“And you’re certain she won’t run to law enforcement?”
Instincts tells me she’ll stay loyal after we part ways. I want to trust her—liars take on many guises and beautiful young women are no exception. But this time, every nucleus controlling every cell in my body wants to give her a chance and believe she’ll stay faithful to our agreement. Angelo had always told me to listen to my gut. Trusting Carina is the biggest test of my instincts to date.
“Her family is collateral damage if she opens her mouth. She knows that.”
“Right…” he says slowly. “And you don’t think it’s unusual how you’ve attached yourself to her?”
“Attached?” I laugh. “What do you think this is, a fucking romance,cabrón? It’s sex, Shane. A good old-fashioned fuck.”
“I’m just saying. You’re marrying the Mexican girl in a few weeks and your focus is on Carina, not plans for your new fiancé. Have you even met Bianca Morales? I’ve heard she’s got a rockin’ body.” He takes his hand off the gear shift and mimics a set of huge tits.
I turn to him when he chuckles, low and dirty. The horny son of a bitch.
“It’s a marriage of convenience. Nothing more. I’ll find out if she has a sister to suck the desperation from your balls.” My lips quirk into a half smile even though my gut churns.
“Cabrón.” He poorly mocks my accent with his Irish lilt, playfully calling me a dumbass in return.
I can take it from him, because we’re like brothers. Anyone else and I’d punch their teeth out.
Maybe it was a knee jerk decision to accept the deal with Morales. I could call the whole thing off, start a war and damage our business, or marry the woman and get on with it. I’ll never fall in love. The wall I stand behind is too high to let anyone climb, so this arrangement will suit me perfectly.
“You still going ahead with it?” Shane’s eyes say everything. He’s weighing up my options and wondering if I’ll send a sicario after Morales instead.
I twist the family ring on my finger. “Why not? It would reinforce our position in Mexico and keep Blanco out in the cold. Plus, we’d be able to distribute more product. The alliance would be good for business.” My shoulders bounce.
Some days I wish I’d grown up with a normal family, where guns weren’t stashed in every home and the threat of death didn’t shroud the future. Then again, I wouldn’t be filthy fucking rich and hold so much power that people actually worship me. This is who I am and it’s all I’ve ever known.
After an hour or so of uncomfortable captivity, the Challenger rolls along a tree lined dirt track toward an isolated wooden dwelling handed down from generations of ranchers and taken over by a mediocre cartel who clearly doesn’t know how to repair or maintain a property.
The shithole is falling apart. Its flapping shutters are semi-closed, and the front deck needs to be ripped off and replaced. I’ll give the assholes who hide out here credit to anyone who would stumble onto this land. They’d never suspect it is a stash house containing an arsenal of weapons.
We pull up adjacent to the front door. “We’ll find out if these fuckers know who wanted Papá dead.”
Shane reaches for his gun and checks the magazine. “There’s a long list, Tommy. You know that. Elias pissed off a lot of people.”
“I don’t care. The Souza’s deserve justice,” I mutter, relieved to exit the vehicle. “My mother is a widow now.”
“Teresa has bigger balls than any man.” He’s right. My mother knows the business inside out. She’s not afraid of ruthless decisions or the threat of a rival. Teresa Souza is a natural leader and the only woman I trust implicitly.
“We’ll get the fuckers who killed him. Even if it takes months to close in on them.” Shane confirms when I round the hood and head straight for the front door. “You want these guys taken out immediately?” he says under his breath.
I sigh, feeling an odd pang of humanity in my otherwise empty heart. Papá would give the order to hack off their heads, parcel them up, and send them to their cartel leader as a warning. Me, I’m after information first. Something of value to bring home to my family. Knowledge is power and I’ll get it by any means necessary.
16
CARINA
He wasn’t kidding.
I’m swaddled in the softest waffle robe after a long shower, staring at a plethora of gift boxes and bags set out neatly on the floor of his master suite. My heart thumps harder with a bewildered tempo. This is beyond extravagant.
Each one varies in size and designer branding, all immaculately presented. I recognize the packaging stacked against the wall in pillars—my favorite Dr. Martens. From what I can see at first glance, he’s bought every conceivable color and style of boots and shoes in my size.
This is what obscene wealth and bribery looks like. A carpet of high priced presents for a woman he barely knows. There are enough items in this room to dress a small village of girls. Too many outfits for one woman—for four days.
Snaking through aisles of boxes, I peek inside a pearly bag tied with ribbon. Nestled amidst reams of metallic tissue is a black lace garment, so delicate and feminine. My hand trembles when I reach inside to lightly pinch flimsy straps and hold up a balconette bra in the sunshine spilling in from outside.
It’s exquisite, sexy––and grown up. Quite the U-turn from my basic cotton panties. It’s not that I didn’t dare to buy beautiful lingerie for myself. I just never felt the virginal teenager had a reason to wear it. Besides, I’m not exactly sexual, or elegant, for that matter. Nor have I enjoyed the company of a man until Tomás.