And this time, Madisyn isn’t the culprit.
At least I don’t think she is, and there’d be no reason for her to saddle up with the cartel to win her way back to me. It doesn’t make sense.
Carlos chuckles under his breath and puts the handkerchief back in his coat. “Do you think that I’d give up all my secrets?”
“Maybe you don’t have her at all,” I say. “Your men have been running cons for years. The voice on the other end of the phone could have been simulated to sound like Madisyn.”
The smile on the cartel leader’s face disappears. “You want to see your girlfriend? Aaron!” Carlos shouts from the front entranceway.
Aaron?
It can’t be the same Aaron who is Madisyn’s ex-boyfriend and with the FBI, that’s just too much of a coincidence. Aaron is a fairly common name; it must be someone else.
It doesn’t matter how much I wish that it was a different Aaron, the same smug bastard who showed up at Madisyn’s home the other night waltzes down the stairs, his hand on the banister, looking smug as shit.
I want to wipe that smile off his face and pound his head on the floor. The man deserves a thorough beating after the way he treated Madisyn. It’s disgusting.
How much does Carlos know about Aaron?
“Better yet, you give me Madisyn, and I tell you about the undercover FBI agent you’re working with,” I say. “One of your men is a Fed.”
Carlos glances over his shoulder at Aaron. “Do you mean this guy?” He jabs his thumb in Aaron’s direction. “Aaron is one of my most loyal associates. I’m aware that he works for the FBI. How do you think we’ve managed to have them look the other way for so long?”
“Your loyal man over here likes to rough up women,” I say. “Gave her that black eye that she’s wearing.”
“She’s been fucking this guy,” Aaron says, gesturing at me. “She deserves a reminder of who she belongs to.”
Carlos isn’t the least bit fazed by my remark or Aaron’s. “What becomes of the girl doesn’t matter much to me. I thought it would be fun to invite you over to see who she chooses.”
“This is your idea of an invitation?” The cartel is crazier than I ever gave them credit for in the past.
“It’s a compromise. I release the girl, and you give up your right to sell heroin. The cartel will be the exclusive seller. Unless you want to work for me and deal our product?”
I scoff at his suggestion. “I’m not working for you.”
Carlos smirks, not the least bit surprised by my answer. “Do we have a deal?”
“No,” I say. “Let Madisyn leave with me, and I won’t burn your home to the ground.”
“You don’t have it in you,” Carlos says and folds his arms across his chest.
He’s goading me.
I bite my tongue to keep from revealing that I’ve done a plethora of terrible deeds, murdering men, threatening women and children. I’m no saint. I don’t pretend to be a good guy because I’m not one.
Aaron is an FBI agent, and whether he is undercover or a dirty agent working with Carlos, I can’t take the chance that anything I say will be recorded. I don’t have the advantage of searching him for a wire or any other devices planted on him.
Carlos gives orders to one of his men to retrieve Madisyn. His associate heads upstairs and, several minutes later, returns with her. His fingers are tight around her arm.
There’s dried blood caked to her fingers, and her hair is disheveled. Her feet are bare, and she winces as she’s dragged forcefully down the stairs and shoved beside Carlos.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Carlos says with a wry grin, staring at Madisyn. He glances her up and down, leering at her breasts.
“That’s enough!” I snarl at Carlos, and my fist slams across his jaw. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to break or so much as dislocate it.
What a shame.
I’d have liked to have scored twice against his ass and taught the filthy vermin a lesson.
One of his guards drags me off his ass, pushing me backward several feet to keep an adequate distance between me and their boss.
Madisyn’s eyes grow wide as she glances from me to Aaron. I’m not sure who she despises more.
“What’s going on?” Madisyn asks.
Carlos beams with pride. I don’t have the slightest clue what’s running through that man’s head. But I have a feeling whatever he’s got planned isn’t going to make my life any easier. “They’re going to fight for you.”
“Fight for me?” Her brow is furrowed, and she glances at Aaron, and then her gaze lands on me. She takes a tentative step backward.
Where does she think she’s going to go?
How far will she get? There’s no chance the cartel is going to let her walk out.
She stumbles backward several feet before one of the guards catches her. His fingers dig into her bare arms, leaving a lasting impression against her skin. “Don’t move,” he whispers a little too loudly, for just about everyone in the vicinity to overhear.
Madisyn struggles against his grip before relenting.
“Let her go,” I say. “Your quarrel is with me. Madisyn has nothing to do with this negotiation.” It’s not much of a negotiation considering that she’s been held against her will, as far as I can determine.
Carlos strokes his chin before dropping his hands to his sides. “Come with me.” He takes off down the hallway, and when I don’t move quickly enough to follow him, one of his men jabs me in the back with his gun.
* * *