With the ferocity of a caged animal, Cassie whirled on Raul. "How dare you!"
"Please calm down, patrona," Raul said, raising both hands in a peace-making gesture. "I was only trying to help."
"Help?" She punched at his chest with her pointer finger. "I ordered you to let Jesse go. Now you've only managed to make things worse. You know who that was?"
Beneath his drooping, walrus mustache, Raul pursed his lips and spat on the ground. "I am not afraid of that pistolero."
"You don't say?" Cassie put her hands on her hips. "So you had everything under control until I showed up, right?"
"I did not know the boy was with him," Raul said with a shrug. "I only wished t--"
"Enough!" She stopped him with a wave of her hand. "If you hadn't interfered, none of this would've happened."
Retrieving her gun, Cassie holstered it securely. Her angry gaze settled on Paco and Mario standing by the barn, actively exchanging glances.
"Leave us," she said to them. "I'll deal with you two later."
The brothers darted by her amid a flurry of awkwardly mumbled apologies.
Raul walked up behind her. "Do not punish them, patrona. They were only doing as I ordered."
"I know they were," Cassie said, rounding on him, "that's the problem. You seem to forget that I am boss here."
"I do not forget." He pulled his shoulders back and stood tall. "I only wish to help, like I helped Don Garrett for so many years."
Cassie swallowed the acrid lump in her throat. He always played this card with her.
)
