Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  “Leighton, please...”

  “Fine, I’ll find out another way.”

  “Wait!” she called out just as I was about to hang up. “Professor Henry Bright at Rice University. Val’s sleeping. Give me thirty seconds, and I’ll text you his number.”

  “Thank you.” I didn’t think she’d cave so fast, but I was grateful.

  As promised, thirty seconds later, a number popped up on my text alert. After immediately dialing the number, a man with a corporate sounding voice answered.

  “Hi, is this Professor Bright?”

  “Yes, who’s this?” He sounded suspicious. I couldn’t blame him. Strange number. Strange woman. I probably wouldn’t have answered.

  “This is Mateo Cortes’s wife. I need you to do a job for me.”

  “I don’t know any Mateo Cortes,” he insisted.

  Well played.

  My heart pounded, and a layer of sweat built between my palm and the phone, but I hoped for the best. “Look, Professor, I realize you’re trying to protect your own ass right now, but we both know the bad mood my husband gets in when things aren’t done the first time he asks, don’t we?”

  I held my breath until I heard him blow out a harsh one of his own. It sounded like defeat, so I pressed on.

  “Right, so why don’t you spare both of us the unpleasantness of me having to tell him you’ve been uncooperative and just fucking do it.”

  Papers shuffled in the background, and he sighed. “What do you need and how fast?”

  I fist pumped the air.

  “I need you to hack into Agent Alex Atwood’s employment records and transfer to the DEA. I want to know when it was made and who authorized it. I also need you to look into any encoded files about the night Detective James Harcourt died.”

  “Mateo needs this stuff?” he asked skeptically.

  Shit!

  “Do I need to repeat myself?” I growled, trying to sound intimidating.

  “When do you need it?”

  “Now, please.”

  “Are you serious?” he yelled. “I can’t do this now. I have a class to teach.”

  “I guess you’ll be late then.”

  My challenge hung in the air until he finally muttered to himself. “Fine. I need at least twenty minutes. I’ll call you back.”

  Just as he hung up, the bedroom door opened. Panicking, I threw the phone under a couch pillow and flung myself on top of it, quickly closing my eyes and pretending to be asleep. The smell of soap and caramelized leather washed over me as he kissed my lips.

  “I’m heading over to the townhouse. I’ll be back.”

  Stirring, I gave him a sleepy nod, keeping my eyes shut until I heard the suite door close. Throwing on a pair of jeans and a blue knit top, I paced the floor until nineteen minutes later, my phone rang.

  “Bright, what did you find?” I asked, my nerves shot.

  Keyboard keys clicked in the background. “Alex Atwood called in the tip about a drug shipment arriving at a known Carrera warehouse. James Harcourt was the first detective on the scene and Atwood showed up shortly thereafter. After Harcourt was shot, it seems he did everything he could to save him. He got a lot of commendations for it too. That’s where it gets weird.”

  “How weird?”

  “Well, he moved up the ranks of the DEA without proper channels. He wasn’t promoted. It’s like he was just placed.”

  “Who appointed him?” I asked, holding my breath.

  His answer buckled my knees.

  Sick. I was going to be sick. Violently sick.

  “Thank you.”

  “Wait,” he called out, causing me to pull the phone back to my ear. “I also found an offshore bank account. It was inactive until a few days after Harcourt died, then multiple deposits were dumped in there and randomly withdrawn.”

  No more. God, please, no more.

  “Is that all?”

  “Isn’t that enough?”

  I never made it to the bathroom. As soon as I ended the call, I ran to the sink and threw up nothing but stale whiskey. It burned, but that was nothing compared to the burn of the worst betrayal yet.

  Once I’d cleaned up my mess, I reached into my purse and pulled out the clipping I’d taken from my mother’s house. Staring at Alex’s face as he stood next to my father’s casket, I dialed one last number.

  “Jackie Abrams speaking.”

  “I need your help.”

  Her voice hardened. “Call a hotline.”

  “Wait,” I begged, bracing a hand against the kitchen counter. “I know what you’ve been trying to tell me, and I have proof. Are you interested in ending this once and for all?”

  “Meet me at Tranquility Park on the corner of Bagby and Walker,” she said finally.

  “No, meet me at Christ Church Cathedral on Texas Avenue.” I waited for her inevitable question.

  “A church?”

  “Trust me,” I assured her. “It’s the last place they’ll check.”

