El Gringo (The Sicarios of Navolato Book 3)

by Yolanda Olson

  It takes next to nothing to surprise her since she wasn’t paying as close attention as she should have. She grunts and tries to elbow me as I press my forearm against her throat and grip my wrist to lock her in place.

  “This is why you shouldn’t try to play games with people out of your league, little girl,” I hiss hotly into her ear.

  She reaches her hands up and attempts to scratch at my face, but I easily dodge her messy swipes. I’ve dealt with coked up hookers before; this is nothing compared to what those bitches can do.

  “Are we going to learn to be friends now or am I going to snap your neck and leave you where you’ll never be found?” I bark as I dodge another attempt to gouge out my eyes.

  I lean the side of my head against hers and chuckle. She obviously doesn’t like being this close to me, which means our wedding night is going to be a fucking disaster, but hey; I’ve waited for over a year, what’s another year or however long it’ll take?

  “Fuck off,” she growls as she continues to try to shake me off.

  “Tsk, tsk. What will the dolly think?” I ask, brushing my lips against her ear. That’s more than enough to piss her off to the point that she stomps as hard as she can on my foot.

  Of course, her being barefoot doesn’t really help her cause and she lets out a yelp of pain while I chuckle.

  “So, you’re hotheaded and make split-second decisions. That’s gonna take a while to undo, but I think I can handle it,” I state breezily.

  I tighten my arm around her throat and when she lets out a cough and starts slapping against it, I raise my eyes toward Raiza.

  I just got the best fucking idea and I’m hoping she’ll be as easy as the whores back home.

  “Did you know that our Sofi here likes pussy?” I ask her with a grin. The Cocaine Cowgirl manages to get a hand behind my head and scratches the fuck out of me. “Behave,” I shout at her, giving her a solid, violent shake. When she whimpers, I turn my attention back to Raiza and continue, “Anyway, when was the last time you had cunt?”

  Her eye go wide, almost as if what I’m asking her is the biggest insult I could have possibly laid at her feet, but I’ve caught her stealing glances at Sofi. I know what’s up, even if she doesn’t yet.

  “Come on, you can’t look at these and tell me you aren’t turned on,” I say, letting go of my wrist to pull down the front of Sofi’s top. It’s just enough so she can see the soft, sweet skin that’s glistening with sweat.

  I wonder.

  Slipping a hand into her bra, I reach down and gently brush my fingertips along her nipple and grin when I feel how hard it is.

  “Is this what gets you going? Being restrained and told when to fuck or not? Hell, had I known it would have been this fucking easy…”

  I stop myself before I say something that I’ll regret. I don’t like being this much of a dick, but if it’s what I have to do to get her to fucking know her place, then I guess it is what it is.

  “Anyway, Dolly? Come here,” I say as I pull my hand out of Sofi’s shirt. Raiza walks over to us and I can see just how hard she’s shaking the closer she gets.

  “Yes?” she asks, stopping a few steps away from me and Sofi.

  “I want you to give her what she wants, but only if she wants it, understand? I think the Princesa of the Death Squad could use some ass—I just don’t want you to force anything on her.”

  She nods as she begins to wring her hands. Huh. Maybe she hasn’t had pussy before but I’m willing to watch regardless. It seems to be the extent of mine and Sofi’s “relationship” at this point, anyway.

  “Now, I’m going to let you go,” I whisper into Sofi’s ear. “If you try anything stupid, remember that I’m bigger and stronger than you.”

  I mentally count to three to give her a chance to calm down, then let go, giving her a shove toward Raiza before stepping back against the wall with my hands up.

  It’s not a sign of surrender—it’s the best position to be in if I need to restrain her again. She won’t see it like that, though. No one ever does.

  As Raiza takes a step toward Sofi and puts a hand on the side of her face, I watch them carefully. Especially when the latter turns her face into the former’s hand. But it’s not a gesture of seduction, instead, I see her eyes are on the sharp objects and this is going to go to hell faster than it should if she tries it.

