Drawn Blue Lines: A Carrera Cartel Novel

by Kenborn, Cora

  “Correction,” I said, pulling out an identical glass. “I stole two of Val’s personal shot glasses.”

  I filled them to the top and threw my shot back immediately while Adriana wrapped her fingers around her glass, the corners of her mouth turned down as she stared into the liquid. I recognized the look on her face. I saw the same one etched across her face last night.

  “Do you want to tell me about your dream now?”

  “It was nothing.”

  “It didn’t seem like nothing. I’ve never seen you that shaken up.”

  Adriana glanced up, her mouth twisting into a snide smirk. “You’ve known me for all of four days.”

  “I was an attorney, Adriana.” Ignoring her little pretend yawn and eye roll, I poured myself another shot. “My job was to read people the minute they stepped up on the witness stand. I was damn good at what I did.”

  I prepared myself for one of her smartass comebacks but looked up to find her staring down at her glass again in silence. Finally, she gave it a spin, scotch spilling over the rim and soaking into the wood. “Do you ever have a feeling that no matter what you do things are going to end badly?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted, lifting another shot to my lips. “Every day of my life.”

  “Come on, your life can’t be that bad.”

  Slamming the glass on the table, I sat back with a bitter smile. “The only girl I ever loved dumped me for the man who kidnapped her, and now I’ve sworn an oath to kiss his ass for the rest of my life. How’s that?”

  “You really love throwing pity parties for yourself, don’t you?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, boo-hoo,” she whined. “My unrequited love married someone else, and I can’t get over it, so even though the man she married defied tradition and made me, a white man, second in command of an entire cartel, I’m just going to be a little bitch and whine about it.”

  “Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you?”

  She jumped to her feet, her hands clenched into fists by her side. “Why don’t you try watching the cartel you grew up believing was your destiny implode in front of your face? I ran for my life because I found out what you’d done. Instead of taking what I’d rightfully earned, I was shunned.”

  “Adriana…” Not sure what else to do, I stood and held out a hand, unprepared for her to slap it out of her face.

  “That was my time to shine, Brody.” Balling her fist, she beat it against her chest. “That was my chance to show everyone that Marisol Muñoz was smart and brave and capable. That was my time, and you cheated me out of it!”

  This time, I didn’t back down. If we were doing this, we were going to do it. I was tired of dancing around it. What better place to have a shitty showdown than in a shitty shack in a shitty part of Mexico. Closing the distance between us, I wrapped my hands around her shoulders and pulled her toward me only to have her twist out of my hold.

  “Don’t touch me,” she hissed. Swiping the back of her hand across her eyes, she picked up the still full shot glass off the table and stomped into the kitchen. Even from across the room, I could hear her labored breathing as she fought for control. Dumping the contents of the glass down the drain, she tossed it in the sink and braced her hands against the counter. “Hijo de su puta madre.” Son of a bitch. “Everybody causes cracks in me, Brody. Maybe you’ll be the one who finally breaks me.”

  I watched her. I listened. And then I finally learned.

  Adriana Carrera was a damn liar. She claimed she didn’t want me to touch her, but nothing could be further from the truth. She pushed me away because she used control not only as a weapon but as a shield. But it was breaking her piece by piece until eventually there wouldn’t be anything left but a shell.

  Despite our differences. Despite our past. Despite our dislike for each other, there was a magnetic force drawing us together. Energy that left alone was destined for self-destruction, but combined, it ignited a power capable of deadly strength.

  Her vulnerability awakened the monster in me.

  And he was ready to feast.

  Chapter Twenty

  Brody

  Pouring one more shot, I tossed it back and followed her into the kitchen. I didn’t ask permission. I just placed both hands on her back, feeling her body go rigid and still. Without saying a word, I dragged them down her spine to the small of her back and rounding over the ass that had played a starring role in every single dream since she stormed into my bar. Her broken groan was music to my ears, but I didn’t allow myself to linger. Stepping forward, I grabbed the indentations in her hips.

  “I said, don’t touch me,” she rasped, her breath stuttering.

  She didn’t mean it. We both knew it, so I pushed her into the counter, grinding against her ass. “Quiet,” I commanded, dipping my nose into her hair. The minute I got a whiff of her sweet licorice scent, my cock swelled. “The rules from the game stand. You have to do what I say, no questions asked.”

  Adriana opened her mouth to argue, so I dug my fingers into her hips. As expected, she shut it. Such small power play spoke volumes.

  “Look at me.” The minute she tilted her cheek toward me, I traced my lips across her jaw, slowly making my way to her ear. I was treading on dangerous ground, but the high was too addictive not to chase.

  “I—” she whispered, trying to turn away, but I cut her off by sliding one hand from her hip up to her throat. I stroked my thumb over her pulse, feeling it dance under my command.

  “No questions.”

  I watched the conflict play out on her face. Her every instinct told her to fight me, but she didn’t. Rolling her lips over her teeth and pressing them together was her single act of defiance. I wasn’t pissed. In fact, it made me smile. I knew her rules against kissing, and I had no intention of breaking them. Besides, I didn’t want her mouth.

