“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night, but perhaps it’s too forward of me.” He looked away, and she felt his sweetness. It caused an overwhelming desire in her.
Not knowing what to say, she touched his hand, and he looked into her eyes again. This time, she leaned in and placed her lips on his. She pulled back, and a prickly sensation spread throughout her body then she pulled Ricardo close and kissed him again, this time, closing her eyes and opening her mouth so they could explore each other more fully.
Her head spun, and she relaxed into the kiss, dangling her legs over Ricardo’s, and he slid a hand under her skirt.
When was the last time she’d been kissed so passionately? Hell, when was the last time she’d been kissed in any way? An image of her with Garcia flashed in her mind. Was he really the last man she’d kissed? It had been too long, that’s for sure.
“Magda.” Ricardo’s voice was barely a whisper as he held his hand on her upper thigh then softly dragged his fingers toward her knee. With the other hand, he stroked her hair, and she pulled him closer. Desire taking over, she repositioned herself, so she was straddling Ricardo, her skirt hiked above her hips. He squeezed her ass and pulled her closer as they continued to kiss. How far would Magda go, out here on this balcony? Magda would probably do anything to get the deal with the Ceibas. But how far could she go as Magda?
“Ay, excuse me.”
A woman’s voice interrupted them, and Maggie jerked her head up then leapt off Ricardo, pulling her skirt down as she did. Looked like she wasn’t going to find out tonight. It was the woman who’d been serving them earlier.
“I’m sorry, señor.” Her face was red, and she turned to leave.
“It’s fine Valencia.”
“Can I get you anything before I go?” she asked, turning back to face Ricardo.
“No, you go. Take care of that baby of yours.”
Ricardo stood and adjusted himself before following Valencia into the house.
Maggie rushed to the railing and tucked the third bug under the top rail.
“Thank you, Valencia,” he called after her, then spun on his heels back to the balcony.
Maggie brushed a stray hair out of her face.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said, taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. “I’m so sorry. They’re not used to me having women here.” He paused and tilted his head to the side. “Now, Carlos, he’s a different story.” He rolled his eyes.
“That’s okay,” she whispered, wanting nothing more than to resume their make out session, but first, she needed to know Valencia’s story. She was definitely the woman she’d seen last night.
“Does Valencia live here?”
“You don’t seem like the jealous type,” he said.
Maggie laughed. “We’ve been thinking about hiring some help back home. I was just curious what your arrangement is.”
“Ah. She lives in the cottage out back with the other two women that work for us.”
Maggie nodded. “We don’t have a cottage in Medellín, but we do have spare rooms.” She placed her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his, kissing him deeply again, a burning coming alive within her. Ricardo's hands trailed down her back.
Voices sounded from behind them in the house, and she pulled back from Ricardo and laughed. “I guess we’re not meant to be alone right now,” she said.
“It’s probably for the best,” he said, smiling as Garcia and Carlos stepped onto the balcony. “I’m not sure I could control myself much longer.”
Carlos eyed Ricardo contemptuously. What’s his problem?
“Shall we go, sister? Before we overstay our welcome?” asked Garcia, dropping his eyes to where Maggie’s fingers were interlocked with Ricardo’s. She looked into Ricardo’s eyes.
“That could never happen,” he said. He kissed her hand then let it go, and she linked elbows with Garcia.
Outside, they walked away from the mansion, in the direction of the SUV where Williams waited for them. The next step would be introducing Williams to the Ceibas as Sanchez’s way into the US. Based on what she’d heard at the dinner table, it was clear that not only did the Ceibas want to expand within their own country, they also wanted more shipments going to the US. The demand was there, they just needed help meeting it.
“Señorita,” someone whispered before they arrived at the SUV. Maggie looked around but didn’t see anyone. “Over here.”
“You go ahead,” she said to Garcia. “I’ll be right there.”
