Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  She sighed, folding her arms across her chest in defeat. “If it’s about my daughter’s dirty little secret, you can save your breath. I already know.”

  Shit! Did she know about Leighton and Luis? Or even worse, did she know about Leighton and the DEA? For a woman whose child was being blackmailed with a murder charge to infiltrate the darkest side of Houston, Lilith Donovan seemed to swat the revelation away like an annoying gnat.

  Still, after what I’d seen tonight, I wouldn’t put anything past these people.

  “Actually, this has nothing to do with your daughter. But speaking of dirty little secrets, maybe you can shed some light on one of yours.” It took less than ten seconds for me to pull my phone from my pocket, hold it in front of her face, and play the video I’d loaded onto it in all its pornographic glory.

  Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God.”

  “Mayor Donovan, that is one uncompromising position you’re in.” Tilting my head, I grimaced at the screen. “And dangerous too. That could break a hip at your age.”

  From the way her mouth tightened up like an uncooperative asshole, I knew I’d hit her where it hurt. She was more furious over my insult than the tape being in my possession.

  She cleared her throat, moving in front of me to block any curious onlookers. “Where did you get that?”

  For half a second, I considered telling her just to see how she’d react, but I decided against it. My best defense was a carefully constructed offense. I held all the cards and she knew it.

  “Don’t worry about where I got it,” I said, maintaining an air of indifference. “I suggest you worry more about what your donors would think about their mayor being in bed with the cartel she claims to despise so much.”

  Her green eyes blazed with fire. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Don’t test me, mayor. I’ve had a bitch of a day, so why don’t you start talking and maybe I’ll consider not ruining your little party.”

  Her earlier panic settled into a sheet of ice. Any heated emotion evaporated, leaving only a political puppet mouthing meaningless words. Waving a hand in my face, she pushed my phone down and glared at the teleprompter. “That’s nothing. Anything can be photoshopped.”

  “You’re telling me this is a fake?”

  “Of course it is. Don’t be naïve,” she mocked. “Besides, what business is it of yours anyway? You have some nerve coming into my party and threatening me with this fabricated piece of garbage. I don’t know who you are, but by the looks of you, I assume you weren’t invited. Now please leave the premises before I have you escorted out.”

  I had to give her points for being fearless. Then deduct them for pissing me off.

  “What business is it of mine?” I forced myself to take a slow breath. “Oh, Mrs. Mayor, you see, this is connected to your daughter, and your daughter is very much my business. Can you say the same?”

  “I assure you, nothing is more important to me than my family,” she huffed, sticking her chin out and regaining her composure. “If you must know, my daughter and I haven’t exactly been close these last few years. Not by my choice, mind you. I’ve only recently learned of my daughter’s deceit, thanks to my son.”

  My head spun with lies and hidden agendas. I wanted to shake her to find out if Brody had sold out his own sister, but I kept my cards close, throwing game changers of my own choosing.

  “Well then, Mayor Donovan, if your daughter is so important to you, it might interest you to know the man who was in possession of this video is dead.”

  She placed her hand over her heart, feigning concern. “Oh dear. Was it gang related?”

  “I’d say more club related.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Looked to me like his head took a few impressive shots with a six iron,” I said, tapping my finger against my temple. “I’ve played a few times. Bad short game. I can drive the hell out of the ball but blow it on the green.”

  That last part had nothing to do with anything. I just liked throwing her off balance and watching her stumble. She didn’t disappoint, her eyes clouding over as a million questions swirled behind them. She waited for more, and when I just stared at her, she patted her blonde hair and pursed her lips.

  “Well, young man, it’s my turn for a few questions.”

  I don’t think so, lady.

  Darkening the screen on my phone, I slipped it back into my pocket and smiled. “No, we’re done here.”

  It was obvious Lilith Donovan wasn’t used to being denied what she wanted, and she eyed my empty hand like a last-minute voter scrambling toward the polls. For a moment, I thought she might lunge for my pocket when a breathless Leighton shuffled in between us, the squeak of her dress announcing her arrival.

  “Sorry that took so long. I forgot how much that woman talks.” She barely had time to let out a dramatic breath before her mother dug her nails into her arm, jerking her toward the edge of the stage.

  “Why did you bring this lowlife thug here? You don’t think I know who he is?”

  Leighton’s face paled so fast I shifted behind her in case she passed out. She had no cause to worry. After what I’d shown the mayor, I had no doubt she knew who I was. Only a cartel member would have such a damning piece of blackmail against her and not use it.

  “We need to talk, darling,” Lilith coaxed. “I’ve just learned some very distressing news.”

  Leighton covertly caught my eye, and I barely shook my head, the move so slight I wondered if she even noticed. I got my answer as she pulled away from her mother and sighed. “I don’t feel well. Can it wait until tomorrow?”

  The heated death look Lilith shot me could’ve melted plastic. “I suppose, but I’m very worried about you.” She placed a hand on Leighton’s shoulder and squeezed it. “As well as other members of my family.”

  Leighton’s lips trembled, and she squeezed my arm. “I’d like to leave now, please.”

