by LK Shaw
I unlocked my legs from around Tomás, and he rolled to his back, taking me with him. I cuddled up next to him with my arm across his chest and my head rested on his shoulder. His heartbeat thudded against my hand where it rested on his chest, and I matched my breathing to his. I savored the moment until exhaustion overtook me and I drifted off.
Chapter 22
I called Alejandro and let him know I’d be picking him up at nine before heading to the meet. I’d dropped Ines off for her final shift at SINoritas before running home to take a quick shower. She’d maintained her cover for a couple more weeks after Ernesto’s death to gather more intel on the cartel. When I told her I had to take care of business, she’d become withdrawn. It was a reminder of who I truly was.
I just didn’t know if the reminder was for her or me.
Just before nine, I pulled up to Alejandro’s condo and honked. When he exited the building, my jaw almost dropped. Gone were the baggy jeans, oversized basketball jersey, and ten pounds of gold around his neck. His hair was styled perfectly, and he was dressed in a tailored designer suit, platinum cuff links, and wing-tipped shoes, like he was about to step foot on a GQ magazine photo shoot.
“Nice clothes,” I threw out when he’d slid into the passenger’s seat.
He shot me a suspicious-looking smile. “Yes, I know.”
I glared at him, my instincts warning me something was about to happen, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was. My body was buzzing with tension. We passed the rest of the ride in silence. The dislike between Alejandro and I was mutual so we rarely had anything to say to each other, unless it was me lecturing him. When we were almost to our destination, I knew it was time for another lecture.
“Don’t forget, follow my lead. Mr. Escobar is a powerful man your uncle is trying to impress. Which means he needs to talk to someone who knows the business like the back of their hand. Not some novice.”
“I have a feeling I know more than you think I do.”
“Unless some miracle has occurred, then I highly doubt that, Junior.”
He sent me a sideways glance and mocking half-smile, but remained silent, before returning his gaze out the passenger window. Finally, we reached the meeting site.
Álvarez owned several abandoned warehouses throughout Chicago. He alternated them, so rarely did we meet at the same place more than once every six to eight months. Less chance of getting caught that way. Several of the warehouses were ones where “interrogations” occurred like with Diego Garcia all those months ago. Others were meeting locales with Miguel’s supplier from Mexico.
Raoul Escobar was a member of the Mexican branch of the Juarez Cartel. He was also rumored to be distantly related to Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar, but I don’t know how much truth there was to it. Tonight was meant to be an introductory meeting between Alejandro and Raoul. It was important to Miguel that the relationship between the two begin cultivating now. Trust was the main component of the business agreement between the two leaders. Miguel purchased the drugs and Escobar smuggled them into the country. Once they were delivered, Miguel would then cut it, mixing it with other substances so it was no longer one hundred percent pure. He then sold it for a higher profit margin.
They’d had a profitable working relationship for years, but the Sinaloa cartel, our biggest rival for the drug trade in the States, continued to own more control in the surrounding states. Miguel had been trying for almost a year now to take over the business in those same states, but no matter who he recruited or who he killed, he still hadn’t managed to gain the upper hand.
For some reason Miguel thought Alejandro might have better ideas to help further grow the business. Which was why Raoul needed to meet with Alejandro.
The double doors of the warehouse swung open upon our approach. Once I’d pulled all the way in, they closed behind us. I parked the car and both Alejandro and I exited. Next to a black Audi stood Raoul. He, like Miguel, was a quintessential businessman. Unlike Miguel, he didn’t take care of himself. He wore an expensive suit with the buttons pulling across the front. A small section of his white half-unbuttoned dress shirt peeked out between the upside down V made by his jacket opening below the last button. Several gold chains lay in a bed of dark, curling chest hair. Which must have been where the hair on his balding head had migrated to. Raoul smiled broadly, and a gold capped front tooth winked at us behind his lips.