  Reaching under her T-shirt, I ran my hand along her stomach, feeling her sharp inhale as I toyed with the lace at the top of her panties. Her fingers curled around the counter and the steady thump thump thump of her pulse under my thumb detonated as I slipped my hand inside. I closed my eyes at her tortured groan and sank my finger deep inside her.

  Fucking hell, she was wet, and I couldn’t get enough. I pumped faster, adding a second finger. The more I pumped, the tighter her walls gripped my me, and I almost came undone imagining what they’d do to my cock.

  Adriana’s head flopped back against my chest. “Oh, fuck.”

  Keeping up my brutal pace, I shifted my hand, pressing down on her clit as I thrusted. We weren’t looking at each other, but neither of us cared to. This was primal need in its most basic form. Adriana’s clenched hands shook against the counter as she whimpered, a sound magnified by the feel of her ass grinding against my cock.

  Jesus, if she didn’t stop, I was going to come in my fucking pants.

  “Give me what I want, Adriana,” I growled in her ear. Curling my fingers, I sought out the one spot I knew would bring her to her knees.

  “Shit!” she screamed, shaking violently. “Oh, dios, por favor no pares. No pares.”

  No worries, princesa. I have no intentions on stopping.

  “Scream my name, Adriana, or I swear I’ll throw you on this counter and eat your pussy until you pass out.”

  I hit the fleshy button inside her again, and she erupted like a volcano, convulsing and clawing my arm as her ear-piercing scream rattled the thin windows. “Brody. Brody. Brody!”

  I released my hold on her throat, and she collapsed against the sink, the demon that haunted her gone—at least for now. She was spent but calm. Almost as if by stripping away her control, I actually restored it.

  It was a heady feeling. And then the reality of what we’d just done crashed down around her. Adriana’s spine stiffened, and she pulled away. I could see her frantically rebuilding the wall I’d just knocked down, and if she thought I’d allow it, she was crazy.

  Laying a hand on her shoulder, I spun her around, making her watch
as I sucked the taste of her off one finger at a time. When the last one was licked clean, I straightened her T-shirt and ran the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. “Get some sleep, princesa. We have a long day tomorrow.”

  She blinked. “There’s only one mattress.”

  “I’ll take the couch.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I smirked at the subtle question in her voice. I’d have to jerk off all night just to be able to function tomorrow, but tonight’s experiment was over.

  “Adriana, if I lay next to you, I’m fucking you.”

  All the color drained from her face, and she took a step back.

  I walked away with a wink. “That’s what I thought.”

  * * *

  I checked my watch again, cursing under my breath as I pounded my fist on the door for the third time. “Adriana, this isn’t a damn vacation. Get your ass up and get dressed. We still have a three-hour drive to Guadalajara.”

  Silence.

  Propping my free hand against the doorframe, I pressed my thumb against my temple, trying to ward off the headache brewing behind my eyes. Most of it stemmed from irritation from Adriana’s stubbornness. However, spending the night wide awake while jerking my dick raw didn’t help my mood.

  I pounded again. “Adriana, open the door, or I’m leaving your ass here.”

  Lie.

  There was no way in hell I’d walk my ass into Muñoz territory without her by my side. I had a reckless streak, not a death wish. Still, I had the keys and a drug house in the middle of Mexico was the last place I assumed she’d want to be stranded.

  Threats had a fifty-fifty payout, but I was getting antsy.

  Silence.

  “Fuck this.” Planting one foot on the floor, I grasped the doorframe and pushed my heel out. I let out a grunt as my foot thrust against the flimsy wood. Once, it rattled. Twice, the center bulged. On the third kick, the hinges tore away from the wall, sending the whole damn thing crashing inward. As I stepped inside the tiny room, it took me a minute to realize what I saw.

  And then I got pissed.

  Adriana lay curled into a little ball on the dirty mattress, her knees tucked into her chest and her arms crossed low around her waist. Her long hair hung like a blanket over her face, but I had no doubt she was still asleep.

  My entire life was on the line and she slept like a baby.

  I sank the toe of my shoe in her ass cheek. “Adriana, if you don’t get up in the next five seconds, I’m dragging you off that mattress by your feet.”

  She didn’t move. In fact, as still as she was, it didn’t look like she was even breathing.

  Fuck.

  Blind instinct brought me to my knees next to her, my hand pressed against her back. I held my own breath until I felt the shallow rise of hers, rattled, but steady. My head dropped back in relief, and I sank onto the mattress next to her. “Jesus, Carrera.”

  My unguarded relief confused me. It wasn’t like I wanted her dead, but the fear that shot through me in those few seconds unnerved me. The conflict sparked a wave of anger in me I never saw coming, and my fingers dug in between her ribs.

  “Brody?”

  I had no idea if it was the confused, fragile look in her dark eyes that did it, or if it was the gray tint of her skin, but the need to lash out diffused. It was only when her eyes creased in pain, that I realized how hard I still gripped her. Snapping my arm back, I ran my hand through my hair, tugging hard at the strands.

  “You wouldn’t wake up.” Clearing my throat, I scratched the back of my head and stared through the destroyed doorway. “I called you four times.”

  “I’m tired.”