  She didn’t have to ask me twice. I’d done what I came to do, and the faster I got her out of that dress and burned it, the better. “After you,” I said, extending an arm in front of me.

  “Wait!” Lilith blurted out, reaching for her hand and pulling her up the steps toward the stage. “It’s time for my speech, and I want my family surrounding me.”

  On instinct, I followed them, but as Brody and Finn swept past me, Brody shook his head and held up his hand. I didn’t have to ask why. The flash storm of press cameras took care of that. Neither of them needed the publicity of an uninvited Latino rushing the stage and carrying off the prodigal daughter on his shoulder.

  So, I bit my tongue and watched.

  Lilith carried on and on about the fight to the governor’s mansion and her campaign promise to rid Texas of its toxic cartel infestation. I yawned. It was the same song and dance I’d heard from every politician in this city—right before we bought the rights to their opinions and their votes.

  I only paid attention when she introduced her successful son, the ADA of Harris County, and her beautiful college graduate daughter who’d just returned home to support her mother in fighting the good fight. As the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, I watched Lilith lean over and whisper in Leighton’s ear. To the average person, the conversation would’ve been lost. However, the art of lipreading was one of the many invaluable skills I’d learned while serving under Val. It came in handy when watching assholes try to backdoor us.

  Kind of like now.

  Lilith tilted her head toward me while smiling for the hundreds of flashing cameras. “I see some things never change.”

  I was still trying to decipher what the hell that meant when Leighton nodded toward her stepfather and volleyed back, “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mateo

  Leighton slipped off a high heel and shrugged. “You misread the conversation.”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence,” I warned as she tossed her shoes across the room. “I may be a lot of thin
gs, but stupid isn’t one of them. What did your mother mean when she said, ‘I see some things never change?’” She glanced away, the wheels spinning in her head. Too bad for her, my patience was gone. “And before you make up something, I saw her nod her head toward me.”

  Leighton’s hand flew to her neck, grasping the gold “L” pendant she always wore and rolling it between her fingers. “She just meant my knack for challenging her in public. You know how she loves that.”

  She was lying. Ever since she was eighteen, she’d rubbed that pendant when she was hiding something. It’d been a gift from her father, so the act seemed like a silent apology to his memory.

  I warned her once that I knew her better than anyone. I guess she forgot that. However, I let it go because there were too many other questions I had about tonight. That necklace was about to get one hell of a workout.

  “Who was that man you were talking to? The one with the gray hair and bad suit. Why did he make you so tense?”

  “He was just a campaign donor. There were hundreds of them there in bad suits making me tense.” Holding her pendant still, she smirked. “Couldn’t you see that from your perch behind the pole?”

  “Nice try, but I don’t buy that for a second. However, I’ll humor you and move on. What’s this shit between you and your stepfather? Don’t tell me you were just tense because that wasn’t tension on your face, little lamb. That was terror.”

  Fighting a reaction, she released her necklace and scrubbed her hands down her face. “Matty, I’m tired. This whole night has been more than I can handle. Everything about it reminded me why I ran away the night we met. Being there was like stepping into a time machine. I became a little girl again—the one petrified of everything and unable to stand up for herself. The thing is, that little girl grew up, and tonight I realized nothing’s changed.”

  The weakness in her voice unnerved me. It drew me to her until I found myself cradling her cheek. “You’re wrong. Can’t you see how strong you are now? Look at what you’ve survived since coming back here.”

  Her blank stare looked hollow, as if the weight of the world had finally crushed her. “Just promise to never make me go back there again. I can’t do it.”

  We stood in silence. I still deserved to know what happened tonight, and she would still answer for her calls to the number on Luis’s phone, but it could wait. My desire for her was stronger than my suspicions. She needed me whether she’d admit it or not, and I craved her like air.

  No, I hungered for her. The beast in me clawed and gnashed to be released, and in that dress, I had no hope of containing him. If I couldn’t coax the truth from her then I’d fuck it out of her.

  “I hate this fucking dress,” I growled, digging my fingers into the top of her strapless dress and tugging her against me. “Take it off.”

  She just blinked at me—testing my limits.

  “Take it off, or I’ll take it off for you,” I warned.

  She still didn’t move, so I grabbed her by the shoulders and flipped her around. Gripping the top of the zipper in two hands, I jerked hard and ripped it in two. My violent appetite for her intensified, my balls tightening as blood rushed to my groin. Tonight would be rough. All the secrets she kept bottled up summoned a darker side of me demanding to be appeased. I’d never hurt her, but I needed an outlet and she was the perfect source.

  Just as I pushed the tattered dress off her shoulders, my phone rang. I ignored it, her shallow little gasps spurring me on and feeding the animal in me.

  “Mateo...” She groaned as I wrapped my arms around her and twisted her nipples between my fingers.

  The incessant ringing eventually stopped, then immediately started again. The beast took over, lashing out one last time. Sliding a hand up her throat, I gave it a slight squeeze and pinched her nipple hard enough to elicit a gasp.

  “Un momento, por favor,” I whispered. Releasing her, I jerked my phone out of my pocket and growled into the mouthpiece, “Not now, Reyes.”

