Inferno (A Hotter Than Hell Novel Book 7)

by Holly S. Roberts

  “You know to stay out of here,” Gabriella chastises Two Dogs in Spanish. The dog is bilingual, but he likes to play dumb when Gabriella is involved. I hide my grin and walk to the refrigerator.

  “No, you will ruin your dinner.”

  She still thinks I’m five years old. “I’m hungry. All you do is tell me to eat. Now I want to eat and you’re stopping me?” I raise my eyebrows.

  She grumbles beneath her breath before giving in. “I will make you something small and it will hold you over. It is your woman who must eat more.” She doesn’t ask me what I feel like eating and I’m unwilling to push it. The last thing I need is Gabriella in an uproar. The last time it happened Madison and I took off for Flagstaff to give Gabriella room until she cooled down. We don’t have that luxury right now.

  I’m two bites into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich—Gabriella’s form of revenge—when Alex walks into the kitchen. “The call came through. The team will strike tonight.”

  The Frontera Cartel operates across the border. They are surrounded by people who respect my organization. Those people are willing to fight for their lives. After the unsuccessful hit on Alex, the cartel made new rules for the people who are pressed to work for them and refuse. It’s not pretty. They’ve forced women into processing their drugs and they’re establishing a route that bypasses working with me. That’s not happening. Their product will be dangerous and it will find its way into juvenile hands. Up until now, Frontera has only treated the people well at my insistence. It was part of our deal. The reason I didn’t take out Frontera before is that another cartel would take its place. As long as Mexico is run by greed, this won’t change. The president tries to gain control, but even his men are in the pockets of the cartels. When your family has little to no food, you’re willing to do almost anything. It will cause us bigger problems to keep another cartel out, but Frontera is at an end and they’ll wish they never fucked with me. My gut actually aches to be a part of this. I’ve never left something like this to others and sitting behind safe walls feels wrong. Madison is more important though, and I’ll do anything to keep her safe including others doing the dirty work for me.

  “Call me to the control room before it goes down. We’ll keep a tight watch on the outcome.”

  “Got it, boss.”

  “Asshole,” I respond at his use of “boss” and Alex smiles. He’s guessed all is not well with Madison. “She wants to go back to the agency and help get Cori settled in her new role as manager,” I tell him.

  Gabriella breaks into a litany of Spanish with a few chosen words about my “estupido” wife, which I ignore because it’s not worth the hassle to tangle with her. She loves Madison and has gone out of her way to not rustle her feathers since she escaped Fernandez. Alex grins and rolls his eyes. He won’t take on Gabriella either. I look down at my sandwich and hand half to him. He takes it with an even bigger grin and sinks his teeth into the bread. Peanut butter and jelly is perfect for two men with no balls when it comes to the kitchen witch.

  ∞∞∞

  That evening, seven of us sit in the control room, which makes it a fairly tight fit. Madison is returning to work with Cori tomorrow. Much sooner than I hoped. I refuse to stay angry at my wife. She’s been through enough and I’ll deal with her being in danger like I always do—prepare for the worst and pray for the best.

  The com line is on. Static fills the speaker before the sounds of gunfire overtake the radio. My fists are clenched as are those of every man in this room. They want to be part of what’s going down as much as I do. We’re men of action and sitting still while good people risk their lives is nearly impossible. The people on our side are hardworking and have families. They’ve trained for this and I need to trust that their training will pay off tonight. But, when it comes down to it, they are mostly farmers. Violence is not their way and I should be there.

  I take Madison’s hand and her grip tightens as screams and more gunshots drown the cries out. It’s an impossibly long two hours later before our side declares victory. Lopez, the leader of the Frontera Cartel, is dead along with most of his men. The others cleared out with only what they could carry. The farmers have casualties too and even knowing the probable outcome of losing those lives, they fought hard for their freedom. In this case, to keep their families safe, it literally took the village.

