Page 87 of Scarred Souls
Without waiting for an answer, I dragged him to his truck and shoved him into the driver’s seat. “Get the fuck out of here, and don’t look back.”
Enrique started the engine and tore down the driveway like he’d just robbed a bank and the cops were chasing him.
That was when I heard the sliding door slam.
32
HOPE
The asshole didn’t even have the decency to look guilty. In the distance, Enrique’s truck sped away, leaving a plume of dust in its wake.
I charged for Vaughn. “What did you do?”
He ignored me and picked up Enrique’s hammer and pounded a nail into the partly assembled timber frame on the ground. “Saved you money. I’ll build the new cages.”
“Tell me!” I shoved his shoulder, repercussions for touching him be damned, because I was furious with him. “What did you do to Enrique?”
He dropped the hammer and rose to his full height, towering over me. “I did what I should’ve done at Javi’s days ago. Told him to leave you alone.”
Something was wrong. Vaughn’s hands trembled as they clenched and released. The first two knuckles on the right were chafed. He hadn’t been this worked up by the brawl at Javi’s, but one conversation with Enrique had rattled him.
“You hurt him,” I growled.
“Not nearly enough.” Vaughn’s nostrils flared, and his chest heaved with each tense breath he took.
I couldn’t believe it. The moment I’d left him alone, he’d pounced on Enrique to interrogate him. Violently.
“You asked him about the fishing job, didn’t you? And you roughed him up to get answers.”
“So what if I did?”
“I explicitly told you not to come out here and hurt my friend.”
A look of disgust crossed his features. “He’s not your friend.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing.”
“You know what? I can’t even look at you right now. Stay the hell away from me.” I turned to walk inside, but Vaughn grabbed my elbow and spun me to face him.
Something softened in his dark gaze. “You know that’s the one thing I can’t do.”
“Why?” I spat. “Because of the job or because you can’t stand the thought of me coming within fifty feet of another man without you hovering over me like some homicidal chaperone?” I shrugged out of his hold. “And what good did your interrogation do, huh?” When he only frowned, I added, “I knew it. I told you he wasn’t involved with the cartel.”
“What he had planned was even worse.” His face tightened as though he hadn’t intended to reveal that piece of information.
“Your cryptic bullshit is pissing me off.”
He exhaled deeply. “Just…leave it alone.”
“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m calling Enrique to hear it from him.”
“No.” He pointed at me. “You stay clear of him and some fool named Alejandro.”
Alejandro? Vaughn hadn’t even met him.
Taken aback by his comment, I folded my arms and frowned. “That’s oddly specific.”