Leaves rustled and Maggie searched where there was movement. As she got closer to the shrubs, Val’s face appeared in the bushes. Her eyes were wide with an almost wild look to them. “What were you doing earlier?”
“Earlier?” Maggie played dumb, still hoping Valencia hadn’t seen her after she’d planted the second bug in the great room behind the spiral staircase.
“I saw you downstairs when everyone else was upstairs. What were you doing?” Valencia crossed her arms.
“Looking for the washroom.”
Valencia laughed. “You think I was born yesterday? I know Ricardo took you there himself.”
Shit. She must have been in the dining room when Maggie had excused herself.
“Where’s your baby?”
Valencia wagged her finger at Maggie. “No, no. You don’t get to change the subject.”
“I . . .” Maggie paused. She couldn’t very well tell her she was planting a bug.
“Look. It seemed like you were snooping around, and I can help.”
Well, this certainly wasn’t what she was expecting. A surge of excitement rose in Maggie’s stomach then quickly dissipated. What if it was a trap? She didn’t know anything about Valencia other than she worked for the Ceibas.
“What makes you think I need help?”
“It seems like you and your brother are trying to set up some sort of deal with the brothers. You probably want to make sure they’ll do what they say and hope you’ll have a prosperous partnership.” She held up a small piece of paper. “This is the number at the cottage if you decide you want help.” She offered the paper to Maggie. “My baby’s at the cottage with Consuella and Sara.” Valencia smiled as she answered Maggie’s previous question. Maggie’s gut told her she could trust this woman.
“Why do you want to help me? Couldn’t you lose your job if the brothers found out?”
She moved her head from side to side as if weighing her options. “It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I want you to know what you’re getting into before you decide to do business with them. Anything you want to know, just ask.” She jutted the paper toward Maggie again.
“Thank you,” Maggie said, taking the paper. “How old is your baby?”
“Three months.”
“And how long have you worked here?” She glanced at the paper then tucked it in the front pocket of her skirt.
“Almost fourteen months.” She started to back away, going deeper into the bushes, and Maggie took this as her cue that she’d asked enough questions.
But Val—as she had written on the paper—had answered the question Maggie most wanted to know the answer to. Val hadn’t been pregnant when she started working for the Ceibas.
“Mags, what the hell?” Garcia whisper-shouted from the SUV, and she raised her hand in a wave to Val as she backed toward the vehicle.
Chapter 14
“I don’t like it, Ricardo. It’s not like you to fall for some puta.”
“How can you talk about the sister of our future business partner like that?” Ricardo raised his hand in frustration. “You don’t even know her, Carlos. Besides, I’m not falling for her.”
A raucous laugh escaped Carlos’s mouth. “Bullshit.” He sat on the balcony, lighting a cigar while Ricardo leaned his forearms on the railing, his back to Carlos. “I saw the way you were looking at her and how both your faces were red when Sanchez and I came up here.
”
Ricardo’s cheeks flushed and he was thankful his brother couldn’t see. He wasn’t wrong.
“You can’t mess this up for me.”
Carlos’s selfishness caused Ricardo to spin around and join him on the wicker furniture. “Mess this up for you? This is my business too.”
Carlos snorted. “Oh, please. You’re so scared to get your hands dirty. You don’t even know half the stuff I do to keep us at the top.”
A sudden coldness hit Ricardo at his core. He was afraid of that, yet he didn’t want to know exactly what Carlos had done. Was it all worth it? The killing and the fighting. What happened last night never should have happened. “I’m surprised Sanchez came back tonight.”
“He wants to make a deal just as much as we do. If we partner, it’s good for his business too.” Carlos took a long drag on his cigar. When he exhaled, smoke engulfed him.
Ricardo stood and sauntered back to the railing, his eyes watering from the smoke.
“But you can’t get involved with his sister. That’s just bad for business.”