  “Don’t,” I warn her in a quiet, even tone. “Remember, I don’t want to hurt either of you, but it won’t stop me from putting you down if you try to make a move on me.”

  She stiffens slightly, then her shoulders go limp as she pushes Raiza away so violently that the dolly stumbles slightly.

  “No, I don’t think so,” I pipe up from where I’ve settled against the wall. “That’s not how this is going to go. Dolly?” When Raiza looks at me, I rub my chin thoughtfully. “Keep going.”

  She looks scared again and I blow out my breath, rolling my eyes so damn hard that I almost give myself a headache.

  “Here,” I say, moving away from the wall, and I walk around the Cocaine Cowgirl until I’m standing in front of her, then wrap an arm tightly around her waist.

  Reaching down for the hem of her shirt, I pull it over her face. I … I don’t want her to look as scared as her body is betraying her to be. And the only way to be able to block that is to cover her so I can’t see it.

  “One for you,” I tell Dolly softly as I expose Sofi’s tits. Raiza hesitates until I reach over and grab her by the back of the neck. I push her mouth against the soft skin, then smirk when she begins to gently nibble on the hardened nub.

  “And one for me,” I say quietly as I lean my head down and suck the other nipple into my mouth.

  Even though she hadn’t expended anything but rage for a few moments while we bickered back and forth, her skin is sleek with sweat—salty tasting, but so goddamn soft that I decide not to let it bother me.

  I’m so lost in how she tastes as I continue to flick my tongue against her nub, how silky her skin feels, that I don’t realize just how much she feels violated until I can smell the piss as it begins to pool on the floor beneath our feet.

  I reach over instantly and grab Dolly by her hair and yank her away. After one more, gentle flick of my tongue, I pull away from Sofi and let go of her.

  Using my thumb to wipe my lower lip, I blow out my breath.

  “Sorry. I didn’t think you wouldn’t want to.”

  She looks so angry, so fucking betrayed, that when she shoves past me and almost knocks me down, I don’t react the way I normally would at being attacked.

  Instead, I turn to watch her, Dolly at my side, and the heavy feeling of having fucked this up before it could even start washing over me.

  The door slams so violently behind her that I could almost swear that the walls shake. All it takes is a few, angry temper tantrum stomps later, and Sofi’s gone again.

  Only this time, she has nowhere to hide, and we both know it.

  “She won’t tell him,” I say for what seems like the millionth time as I run my hand back through my hair.

  I’ve been sitting on the back patio with Raiza who seems scared shitless that Sofi will tell her father what happened in the termite chapel, but she’d have to tell him the whole story, which would mean giving up the ghost on herself.

  Something tells me that he wouldn’t be too impressed with that.

  She turns her face away for a moment, then tucks her legs underneath herself on her chair and looks at me curiously.

  “How do you know this?”

  “What? That she won’t tell him?” I ask in frustration. If I have to explain this again, I’m going to lose my shit.

  “No, the other thing,” she replies meaningfully.

  “Oh. Saw it with my own eyes.”

  Raiza looks thoughtful for a moment and I smile as I clasp my hands behind my neck and lean back in my chair.

  “So, have you?” I ask with a curious grin.

  “Have I what?”
<
br />   I hold two fingers to my mouth in the shape of a V, then flick my tongue between them. Her face scrunches up immediately and it tells me that she has.

  That reaction was way too go fuck yourself rather than a simple no.

  “With her?” I press as I jerk my head toward the back patio door.

  She scowls and I chuckle.

  Okay, so maybe not with Sofi, but it doesn’t disprove that she has with someone else.

  “Have you?” she inquires after a moment of uncomfortable silence. For her, not me.

  “Hm? Eaten pussy? Oh yeah; I’m kind of a connoisseur in that department,” I confess with a laugh.

  Her eyes lower to my lips and when I tilt my head, her face turns bright red as she looks away again.

  I’m assuming that’s a silent offer and I may take her up on it depending on how things go with Sofi.

