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A doll.

“Will it still be Miss Jimenez-to-be that we are working with, or have you come back to take your place?” Even to my ears, my voice sounded harsh.

Silence stretched between the three of us as Mario made his decision. This meeting seemed to be nothing more than a pissing match from a man who wanted to try to assert his authority. In typical narcissistic fashion, Mario needed his ego stroked. That was probably why he wore those loafers with the stacked heel. An attempt to combat his little-man syndrome. He was not particularly short, but my six-foot-two-tall ass would tower over him. God, was he going to hate Dex.

His voice finally cut through the silence. “Yes, you’ll be seeing me around now. It seems that I’m needed here in Tucson to…keep an eye on the current activities.”

My stomach soured at the thought of being around this man. But it was a necessary evil if I was to get my job done. I was trying not to think of how his staying in town meant I would have to watch him and Ryan be a couple.

“Was there anything else you needed from me? Or does that conclude this meeting? Because I have club business to attend to if we’re finished,” I asked, already pushing off the chair to stand.

I knew I was being short, but I couldn’t give two fucks. I was itching to get out of this damn office, needing to distance myself from Ryan. I still had a job to do. So I needed to get my shit together regarding her—quickly. I couldn’t figure out why I was worked up over this situation. I should be happy. Her being taken would make it easier to keep my dick in my pants. Yet my brain didn’t seem to give a damn about the logic.

Mario nodded his head before speaking again. “You have a shipment and delivery happening in the next few days.”

My eyebrows shot up. This was the first I’d heard about this, and a few days didn’t leave much time to plan. Mario’s comment seemed to rouse the Ryan I’d come to know from whatever spell she’d been under during this meeting.

“What shipment? I don’t have anything scheduled for delivery,” she pried, attitude spilling into her tone.

Blood pooled in my mouth with how hard I bit down on my cheek when I caught Mario throwing a murderous glance at Ryan. Apparently, she wasn’t allowed to question his competence in front of people. I always thought the sign of a bitch-ass man was when he was scared to be called out publicly.

Mario looked her in the eyes and answered through gritted teeth.

“I just scheduled one, Muñeca, which is within my right to do as the owner of Lotería. Not to mention I’m in charge of Los Muertos’s arms deals,” he seethed.

I waited on bated breath for the sass I’d come to love. But it never came.

“Ryan will reach out to you with the details soon.” The asshole didn’t bother looking at me as he dismissed me from the pointless meeting he had called me to. I headed for the door without saying a word, wanting out of there. Fuck, I should be working on getting into Mario’s good graces. Getting close to him.

But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Not today, not with Ryan sitting on his lap. Wishing it was mine she was on. At the last moment, I looked over my shoulder in her direction. It was stupid, but I was powerless to resist seeing her face one last time. I fully anticipated that she would be avoiding eye contact, but she wasn’t. She was staring directly at me. But her emotions were so locked down that I didn’t know if she was trying to tell me something through those coffee-colored eyes or not.

Part of me felt that she was waiting for a sign from me. But what that was, I didn’t know. We’d been doomed from the beginning, so why drag out the torture?

So I turned my back and strode out the door.

Ryan

The moment the office door closed, I launched myself out of Mario’s lap.

“What the fuck was that, Mario?” I seethed.

He leaned back in the office chair, unfazed by my outburst, which pissed me off further. He steepled his fingers and took a moment to rove over my body. Assessing me like I was a museum piece. There was no heat in Mario’s gaze the way there was in a certain surly biker’s. His eyes finally met mine.

“What, Muñeca, is it that you’re upset about? That you didn’t know about a shipment happening earlier than you had scheduled?” His head cocked to the side in confusion. “I think that’s hardly a reason to be so worked up. I do know how to run an arms deal. I have the details worked out.”

There was no way to hide the shock on my face. The fucker couldn’t actually think that was what I was pissed about. I pinched the bridge of my nose, figuring out the best way to approach this conversation with him. Because one thing I knew for sure was that Mario could not be dealt with in the same way I handled other men.

A quiet part in the back of my brain asked why I couldn’t. But I attempted to push that aside. Like I’d done for years when Mario overstepped my boundaries.

It dawned on me at that moment. He didn’t overstep them.

I moved them for the fucker.

“Yes, I’m pissed about that too. But that wasn’t what I was referring to, Mario. I’m talking about that you announced me as your fiancée,” I stated, disbelief clear in my voice.

Mario’s face scrunched up in genuine confusion, making my jaw drop. How could it come as a surprise that I would be upset about that?