A Stone Cold Love In Miami

K A P R I Y A

I couldn't contain the yawn that escaped me as I pulled up to the cartel's trap house in Coconut Grove. I felt exhausted after the horrible incident at Cruzito's the previous night. Once Vos had gone to do damage control, I'd checked on Starla. She was traumatized from witnessing her best friend get murdered and it was obvious she needed professional help. I ended up sending her to a private hospital for care, then showered the blood off me before collapsing into a deep sleep.

I had grudgingly woken up not long ago and even though it was the afternoon, I was still weary. I could've slept the entire day but it was my job to do cash pick up. The cartel trap house in Coconut Grove served as our bank almost. Trusted soldiers collected our cash from the corner boys and stowed it on the Grove estate. The trap house sat along Biscayne Bay in a residential area and only a very few of the highest order in the cartel knew the house in The Grove existed.

I turned off the engine to my car and got out, basking in the rare occasion of being truly alone. It was a gorgeous day and I didn't want to be stuck with any cartel security. No matter what I did or where I went, I had to take at least two guys with me at all times. Shit, even at the mansion in Miami Beach the estate was always full of patrols. Not in the mood, I had snuck out and took my rose gold Huracon Evo to make the run to The Grove. Since the trap house was beyond under the radar, it was deserted almost all of the time and it was unnecessary to have anything more than basic home security for the property. It was protected with a solid wood fence and gate, and the driveway was long enough so it was impossible to spot the charming bungalow past all of the thick, lush greenery. The veiled mass of trees and shrubs obscured anyone from witnessing anything going on at the house.

It was always quiet and peaceful, and I let out a deep breath as my Manolos clicked across the tiled walkway to the front entrance. The trap house had always been a sort of private sanctuary for me, a safe haven when I needed to retreat from the world. I'd lost count of how many times I'd snuck out of the mansion to drive to the trap house and stay for a night or two before I was needed again. More recently, it was also the best place to have a steamy rendezvous and a guarantee on some uninterrupted, dirty sex.

I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, switching on the lights. It was always a light feeling whenever I was greeted with the same serene atmosphere. Sage-green walls, hardwood flooring, cozy rugs and light brown furniture filled the wide open space, spotless except for the need of a bit of dusting. Big skylights let in the filtered sunshine, showing the dust motes floating in the air. The sound of my shoes echoed as I did my routine walkthrough, lifting the loose floorboards where wads of cash with thick rubber bands were stored, moving fake cabinets to reveal a safe where there was more. The house had several hiding spots that were almost impossible to locate unless you knew what area to look around.

I didn't bother scouring all the hiding places, settling on the hundreds of thousands I'd found, and stuffed the wads into a black duffel bag from the kitchen. Zipping it with a squeal, I lifted the strap to head to my car when my phone started chiming with a call. Dropping the bag on the floor with a heavy thud, I pulled my cell out of my cushioned Chanel bag, surprised to see the caller was Jamar.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, my curiosity evident.

"Hey, Pri, listen, you busy right now? I need to meet up with you to talk about something."

My stomach flipped. Jamar never ominously called and said some serious shit like that. Something wasn't right and my intuition flickered, hyper aware. Maybe something serious happened between him and Margaret. If the bitch hurt Jamar I would kill her.

I rubbed a palm over my brow. "Actually, bruh, I'm not at home right now, I'm at the house in The Grove."

"Couldn't be more convenient, that's close to my place."