“Tomás, how wonderful to see you again,” he greeted, arm outstretched for a handshake, the black diamond ring on his finger sparkling in the LED lighting. His jovial attitude always seemed like a conundrum to the vicious cartel leader I knew him to be. I’d once seen him shoot a member of his own organization because Raoul felt he was being disrespected.
“A pleasure as always, Mr. Escobar.” I returned his greeting and handshake.
“How many times have I asked you to call me Raoul?”
I merely shrugged. “I’ve lost count.”
He shook his head in a despairing way before changing the topic. “So, how’s business?”
“We’ve tried to gain control of the southeast part of the state, but our competitor has somehow managed to produce a new, more potent product for less. They’re turning around and selling it for almost three times what they paid for it. Word on the street is that Emilio Salazar has every intention of bringing his shit into Chicago. Miguel has no intention of letting that happen.”
Raoul grunted in disgust. “Salazar has been a thorn in our side for years.”
“Has anyone considered snipping the thorn off?”
My head snapped in Alejandro’s direction, while Raoul let out a belly laugh.
“Nobody was talking to you, pup.”
“No, no, I like how the boy thinks.”
“Mr. Esco—Raoul, this is Mr. Álvarez’s nephew, Alejandro Ramírez. Miguel has decided it’s time for Alejandro to learn how this business is run for when he decides he’d like to retire. There is still a lot he needs to learn. Like when to shut his mouth and listen.”
Alejandro stood taller and stepped closer to Raoul. “Oh, I believe Raoul has seen exactly what it is that I know. ¿No es cierto mi amigo?
My gaze darted back and forth between the two men. What the hell was going on?
One of Raoul’s men stepped up next to him. Raoul turned his head slightly toward him and the man leaned over and whispered in his ear. His body went rigid with tension, and he slowly looked over at me and stared hard. He straightened and threw a look to another one of his men with an almost imperceptible nod. Almost too casually, the man began to move, positioning himself behind me. What was going on? I didn’t have to wait long to find out. A searing pain shot through my head, and I fell to my knees with a groan.
“The fuck, Raoul?” God, my head was pounding. I reached up, feeling for blood. Nothing, but I had a huge goose egg. I swallowed back nausea.
I looked up to meet his eyes when he squatted down next to me. My stomach dropped. This was the killer I’d once witnessed.
My cover had been blown.
How’d they find out? Not that it mattered. I was dead either way.
“Héctor just shared with me some extremely disturbing news. He couldn’t possibly be correct though, could he?” Raoul’s lip curled up in a sneer.
I sat back on my heels, palms on my thighs and tried to remain calm. “Since I have no idea what you’re talking about, maybe it would be best if you tell me.”
He stood and circled around before standing in front of me again. Alejandro moved to join him. “What do we have here?”
Raoul unholstered a gun and placed it directly against my forehead. “It would seem our ‘friend’ here is an undercover D.E.A. agent. Isn’t that right?”
I swallowed even as my heart thumped almost out of my chest. He pressed the gun harder which only exacerbated my headache and I couldn’t help my groan of pain that escaped. I knew I needed to answer.
“Yes.” I confessed, expecting the gun to go off no
w that my identity was confirmed.
My attention shifted to Alejandro who began laughing hysterically. It took several moments before he brought himself under control. Even Raoul seemed surprised by his reaction. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Oh, this is rich. My uncle has been sharing secrets with the enemy for years and never once suspected.”
“How did you find out?”
“Héctor here. It would seem you busted his cousin during a raid several years ago. Héctor was one of the only two who got away. I guess your luck just ran out. Say goodbye, pig.”
My eyes closed of their own accord. I didn’t want anyone, especially Alejandro, seeing my fear.
“Wait.” My eyes popped open at Alejandro’s command. “Let’s not kill him just yet. I want to be the one to do it. My uncle’s time has come.”
