I’d missed this, the easy playfulness that came with him. He used to always be full of joy and had taunted me for the fun of it. I had worried I wouldn’t see that side of him again.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I don’t think you know.” Manny laughed, leaning his elbows on the counter and raising his eyebrows. His hair was a mess, but the fear and panic I’d seen in him had bled away, which was the biggest relief. The dimple in his chin was more prominent when he smiled. “I think you’re just going to throw together a lot of ingredients and hope it turns out nice.”

“I think you’re wrong.” I opened a cupboard next to the stove and pulled out a small bottle of vanilla extract, maple syrup, and sliced brioche bread. From the fridge I grabbed eggs and berries. Placing the ingredients on the counter, I grinned at Manny over my shoulder. “I’m going to make your favorite breakfast for lunch, just like what we got on that trip to Paris we took.”