  “Anyway, I’m Frank. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” I continue as I drop my hands to my leg. “Larson. I’ve noticed people around here have a thing for knowing full names.”

  “I’m—”

  “Raiza, I know. I’m informal so you don’t have to give me your social security number or anything,” I say, cutting her off with a wave of my hand.

  She smiles slightly then glances over her shoulder toward the property. I can see the damn near wistful look in her eyes as she turns her attention back to me.

  “Where are you from?” she questions softly.

  “Well,” I begin as I drop my feet to the ground and straighten myself up, “I live in Culiacán. Got my own place there; it’s not super huge or anything, but it’s comfortable, you know? How about you?”

  “Bachimeto.”

  “Is it nice? I’ve never been there,” I press, scratching my chin. The look in her eyes as she lowers them to the floor makes me wonder if she ever thinks she’ll see it again.

  “It’s home.”

  Obviously.

  I can tell that she’s not interested in small talk, and honestly, neither am I. However, we’ve been told to wait out here for Pops so I thought it would be nice to have something to do in the meantime.

  I wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans and think of what happened. I honest to God wasn’t trying to force anything on her; I just assumed that since we’re supposed to be having our shotgun wedding, that she wouldn’t mind a little foreplay beforehand.

  I couldn’t have been more fucking wrong.

  With a groan, I lean forward and drop my face into my hands.

  This is part of the reason I like to keep preoccupied. When I’m not, I start to go over every single mistake I’ve ever made, and it’s like a fucking flipbook of images in my head.

  And no matter how bad I always feel about things, there’s always blow to take my mind off of shit and make it better.

  Until there isn’t.

  Chapter Eight

  One never realizes how much their actions can weigh on a person until you’re surrounded by angry, cartel bulldogs and their boss is standing directly in front of you.

  Even less so when one doesn’t know exactly what was said—the entire truth, or whatever the first lie was to pass from the lips of the person you hurt.

  I lick my lips nervously as Pops continues his stare down. He already had Raiza removed from the patio and I’m hoping that maybe what I did was a way to help her get back home.

  It was part of the plan, anyway.

  Granted, I really did want to feel up Sofi again, but I also want to help the Dolly because she doesn’t fucking belong here.

  “What happened to Sofi?” he finally asks through grit teeth.

  I lean back in my chair and inhale deeply. If this is a trap, I’m not going to fall for it. Chances are she hasn’t told him yet, and even though it’s a fifty/fifty split, one wrong word and I end up on the zero percentage of the spectrum.

  So I decide to do the only thing I’m good at in tense situations and that’s bend the truth.

  “She wanted me to fight Raiza and I wouldn’t do it,” I semi-confess with a shrug.

  He clasps his hands behind his back as he rolls on the balls of his feet. He doesn’t believe me, and that’s okay. I wouldn’t believe me either if my daughter had probably gone running into the house smelling of piss and tears.

  “Why don’t you do as you’re commanded to?” he growls, and I take a deep breath. I’ve had enough of this horse shit for today.

  “Because I’m no one’s dog to break,” I shoot back at him. “I’m not going to jump whenever someone tells me to and I sure as fuck aren’t going to take orders from a little girl who can’t control her bladder.”

  He arches an eyebrow dangerously, then he reacts in the way I expect. A hard, brass knuckled blow lands across my face and I end up spitting blood all over his immaculate white suit.

  I shut my eyes tightly and shake my head to try to get the lights to stop flashing so damn brightly before I stumble to my feet.

  Sofi and Raiza, I won’t fight.

  But him?

  Game fucking on.

  “Tráemela,” he suddenly shouts at one of his bulldogs.

  I’m standing straight up now, still a little woozy and a hell of lot angrier than he probably thought I might be.

  I do my best to be a good-natured man and not let things bother me much, but a sucker punch isn’t something I’m going to let slide.

  The patio doors burst open, and I steal as quick a glance as I can to see who’s being brought out. A wave of nausea hits me hard because I’m not one hundred percent steady yet, so I swallow hard and use the back of my hand to wipe my mouth.