  It’s left to me to be sure another organization doesn’t move in and replace Frontera. I’ve agreed to supply arms and other needed extras to keep the farmers and their families safe. They have also agreed to help the other community I’m supplying arms to. Between the two villages, we’re moving in the right direction.

  I direct my next comment to Cal. “Wire enough money to the families who lost men to get them through the next five years. When things are settled here, I’ll go there and assess further needs.”

  Madison places her hand against my back in support. She knows Alex and I wanted in on this fight. We also knew if we went, it would play right into Fernandez’s plan. That won’t be happening.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Madison

  I have one shot at this, and when Moon discovers what I’m doing, there will be hell to pay. I can’t think about that. The plan is in place and all systems go. It’s too late to turn back, or so I tell myself.

  “Caleb,” I tell my bodyguard and driver. “We’re going on a slight detour. Take us to Cartwright’s service.” Cori stares down at her phone pretending my request isn’t strange in the least.

  Caleb eyes me through the rearview mirror. “Your husband will have my balls.”

  More than a year ago, when my former bodyguard decided to take time off to have a baby, I made an agreement with Moon. I didn’t want anyone guarding me, but he insisted. He won that round and I won the right to be the boss of Caleb without Moon’s interference. Though I wanted another female, Caleb and I established a working relationship that suited us both and it doesn’t feel like my husband is keeping tabs on me. The bottom line is Moon might pay Caleb’s paycheck but he answers to me and will do as I say within reason. Cartwright is pushing reason, but Caleb follows my direction.

  The bigger problem now is we have a car full of Moon’s heavily armed men following us and our original destination was EE. Cartwright’s office is not on our way. As soon as we make the next turn, the men behind us will notify Moon. I have a reason prepared for the oral argument I’ll give him. I’m not a good liar and I needed to preplan my excuse before I give it to Moon. He’s on edge and this won’t go over well, but I need to pacify him. He needs to remain at the house for as long as possible and not interfere.

  It sucks that I need Cartwright. He’s a weasel who beats women and took money for the death of the two of the women who worked for him. With my newfound quest for blood, it will be hard not to shoot his ass myself. When this is over, I may do just that even though Alex says he’s going down.

  Cori and I exit the car as soon as we pull into the parking space in front of Cartwright’s office with Caleb close behind us. My cell rings and Moon’s name appears on the screen. I’ll call him as soon as I put the fear of God in Cartwright and get what I want.

  We enter and bypass the secretary, heading straight back to Cartwright’s hole, leaving her sputtering behind us. The front door chimes and I know Moon’s men are close behind, so when I enter Cartwright’s office with Cori, I give Caleb a look. “Keep the lions at bay, I’m armed and will shout if I need you.” I close the door in his face.

  “What the hell?” Cartwright says. His face is red when he stands from his desk. He was probably masturbating. I pull the gun from the holster at the back of my waist and level it on him. “Show me both your hands or I’ll blow your balls off. They’ll be a bigger target than your fucking tiny dick.”

  His hands go up and he plops his fat ass back into the chair. “I dealt with your husband. What the fuck do you want?”

  Cori walks around the desk and grabs his ear before he understands her intent. He’
s unused to women with bigger balls than him. Her injured hand is in a sling, but that doesn’t stop her. “Fucking respect. You’ll give it or I’ll fucking bite your goddamn ear off.” She leans in and sniffs the appendage she’s holding. Even I believe she’d snap her teeth and spit out a bloody ear. It’s nice to see the old Cori back in action. She’s more bloodthirsty than before, but her scathing demeanor that I love is also front and center.

  “Oww,” Cartwright yells while reaching for his ear. Cori turns slightly, still holding his earlobe between her fingers and digs her elbow into his ribs, stopping him. I lean over the desk and place the barrel of my gun against his forehead. “I need a favor and the word ‘no’ coming from your mouth is not an option. We’ll leave here with you alive once I have what I came for.” His eyes are wide and spittle slides down his double chin. His expression says we have his attention. Too bad, I would shoot his dick and balls off just for shits and giggles. I press the gun a little further into his face so he knows I’m serious. “Call Fernandez and tell him you have a new girl you can send for his needs. Arrange it for this afternoon.”