Chapter 23
Squealing tires had my body spinning around to find the source. Michele and I were just leaving SINoritas after our shift, and under the overhead street lights illuminating the area the familiar black Mercedes with dark-tinted windows came to an abrupt halt. Instinctively, I moved in front of her when Alejandro stepped out from the backseat. Thankfully, there were still a few regulars loitering outside hoping to get one of the girls to go home with him, so, while it may not be large, there was still a crowd. There were also surveillance cameras, which eased my mind only a little.
I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks, and he looked different. He wasn’t wearing his typical baggy jeans, basketball jersey, and gold chains. And apparently it didn’t matter that it was three a.m., he still wore those stupid aviator sunglasses. Instead, he looked like a younger, polished suit-wearing version of his uncle. I didn’t know what to make of the change.
“Go back inside and call the police, Michele. Now,” I whispered to her over my shoulder, hoping she heard me over my galloping heartbeat. I had no desire for this girl I’d come to genuinely care about to get hurt.
He strode toward me with a confidence I’d never seen him pull off before. When he finally stood in front of me, he removed his sunglasses and sent me a smile that scared the shit out of me. I’d learned to read his expressions during our time together, and this wasn’t one I’d ever seen before.
“Hello, Gabby.”
I nodded at his greeting. “Alejandro. What do you want?”
“I wanted to chat with you for a bit.” The reptilian smile remained. “Why don’t you come with me.”
I recognized it wasn’t a question. This version of Alejandro made me more nervous than the immature, partying, careless one. That persona was predictable. Manageable. I didn’t know who this Alejandro was. I only knew I had no intention of going with him.
“I don’t think so. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say right here.”
My whole body warned of danger. My heart pounded so loudly I was surprised he couldn’t hear it. He looked over my shoulder and my gaze followed his. I breathed a sigh of relief that Michele had apparently listened to me.
Did Alejandro know I was a cop? Was I about to die like my brother? The thought terrified me for so many reasons. My first thought was of my father and brothers.
Then, there was Tomás. I thought of what my death would do to him. Words hadn’t been spoken aloud, but no matter how hard I’d fought it, I’d fallen for the man. I wasn’t conceited enough to believe he loved me, but there was something there. Every touch. Every kiss. Every breath spoke of greater feelings. We hadn’t even scratched the surface of our relationship and now it might be over before it could truly begin.
Well, if my life was about to end, I wasn’t going out without a god damn fight. Taking the offensive, since Alejandro seemed to want the silence to draw out until I’d been sufficiently freaked out, I spoke up.
“What did you need to tell me so urgently that you had to drive all the way here in the middle of the night?”
“Brody Thomas.” He spat in disgust. “Do you recognize the name?”
“No. Am I supposed to?”
Alejandro studied me intently. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he began to laugh. He laughed until he was almost in tears.
“Oh, Gabby, you really don’t know, do you?”
My confusion turned to irritation. “I said I didn’t. So, why don’t you enlighten me.”
He brought himself under control, wiping away a non-existent tear. “For over a month you led me on. Shaking your tits and ass at every opportunity, but then acting like a virgin whenever we were alone together. At first, I thought it was cute how you thought you weren’t anything but a whore. In fact, you played the part so well, I almost fell for it.”
His jovial attitude melted away until the temperature surrounding me seemed to drop. Alejandro’s rage was so ice cold, I actually shivered with it. Where was he going with this? There had to be more to this than a spoiled toddler not getting a piece of ass. Hopefully he’d get to it soon, because this tension in my body was giving me a headache.
Alejandro’s gaze became unfocused as though recalling some memory. “I saw you with him. I didn’t even know you two knew each other, but when that cabrón kissed you, you were practically begging him to fuck you. I knew then that you really were una puta. I’ve been following the two of you for weeks, and you had no idea.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Brody Thomas. Or as you know him, Tomás González.”
There was only one reason I could think of why someone would be using a pseudonym and working for the cartel.
Alejandro snickered evilly. “Ah-ha. It took you less time to figure it out than I thought it would. You, mi pequeño coño, have been fucking an undercover D.E.A. agent.”