He looked out over the jungle. Hearing Carlos’s words was like a punch in the gut. Magdalena Sanchez intrigued him, and he wanted to learn all he could about her. What did Carlos know? He’d had his dick in every woman from here to Cali. He knew nothing about falling for a woman. They were just warm bodies and a quick fuck to him.
Ricardo shook his head. “Okay, hermano, we’ll do it your way. I’ll leave Magdalena alone.” Hearing his own words come out of his mouth jolted him. There was no way he was going to leave her alone. If anything, his brother’s disapproval had only made him want her more. “Are we done?”
Carlos nodded slowly as he took another drag on his cigar.
Ricardo marched back into the house, eager to get away from Carlos’s toxic words and cigar smoke. From the great room downstairs, he picked up the telephone and dialed his most trusted advisor.
She picked up on the second ring. “Hola?”
“Consuella, I’m so sorry to call so late. I need a favor.”
There was a brief pause followed by, “Of course, señor, anything you need.”
“I need you to find out as much as you can about Magdalena Sanchez.”
When Maggie, Garcia, and Williams arrived back at the apartment, they went straight to the apartment Morales shared with the two DEA agents, directly beneath theirs. The three men hooted and hollered when Maggie entered.
“Barnes, I had no idea you had it in you. That was some pornographic shit,” said Morales.
“In your dreams,” retorted Maggie. “We just kissed.”
“Well, whatever you’re planning, I like it,” added Harper and his mustache. Figures she’d be working with a bunch of perverts. Whatever it was, she liked it too. But Ricardo was still a criminal. She couldn’t let herself get too close. But Magda . . . Magda was a different story.
“Look, I’m just playing a character. Magdalena Sanchez would be all over the Ceiba brothers.” All the men nodded.
“Yeah, but it’s like you said, she’d be all over both of them,” said Owens. Ugh, there was no way that was happening.
“Keep your threesome fantasies to yourself, Owens,” said Garcia.
“I see you’re still playing the big brother role,” said Morales, turning his attention to the conversation he was listening to over at the Ceiba mansion. Maggie walked out onto the balcony. Morales and his team had the same telescope set up on their balcony as what they did upstairs. Maggie pressed her face to the lens. Ricardo was on the balcony, and she assumed Carlos was there too, but she couldn’t quite see him. If it wasn’t for all the windows and open space in the mansion, she wouldn’t have been able to see Ricardo either. Even seeing him through the telescope put her nerves on edge. There was no denying she wanted him in the worst way. She watched through the telescope as Ricardo descended the spiral staircase and entered the great room behind it. He sat in a light gray, wingback chair and picked up the phone beside it. Maggie smiled knowing they should have audio since that was the room where she’d planted one of the bugs.
“Shit. We got a problem.” Morales ripped off his headphones as Maggie came back inside from the balcony. “He just asked someone named Consuella to find out as much about Magdalena Sanchez as she could.”
“I can handle that,” she said, assuming it was the same Consuella that lived with Valencia. She’d have to take Val up on her offer to help sooner than she thought.
Chapter 15
“So, what do you say?” Maggie waited for a response from Williams.
Before he could answer, Garcia jumped in. “Do not get made. The Ceibas think we’ve gone back to Medellín to give our clients samples of their product.” Garcia sat in the living room, trying to find something to watch on TV.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m just going to be driving around. Trust me.” Maggie stood at the breakfast bar, facing Williams, trying to convince him to give her the keys to the SUV.
“Ha! The first reason to not trust someone is them telling you to trust them. Come on, Barnes. I know you took the same CIA training as I did.” Williams gave her a stern look.
“And that’s why you can trust me.” She placed a hand on each hip.
Williams took a break from the toasted BLT sandwich he was making to look Maggie in the eyes. The look he gave her told her he didn’t believe her. It didn’t bother her though. She hadn’t trusted him the entire time she’d known him. He still hadn’t answered her question, and she took that to mean he wasn’t giving her the keys to the SUV.
“Fine. If you want to drive me around then I’m not going to argue with that.” He probably knew the roads better than she did anyway since he was acting as the Sanchezes’ driver.