  “Who the fuck is Fernandez?” he sputters.

  “You know him as Diego.”

  The light dawns. “Your husband will kill me.”

  My laugh is filled with disgust. “I don’t see my husband holding a gun to your head right now. You’ll be dead long before he gets his shot. You have two seconds to pick up that phone. Tell Fernandez I’m back at Elegant Escorts too.”

  “Fucking bitch,” he says and reaches for his cell phone.

  Cori releases his ear and slaps him across the face with enough force to turn his head. “Watch your fucking mouth,” she says and grabs his other ear before he recovers from the slap.

  “Okay, okay.” He looks at me. “The only condition I have is that you tell your husband I did this under duress.” His head is twisted sideways because Cori didn’t move when she grabbed his other ear.

  “Make the call,” I say and move my finger from alongside the barrel of the gun to the trigger. As an officer, we trained to always have our finger along the barrel and never on the trigger unless we intended to shoot. My training holds true and I’m more than ready to shoot. I slowly step around the desk and my aim lowers to his crotch.

  He uses speed dial, which pisses me off to the point that I almost fire. “Diego, it’s Cartwright,” he says. “Something’s come through and I have another bitch for you.”

  His face scrunches up when Cori adds pressure to his ear. “I can deliver her today. If you don’t want her, she’ll go to the next-highest bidder.”

  The bastard lied to Moon. He took the money knowing what Fernandez would do to those two women. Cori has murder in her eyes and I’m sure my expression is identical. I resist the urge to squeeze the trigger, but it’s not easy.

  Cartwright nods at whatever Fernandez tells him. “Text me the address at three and I’ll have her there. You might also like to know that Moon’s bitch is back at the escort service.”

  He ends the call and tosses his phone on the desk. “Are you satisfied? He wouldn’t give me his location yet. I’ll call you at three.”

  I lean over and pick up his cell phone, my gun still pointed at his dick. I press the button to activate it and a code is required. “I’m taking the phone and I’ll need your pass code.”

  “You can’t take my phone.”

  I lift my eyebrows and smile.

  “7, 6, 9, 1”

  I enter it and the phone unlocks.

  Cori releases Cartwright’s ear and reaches into her sling where her gun is hiding. She pulls it and shoots him in the leg. The explosion hammers the room and Caleb slams his body against the outer door. The second slam propels him through and Moon’s men follow with guns drawn.

  Cartwright is screaming on the floor, flopping around like a fish. I walk over and kick him in the stomach. While he’s trying to draw air into his lungs, I squat beside him. “I’ll kill you if you aren’t out of here today. If you’re spotted in Arizona, New Mexico, or California, you’re dead.” I change the direction of my gun and shoot his other leg. Ignoring his screams, Cori and I walk out followed by our entourage.

  We have huge grins on our faces when we stroll by his secretary and back out into the heat. Caleb holds the car door for us and I scoot all the way over so Cori can slide in. Caleb takes the driver’s seat and pulls out of the parking lot. “Moon will probably kill me but that needed to happen,” he says with his own grin.

  “I couldn’t agree more. Please take us to EE. We have a busy day ahead.” He has no idea just how busy.

  He turns onto the main road and my cell rings. I look at the screen and see my husband’s name.

  “What the hell?” Moon demands when I answer.

  “Cori and I had unfinished business with Cartwright. We’ve decided we no longer want competition. He’s alive, but out of the picture.”

  “Madison,” Moon says after a few deep breaths.

  “Moon,” I say, exaggerating the middle of his name like he did mine.

  “Do you have any more unscheduled plans that I should be aware of?”

  “This detour wasn’t unplanned, so you’re safe.” It’s not a lie. Unfortunately, he may never forgive me for what we have planned next. “I love you.”

  I receive silence for at least fifteen seconds. “You’re causing me ulcers.” He makes me wait a moment before he says, “I love you.”