Holy shit. It all made sense now. I pushed aside the betrayal I felt that Tomás -- Brody -- had hidden his identity from me. He knew I was a police officer. Why hadn’t he trusted me enough to tell me? “Does your uncle know?”
He smiled arrogantly, all traces of the Alejandro I thought I knew gone.
“Of course he doesn’t. He still thinks Tomás is loyal to him. Remember all those big plans I was telling you about? The time has come. My uncle has become soft. He no longer has what it takes to bring this organization to the top. He’s let the Sinaloa Cartel rule for far too long. It’s time for a reorganization to happen. That means removing my uncle from his position and any of those who follow him.”
There was a hint of evil to his tone. Did he already have Tomá— Brody held somewhere? Was he being tortured at this exact moment? God, what was I going to do? I was so busy worrying that I didn’t see Alejandro move until it was too late. He grabbed me by my hair and yanked me against him. I choked out a gasp. A flash of silver glowed in the street light right before my face ignited like fire. It was overwhelming, and I screamed out in painful agony.
“No one fucks with me. Not some soon-to-be-dead undercover agent and not some useless cunt.” He threw me to the ground where I landed on all fours. He spat on me before turning and calmly walking back to the vehicle.
“Gabby!” Michele’s yell sounded like it was coming from inside a tunnel. I barely heard her. My entire focus was on the droplets of something dark landing between my hands on the concrete beneath them. Nausea was building, and I swallowed back the vomit. Dimly, I could hear the sound of sirens in the distance and running footsteps getting closer. I pushed upward so I remained on my knees and sat back on my heels.
“Jesus, Gabby.” Damon’s horrified whisper reached my ears. He hollered in the direction of the club. “Someone get me some clean towels. Now.”
My hand reached up toward my face, but he grabbed it, staying my movement. “Don’t. Your hands are dirty.”
Sobs sounded loudly in my ears and I looked up at Michele who had tears pouring down her cheeks.
Oddly, I now felt numb. “I bet that’s gonna leave a mark.”
My emotionless comment only made Michele cry harder. I couldn’t be sure, but it really felt like the pain was lessening. Or perhap
s I was in shock and so high on adrenaline that it only seemed like it. More footsteps sounded and someone handed Damon a pile of towels. More gently than I expected from a man with hands that size, he wiped away the blood still slowly dripping down the side of my face. I hissed when he hit one spot.
“Shit, sorry.”
He continued his dabbing and wiping, being extra cautious.
The sirens were now right on top of us and blue lights flashed in the night sky. “Move out of the way, people. Move it.”
A flashlight blinded me for a moment before cursing ensued. The patrol officer barked at dispatch through his shoulder comm.
“Miss, can you stand?”
Blindly, I reached out for a hand and was helped to my feet. Thankfully, the shock began to recede and I was coming back to my surroundings. Which also meant my cheek hurt like a mother fucker. I grabbed a clean towel from Damon and placed it against my face. Fucking Alejandro. I was going to kill that piece of shit.
“Can you tell us what happened?”
I was saved from responding by the arrival of the ambulance. I knew I was going to have to answer questions, but I’d rather do it later. My identity would be revealed once I got to the hospital, and I needed time to come up with a response that didn’t involve bringing Tomás into it. Not until I talked to my family.
Ignoring the cop, I turned to Damon and Michele, who were still waiting on the sidelines.
“Keep her safe.”
The command lingered as I let the EMTs load me into the ambulance and we were soon en route to Rush University Medical Center. Knowing I needed a plan, I quickly formulated one, and prayed I stayed alive long enough. I hadn’t been able to save my brother, but I’d be damned if I wouldn’t save the man I was coming to love.
Chapter 24
Once I arrived at the hospital, the on-call plastic surgeon had been brought in to stitch my wound. He’d told me I was lucky my assailant hadn’t hit any nerves and paralyzed my face. Once he was done, he wrote me a prescription for painkillers while the nurse gave me brief wound care instructions. Then I was free to go. Two uniformed officers greeted me in the waiting room.