  “Yeah, well take a number, princesa. We all are,” I huffed, wincing as the words left my mouth. I knew I was being a dick.

  Adriana groaned behind me. “I just don’t feel so good. Must be the scotch.”

  “You didn’t drink any,” I muttered. When she didn’t answer, I risked a glance over my shoulder, noticing she now sat hugging her knees against her chest. “You poured your shot down the sink remember?”

  Her gray skin flushed a bright pink. “Right.”

  “Yeah, right,” I echoed.

  I didn’t have to elaborate. I could tell by the way her breath hitched that she was thinking about what happened after that. I had no doubt we’d send each other straight to hell, but if last night was any indication of what was to come, the ride would be worth the fall.

  I climbed to my feet before I started the descent right here. “Get dressed. We have to get on the road if we want to be in Guadalajara by noon.”

  Offering me a quick nod, she tightened her arms around her middle and grimaced. “I’ll take a quick shower. I’ll be ten minutes.”

  I raised an eyebrow. She sure looked hungover. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Forcing a smile, she tossed out a weak excuse. “I’m just hungry. Once we stop for breakfast, I’ll be fine.”

  I didn’t buy the smile or the excuse, but I didn’t push it. I turned to leave when my eye landed on her dingy army green bag lying on the floor. I didn’t even remember her bringing the damn thing. Jesus, like one packed suitcase wasn’t enough? We were cartel runners on an intel mission, not rock stars on a world tour.

  Fucking women.

  Grumbling, I grabbed it off the floor. “I’ll take this to the car.”

  “No!” I didn’t even have time to react before Adriana launched herself off the mattress and ripped the bag out of my hands. Stepping back, I eyed her suspiciously, and she offered me another fake grin. “I mean, I need that. Girl stuff.” Climbing to her feet, she ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving me with a whole lot of questions and no answers.

  Like the line of bullshit she just tried to sell me.

  That woman rode my hand like she was on the final straightaway at the Kentucky Derby, came like a tsunami, then watched me lick it off my fingers like it was goddamn candy.

  Girl stuff, my ass.

  She was lying, and I’d find out why.

  I didn’t have the highest conviction rate in Texas for nothing.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Adriana

  Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

  Besides the crackling static from useless radio stations, Brody and I spent the first hour and a half of the drive to Guadalajara in complete silence. Since the last twenty-four hours spun on a continuous loop in my head, I couldn’t decide if I was grateful for it or unnerved by it.

  I was grateful he didn’t care to analyze and dissect what happened between us. And what happened was that everything had turned upside down. Layers of skin were shedding, and I felt more exposed sitting in this car than when I hung half-naked from the rafters of a warehouse.

  I came to Houston with a plan. Everything so far had fallen into place. Box after box checked off as if I’d bound everyone to marionette strings. I made them move. I made them dance. Then I somehow twisted the strings.

  However, I was unnerved because last night should never have happened. As confident as I was playing the seductress, I’d never found myself so entangled in a web that I couldn’t walk away. But the minute Brody touched me, not only was I entangled in his web, I wanted to be his prey. Breathlessly waiting to be devoured inch by inch.

  In one weak moment, the tables turned, and I found my wrists bound by wires and dancing to his command. My body was his to manipulate and his to control. My lips called out his name both pleading for mercy until I shattered into irreparable pieces.

  And he worst part of it all?

  I wanted more.

  If he hadn’t walked away, I would’ve handed over something he hadn’t earned, and would never deserve.

  The more I thought about it, the more claustrophobic I got. Passing cars became a swirl of blurred colors, and the edges of my vision darkened. I gripped the edge of my seat, a thin layer of sweat beading across my top lip.

  I had to get out of this car.

  “I hav
e to get out of this car,” I blurted out, shocked to hear the words in my head come out of my mouth.

  Glancing briefly away from the road, Brody nodded toward the passenger door. “Be my guest.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Me too.”

  “Brody, I’m not jumping out of a moving car.”

  Taking one hand off the wheel, he fumbled with the radio tuner. “Then I suggest you sit back and ignore me for another hour and a half.”

  I stared at him, waiting for the punchline, only there wasn’t one. He just kept punching buttons, catching seconds of a song before it was swallowed by static. Letting out a growl, I knocked his hand out of the way and turned the damn thing off.

  “Hey, I was listening to that!”

  “Yes, unfortunately, I was too. A hundred and eighty minutes of choppy static, and it’s driving me fucking loca!” I screamed the last word, wishing I could’ve punched him without risking an accident.

  I wasn’t surprised he was acting like such an asshole. He was pissed about my overreaction about my bag, but if he was waiting for an explanation before dropping the attitude, the next few days would be very quiet.

  I let him pout for a few minutes before trying again. “Are you hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Good. In about twenty minutes take a right. I’m about to introduce you to food cart dining.”

  Brody’s eyebrows shot up, worried lines creasing across his forehead. “I’m sorry, did you say food truck? As in food made in a cart?”

  “You’re not just a pretty face, are you?” Laughing at his pissed off glare, I sat back in my seat and smirked. “Don’t worry, counselor. If you get sick, there’s a hospital van just down the road.”

  * * *