  “I’ll be home for dinner.”

  Anger is still clear in his voice. “I may spank your ass.”

  “Promises, promises,” I whisper and end the call.

  Cori gives me a look and I give her a very slight nod. The first part of our plan was a success. Melina, Sofia, and Celina will need to work their own magic for the rest of the plan to succeed, but I have faith they can pull it off.

  We’re finished waiting around for Fernandez to strike. It’s our turn now.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Fernandez

  The smell of revenge is so damn fucking sweet. Goose is on his way to Moon’s compound with the C-4. If I’m lucky, he won’t ditch the vehicle soon enough and he’ll die in the explosion. My supplier for another whore came through and he also gave me the intel that further brightens my day. I’m not fucking around this time and will take out Moon’s bitch as soon as she’s in my clutches. Moon will receive her head within the hour, and Melina and Austin will decide they’re safer in California. Between Arizona and their home, I’ll get my sister back and kill that mother fucker she’s hooked up with.

  I call the phone number for my cartel connection and he doesn’t answer. “Fuck,” I yell into the room. I dial again and still nothing. Tossing my phone to the chair beside me, I try to come up with another plan that won’t require additional men. My brain goes into overdrive.

  I pace the room and continue thinking. Once I fuck and kill Cartwright’s whore, my mind will be clear enough for me to think straight. The pressure behind my eyes is keeping me from formulating a plan. It can wait. If Moon’s bitch keeps to her normal schedule, she’ll leave the service at five. I’ll rent a fucking SUV and plow it into hers if I need to. One way or another I’m killing that cunt today.

  I ignore my throbbing cock. I want to have fun with the whore before I take her out. It won’t kill my dick to suffer before the grand finale. I walk into the kitchen and remove last night’s dinner leftovers. A full stomach will help the time pass. Melina is almost within my grasp and my head is sorting through the cartel’s failure. With Moon grieving over his soon-to-be-dead wife, Austin will be scrambling. I’ll take advantage of the chaos and take my sister back. I’ll be waiting for them in California.

  I head back to my favorite chair and stare into the bobcat’s eyes. “Good things come to those who wait,” I tell him solemnly. He’ll be going home with me. I would never leave him in this boiling shithole.

  His eyes change slightly. He’s just as thrilled at my news as I am.

  Chapt
er Thirty-Three

  Celina

  We’ve prepared as much as we can. I swear Alex has eyes in the back of his head; pulling this off won’t be easy. We need five minutes to clear the house. Sofia is waiting a mile away. Mak will have an address on Fernandez in the next thirty minutes. With the stunt she pulled with Cartwright today, the men have stayed occupied and out of our hair. If this crazy plan works, I’ll owe Mak a steak dinner. At least after I can comfortably sit down. I seriously doubt I’ll be able to talk Alex out of turning my ass red.

  Melina is as calm as I’ve ever seen her. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for her growing up in the house with her brother. If this caper works, she’ll never need to worry about him again.

  Our plan to escape the compound hinges on getting over the outer wall of the property and making a run for Sofia’s vehicle. It’s the middle of the day and hotter than hell outside. The last thing our men will expect is us taking off on foot. I know by Alex’s demeanor, he’s aware we’re up to something. I’ve caught his speculative looks throughout the day.

  Sofia had her own plan to get out of the clubhouse. None of us wanted to include her because of the twins, but she wouldn’t be left behind.

  Melina and I work out in the gym and then hit the pool in our swimsuits. Sofia will have clothes for us to change into when we reach her car. We’ve put on our aqua shoes to keep our feet from burning on the pavement. It’s not the greatest way to haul ass, but to get away with this, it’s our only option. We don’t want to draw more suspicion than we already have.

  The text we’ve been waiting for comes in from Mak. It’s Fernandez’s address. I quickly shoot a text off to Sofia, who remains on standby.

  “You ready?” I ask Melina, tipping down my sunglasses so she sees my eyes. I need to know she’s determined to see this through.

  Her face is grim. “Yes. Now or never.”