“I can handle that,” he said. “When are we leaving?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Perfect. I’ll finish my lunch then we can get out of here.” Still standing, he took a bite of his sandwich, then wiped a blob of mayo from his chin. “What are we doing?”
“Meeting my informant, Val.”
It had been a couple of days since Maggie and Garcia had been to the Ceiba mansion for dinner. Garcia had arranged with Carlos to pick up a product sample to take back to Medellín which they had picked up on what the Ceiba brothers thought was their way back home. Of course, Maggie and Garcia didn’t go to Medellín. They had gone back to the apartment where Morales had given the cocaine to the DEA agents to take care of.
But when they’d gone to pick up the cocaine, Maggie walked the grounds with Ricardo while Carlos and Garcia made the swap—a brick of cocaine for twenty-thousand dollars. A steal, according to Carlos, and confirmed by Morales who was pissed that Maggie and Garcia had gotten a better deal than his DEA friends.
As she walked with Ricardo, they spotted Val singing to her baby in the garden. They waved, and Maggie detected the slight lowering of Val’s chin as she eyed her as if to tell her she was still interested in helping. Whatever she asked Val to do wouldn't just hurt Carlos, it would hurt Ricardo too. But that was her job. If she discovered the Ceibas were involved in terrorism, they’d have to be arrested, but the drugs, they were the DEA’s territory.
When Maggie had arrived at the apartment, knowing Val wasn’t working, she called her to set up a meeting but made her swear not to tell her bosses since Magdalena was supposed to be on her way back to Medellín with her brother.
Williams parked at the end of a one-way street along a modestly busy road so as not to draw attention to the black SUV. He turned off the engine after putting the vehicle in park and reached for the door handle.
“Wait here,” Maggie said, getting out of the vehicle. “I don’t want Val to see you and get spooked.”
He nodded. “You got your gun?”
“In my ankle holster.” Since when did he care about her wellbeing? She hurried down the quiet one-way street. Two-story brick buildings lined both sides. A flowering vine grew on one of the buildings she passed. Small bright orange
flowers danced among the foliage. The scent reminded her of honeysuckle, but the flowers were too flat.
Across the street from a twenty-foot palm tree, she spotted the building Val had described to her. Her heartbeat quickened. The second story was covered with white plaster, but the first level was what made it stand out. It was lime green. “You can’t miss it,” Val had said.
Maggie entered the coffee shop and headed straight to the back where Val said she’d be waiting. Her baby rested on her chest in what appeared to be some sort of fabric wrapped around her body to keep the baby secure.
“What’s her name?” Maggie asked as she joined Val at the table. She wasn’t sure how she’d known the baby was a girl. A hunch, she guessed.
“Me first.” Val’s tone was clipped. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t sound like the same woman who had said she wanted to help her.
“Okay,” Maggie said, remaining calm.
“Who are you?”
Shit. Had Ricardo already found out something about her true identity? Did Val know? Maggie stared into Val’s eyes. No, that was impossible. How could she know?
“Look,” she whispered, leaning in closer so Maggie could hear her as she whispered. “I know you’re not Magdalena Sanchez, so who are you?”
If Val was going to work for her, Maggie would have to tell her who she was anyway. She had been hoping to learn a little more about the woman and her relationship with the Ceibas first. She took a breath and swallowed hard. “I’m a CIA officer.”
Val leaned away from the table, placing a hand on her baby’s back. She stared at the table, and when her eyes met Maggie’s she said, “I don’t feel safe here.” She paused and her gaze darted around the room. “Can we drive?”
“Of course,” Maggie said. “Follow me.”
The two women stood and left the coffee shop. Maggie led Val up the street to where Williams had parked the SUV. She placed a hand on her back to keep her close and guide the way. Maggie held the door of the SUV open for Val. “Get in.”
Maggie's Mark (Ceiba Cartel Book 1) Page 6