AS THEY RODE UP the elevator together at Ivan’s apartment building, he still didn’t know what to expect from Lucina. All he knew was that he needed to keep his cell phone on mute and never attempt to answer it while she was still with him that night.

When they entered his apartment, Lucina walked straight over to his living room sofa and crashed on it in instant sleep mode.

Ivan had upgraded nearly everything at his apartment, including his sofas. They were quality dark brown leather now.

What the hell is that? he wondered of his partner. He walked over and dropped the bag of money in front of her on the floor before he stepped behind her to stand and wait. He didn’t want her to read all of the plotting on his face. But he was tempted to abandon her there and retire to his bedroom. He even thought about going back out to catch up with Carolyn at a downtown hotel and go on about his business. Lucina’s blocking was only making him want the Mexican beauty more.

Then Lucina grumbled from the sofa, “Ivan…I know all about you and Christina. She called me up and told me about it.”

Since they had their falling-out, Ivan would put nothing past the girl. But he was still surprised she had told Lucina. So he had no comment. He only listened, while standing there behind her.

Lucina continued, “She said she could no longer work for me because she could not stand being between us.”

Ivan heard that and smirked. That’s bullshit, he thought. Now she’s trying to make herself look like a victim. And you think you know somebody.

Lucina went on, “Plenty of people have told me lately about seeing you out with different women all over San Diego. What is going on with you, Ivan?” she asked him.

Ivan paused to gather his thoughts before he spoke. He asked her, “Do you care?”

Lucina sat up from her position on the sofa and turned to face him. “Ivan, of course I care. You have a reputation that you cannot afford to ruin by running around like…like…like you’ve never been with a woman before.”

Ivan had never heard Lucina choke on her words. He found that to be surprising. He even smiled at it.

That only made her snap at him more. “Do you think this is a joke, Ivan? You sleeping around is not good for business,” she told him. “Have you slept with Carolyn now too? Ashley? Daphne? Audrey? How many of them?”

Ivan cracked a grin and shook his head. She was going overboard. He said, “Now, you’re gonna believe everything that Chris tells you, right, and start jumping to conclusions?”

“She told me you tell everyone to keep it to themselves,” Lucina accused him.

Ivan snapped, “That’s what adults are supposed to do. It ain’t everybody’s business.”