The Golden Garza

License Notes AZN26JAN00TRK2023 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2022 by S. Ann Cole All rights reserved. Edited by: Lawrence Editing Proofread by: Andrea Shacklee Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Making or distributing copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability. 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Visit my website at www.AnnCole.net Table of Contents Chapter One Soleil Chapter Two Soleil Chapter Three Soleil Chapter Four Soleil Chapter Five Soleil Chapter Six Tripp Chapter Seven Soleil Chapter Eight Soleil Chapter Nine Tripp Chapter Ten Soleil Chapter Eleven Soleil Chapter Twelve Soleil Chapter Thirteen Tripp Chapter Fourteen Soleil Chapter Fifteen Soleil Chapter Sixteen Soleil Chapter Seventeen Tripp Chapter Eighteen Soleil Chapter Nineteen Soleil Chapter Twenty Soleil Chapter Twenty-One Soleil Chapter Twenty-Two Tripp Chapter Twenty-Three Tripp Chapter Twenty-Four Soleil Chapter Twenty-Five Tripp Chapter Twenty-Six Soleil Chapter Twenty-Seven Soleil Chapter Twenty-Eight Tripp Chapter Twenty-Nine Soleil Chapter Thirty Tripp Chapter Thirty-One Tripp Chapter Thirty-Two Soleil Chapter Thirty-Three Soleil Chapter Thirty-Four Soleil Chapter Thirty-Five Soleil Chapter Thirty-Six Soleil Chapter Thirty-Seven Soleil Chapter Thirty-Eight Tripp Soleil Tripp Connect With Ann For all the kickass fitness ladies on YouTube who make it possible for introverted homebodies to have fun getting fit right at home. Special shout out to my go-to fitness instructor, Heather Robertson. Quick Information Guide (In case you are starting the series /with this book or have forgotten details from the previous books.) The Family: Father: Flavio Garza – Italian. Deceased. Used to be a famous poker tournament player. Mother: Monica Garza – Jamaican. Biological mother of Tripp and Tillie Garza. Adoptive mother of Trent and True Garza. Torin Garza – Oldest sibling. Born to a different mother in Colorado. Trent and True Garza – Twins. Three years younger than Torin. Tripp Garza – Middle child. Four years younger than True and Trent. Tillie Garza – Last child. Two years younger than Tripp. All of the Garza siblings are half Italian, half Black. Red Cage Commando Security and Investigation Services: Red Cage is family governed, but founded and owned by Torin Garza. While Trent Garza, True Garza, and Tripp Garza are all vice presidents, Torin Garza has the last say. Departments at Red Cage: PID – Private Investigations Division PSD – Private Security Division SRD – Search and Rescue Division ISD – Intensive Surveillance Division CSD – Cyber Security Division COD – Commando Operations Division Branches: Headquarters: Downtown LA. Second Branch: Denver, Colorado Covert Offices: Boston, Mexicali, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami. Repeat Side Characters: Reuben Grant - Vice President at Red Cage and right-hand man to Torin Garza. Pretty much considered a member of the Garza family. Jules Grant – Reuben’s wife. Lyra’s best friend. Guy – Head of Tech. The only man ever allowed in the room. The man who knows all and does all. Stefano and Lorenzo Castello – Also known as the “Twins of Vegas.” They are blood-related cousins of the Garzas, but this fact is kept secret because the Castellos are cold-blooded criminals. (Quick fact: Monica used to date their father before she left him and got married to his brother, Flavio Garza.) THEME SONG Adore You by Harry Styles Chapter One “Some things are better left buried.” Soleil Los Angeles heat trumps New York City heat. It’s the combination of dry and hot and cool all at once that seduces me. New York’s heat is damp and miserable. Summers are suffocating, unbearable. Then comes winter. Blisteringly cold. Every cell, every tissue, every vein in my body rejects the gelidity of winter. They rebel by setting my skin on fire, burning like hot coals from the inside out all through those wet, white months. New York is the city of my birth. Where I live, where I thrive. But it’s never felt like home. It’s the oddest thing—to feel like a stranger in the place that created you. To feel as though you’re always fighting to breathe, to belong. Then, I’ll visit LA, and my heart, mind, body will come alive. Pulsing. Whispering, ‘This is it. This is you. This is where you should be.’ Suitcase in tow, I walk out of the terminal and smile up at the rich, blue sky. The glistening sun scorches my cheeks. Glorious. “I’m here, I’m here! Sunny!” I whirl in the direction of her voice. Tillie Garza sprints along the pavement toward me with a sheet of paper in hand, her long, brown curls whipping behind her. My smile morphs into a grin and I rush to her as fast as my suitcase allows. “I wanted to be early,” she says as we crash into each other. Her arms lock tightly around me as mine do her. “But traffic sucked ass. Oh my god, it feels so good to hug you, biatch.” Vibrating with excitement, I squeeze the life out of her. After thirteen months of not seeing each other in person, it feels good to hug her. “I love you, I love you.” She breaks away and holds up the sheet of paper. “I wanted to be here on time so I could hold this up when you walk out.” After reading the scribbled words, ‘Hottest piece of ass out of NYC’, I burst out laughing. “Well, I couldn’t be more thankful to LA traffic for saving me the embarrassment of this sign.” She giggles. “My god, it’s so good to see you in the flesh.” She gives