  “Why the hell was my new waitress on the news tonight talking to a fucking DEA agent?” he yelled in Spanish. “Start talking, Cortes, and don’t lie to me because I know she’s serviced your dick more than my customers.”

  Pulling the phone away from my ear, I turned Leighton’s chin over her shoulder and slammed my lips against hers. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

  I stepped outside onto the deck and closed the glass door behind me. I had no idea what the hell Emilio was talking about, but my blood thrummed with rage at the thought of her lying to me again.

  “I’ve got this under control,” I said, a deadly calm overtaking my voice.

  Emilio laughed. “You’ve got shit under control. She’s parading around with our enemy, and you’re just watching. I’ve been dealing with this situation, and it was being handled until you and your bitch showed up and turned it all to shit.”

  “What do you mean you’ve been dealing with it? Nothing’s been run by Val.”

  “I don’t answer to anyone in my city. I shed Carrera blood while you were still in diapers. As for Agent Alex Atwood? I’ve been tailing that son of a bitch for months trying to sever his connection with your boy Brody’s stepdaddy. I don’t need the feds dipping their dicks in my political pussy.”

  The irony of his choice of wording didn’t escape me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he meant them literally. Was Emilio trying to hide his indiscretions with the mayor from the watchful eye of the DEA, or was all this stemming from some fucked up territorial claim on the woman herself?

  The question needed answering, but during his tirade he presented one way more dangerous.

  Emilio had never once mentioned being in contact with the DEA. All dealings with political figures from councilmen to congressmen were dictated by Val. He’d just tipped his hand, unknowingly giving me proof of his disloyalty.

  Fucking the mayor was one thing. Fucking our cartel was his endgame.

  I fisted my hand, my knuckles cracking in protest. I wanted to hit something, but the only thing in front of me was the glass door. While a little blood didn’t bother me, it could scare Leighton enough to send her straight to the police.

  So, instead of causing destruction, I invited it. “I said I’ve got it.”

  “What is it with you and my waitress?” he asked. The question didn’t irritate me as much as his underlying arrogance. “Fuck me, why can’t you cocksuckers keep your dicks out of my employees? First Val, now you? I’m not running a damn whorehouse, you know.” Letting out what I knew to be a chest full of cigar smoke, he cursed under his breath. “You’re turning out as pussy whipped as our boss.”

  “Emilio?” I said, squeezing my phone so hard it cracked.

  “Yeah?”

  “Do yourself a favor and never say that again.”

  His voice dipped low. “Are you fucking challenging me?”

  “Are you fucking Mayor Donovan?” I wanted to confront him face-to-face, but anger pushed me over the edge.

  He chuckled. “Did Harcourt’s sister tell you that? After all we’ve been through, are you gonna take my word over some bitch who’s trying to save her own ass from twenty to life?” Anticipating my outburst, he quickly cut me off. “Yeah, I heard about what she did to Luis. You all think I’m stupid, but you underestimate me.”

  “I outrank you, Reyes. Watch your mouth.”

  “And you’ll never let me forget it, will you?” he seethed. “That dirty street rat who hung on my every word got cherry picked and stepped on my face as he pushed me down the ladder. Just remember you’d have none of this if you’d run away with her. She did you a favor by leaving town and now look at you. Are you a man or a lapdog?”

  I exploded, slamming the phone against the side of the townhouse. I could hear him laughing which fueled my fight as I brought it back to my ear. “You don’t know anything about her or what we had...” I stopped, his words connecting in my head. “Wait, how do you know about our past? I never said anything.”


  “Don’t act so smug,” he said while puffing on his cigar. “You should know by now you can’t hide secrets within a cartel. Eventually, someone’s gonna talk. Especially when it concerns the first daughter of Houston.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Think so?” He indulged a dramatic pause before adding, “Why don’t you ask your little girlfriend how many fucks Mommy gave when Daddy tucked her in a little too long at night.”

  The weight of a thousand fists crashed into my chest as a tortured memory claimed me.

  * * *

  May – Four Years Ago

  I’d been waiting at our spot for over an hour, pacing the patch of grass next to the train tracks until there was nothing left but dirt. She was late. She was never late. Irrational fears ran through my head.

  I’d kill anyone who hurt her, but first I’d cut their heart out.

  Just as I headed toward my car to look for her, I heard the hard crunch of gravel and a car door slam. I glanced over my shoulder to see her running toward me, her long blonde ponytail disheveled and black streaks of mascara running down her face.

  “Star, where the hell have you been? I’ve almost lost my mind waiting for you. I—” The rest of my tirade cut off as she threw herself into my arms, clinging to me as if I’d disappear.

  “Leave with me, Matty,” she choked out, burying her face in my neck.

  “Leave? You just got here.”

  “No,” she sniffled, shaking her head. “I mean leave Houston. I don’t care where we go, just please take me away from here.”

  My heart shattered as I pulled her off me and set her on her feet. “You know I can’t do that.”

  Tears spilled from her beautiful brown eyes. “Do you love me?”

  “What kind of question is that? You know I love you more than anything.”