  Fuck.

  Raiza looks terrified and I have a feeling I know why. She probably knows what’s going to happen now—which more than likely is why my stomach is turning sour now.

  Because I think I do too.

  And when he pulls the brass knuckles off his hand and tosses them at the sobbing girl, I know that the choice is being taken from me—from us.

  I take a deep breath as the bulldogs grab us by our arms and drag us out into the garden.

  Sofi’s father snaps his fingers, and they fan out to form a circle around us.

  “Do as you’re fucking told,” he seethes.

  I put my hands on my hips and look down at the grass for a moment, grinding my teeth together before I look up into his eyes defiantly.

  “No.”

  Another snap of his fingers and I can hear guns being cocked all around us.

  “Last chance, Gringo,” he barks as he raises a hand. I know he’s trying to scare me into doing this, but he’ll have to kill me if he thinks I can be bullied into hitting her.

  Raiza takes a step forward when she sees the objection in my eyes once again and hits me as hard as she can. A blow to the chest makes me stumble, but I don’t fall down. Instead, I bend down and place my hands on my knees trying to regain my breath.

  She’s trying to save my life right now, and while I appreciate it, no matter how many times she attempts to goad me into this, it won’t happen.

  “Come on,” she hisses at me as she takes another step forward and shoves me onto my back.

  I hit the ground hard, lights exploding all over again, and I almost want to laugh. Being on my back in the garden of a cartel boss wasn’t something I ever thought would happen, and while I should be afraid for my life, I’m much too angry for that.

  Taking a deep breath and grunting in pain, I push myself up to my elbows, then signal for her to hit me again.

  Her body is damn near heaving from how hard she’s breathing, and I’m worried she’s going to fall down and that will give them a reason to fill us full of lead.

  Plata o plomo.

  Silver or lead; something I heard a lot when I was in Colombia which is why I hauled ass over to Argentina. Unfortunately for me, the plata he wants from me is too high of a price to pay.

  I lick my lips as she stands over me and brace myself for another inevitable strike.

  “P
apa!”

  The shout coming from somewhere behind the circle is a welcome thing. Even though I had done her wrong without meaning to, it’s nice to have her catch her father in an act of unprovoked brutality.

  Raiza reaches a hand down and grunts as she helps me sit up. I let her go after holding onto her for a moment. I needed the help to be able to catch my breath, and I won’t forget what she did here.

  I cradle my head in my hands as I rest my elbows on my knees. I’m going to be sore as fuck in the morning, but I was able to maintain the one rule I have, and maybe now, he’ll stop trying to get me to do something I won’t ever do.

  The sound of feet slapping rapidly against the freshly cut grass, then arms being wrapped around my chest, and a terrible struggle to get me to my feet, as I’m aided by the dolly I refused to brutalize, and I think everything is going to be okay now.

  “What happened here?” Sofi asks.

  My eyes are still closed, and her voice sounds muffled over the beating of my own heart, so I’m not exactly up to answering her question.

  I’ll let Daddy Dearest take it from here and see if he manages to tumble down the ladder of grace any.

  “It’s not his place to question commands,” Pops begins as calmly as he can. I can tell by the tremor in his tone that he’s still pissed off and trying not to yell.

  “You gave him to me, Papa,” Sofi replies softly. “He may not have listened to me yet, but you haven’t given me time to try either.”

  I open one eye slightly and grimace as I glance down at her, as she loops an arm around my waist. I drape my free arm around her shoulder, the other still cradling my stomach and I shake my head.

  This has got to be the craziest family I’ve ever come across, and I’ve been around some doozies.

  “He should listen from the moment you speak, Ana Sofia,” Pops retorts testily.

  I let out a pained breath as I glance around the circle for Raiza. She’s being held by one of the bulldogs and I don’t like where this is going.

  Leaning down, I whisper into Sofi’s ear, “Get them to let her go.”