  After a few more instructions, I hung up and grabbed my car keys from the bag Eden sent over. Adjusting the brim of the hat I bought from the boutique in the lobby, I slammed the door to the Presidential Suite and left the old Leighton behind.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Leighton

  Eight words determined my fate.

  “We really have to stop meeting like this.”

  I tilted my head as she slid in beside me. I didn’t dare risk looking directly at her, so I settled on her shoes—hell-fire red with a skinny heel at least six inches high. Stilettos in church seemed a little over the top, but judging from her posture, she wasn’t seeking anyone’s approval.

  “Shhh,” I whispered, placing a finger over my lips.

  “Of course.” She gave a casual laugh as if our conversation wasn’t about to get us both struck down.

  In front of me, scattered heads bowed like dominos in prayer. Dipping my chin, I watched them under the protective brim of my blue hat. Such a bold fashion statement wasn’t my usual style, but I couldn’t risk being recognized. The gossip train traveled faster than the speed of light amongst Houston’s tightly woven circles. Phones would buzz before I turned the ignition on my car.

  The guilty were always the first to announce someone else's sins. Every one of them spent the last four years turning a blind eye. Now, it was too late for forgiveness.

  Instinct made me pull away, forcing a much-needed distance between us. The space lifted the pressure on my chest, and I took a breath for the first time since she sat down. Unfortunately, one was all I got as she pulled out a black clutch and placed it next to me.

  “Are you sure about this?” I whispered.

  “Why would I lie?”

  “The same reason everyone does. Greed. Money. Power.”

  She gave a slight nod. “All good reasons, but this is a hard limit for the most corrupt of hearts.”

  “Well, I suppose morality does grow in the most barren of fields.”

  “Watch it.” Her casual tone thickened. “Stone throwing isn’t the smartest move for a woman who’s already broken two of the ten commandments.”

  Five, but who’s counting.

  “Nice hat.”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “Thanks.”

  “Who are you trying to hide from—them or yourself?”

  The hairs prickled on the back of my neck. She intended to prove a point, and it worked.

  “Don’t forget your purse when you leave.” Her full lips parted, flashing a brilliant smile that had kissed both the devil and an angel. “I’m out of this now. It’s all on you. I’m washing my hands.”

  I swallowed hard. “I’ve changed my mind. I can’t do this.”

  Out of patience, she grabbed my arm. “You can’t puddle jump morality, Leighton. You’re either all in or all out. Ever heard of an eye for an eye?”

  “Ever heard of eternal damnation?”

  Her wink was deadlier than her smile. “Signed that contract a long time ago.”
<
br />   She left before I could say another word. It was just as well. Carrying on a conversation while trying not to vomit wasn’t the easiest task. I’d learned long ago that truth and justification made deadly lovers.

  Hugging the clutch to my chest, I stood with its imprint burning into my skin. Every step I took felt like my feet were encased in concrete, and just as my fingers touched the brass handle on the wooden door, I paused. A heavy weight settled on my shoulders, as if God, Himself tried one last time to hold me back, warning me that once outside, His protection would be lost to my own twisted need for revenge.

  An eye for an eye.

  As soon as the thought filled my head, the pressure released, and my feet moved on their own. Once the doors closed behind me, my heart beat again for the first time since stepping inside the sanctuary. At that moment, I knew the darkness had claimed me.

  Destiny was an intriguing concept. I’d always condemned the acts of those around me, standing on the side of the righteous and winged. However, maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe the ones I loved suffered because I’d refused to look in the mirror and accept the truth.

  I’d spent my life running from monsters when I was one of them all along.

  Standing on the steep steps outside the church, I watched the tail of Jackie’s black Acura fade away down the busy street in downtown Houston. The clutch weighed heavy in my hand, but it no longer felt like a curse. In fact, it felt like I held long awaited justice.

  My father dedicated his life to serving justice in the eyes of the law and look where that got him. The kind of justice I planned wasn’t moral or righteous, but it would satisfy the monster inside me who craved the kind not offered within the walls behind me.

  * * *

  Walking out of the Starbucks bathroom, I dropped my hat and the black clutch into the trashcan. Carrying my coffee outside, I sat on the outdoor patio while making my calls. To the casual onlooker, I appeared to be a normal young woman on a typical Tuesday afternoon. I looked safe and unassuming. No one gave me a second glance.

  That was unfortunate. If they’d cared to pay attention, they would’ve known I was probably the most dangerous person in Houston at that moment. I had a loaded gun aimed right at the heart of the city, and I couldn’t wait to pull the trigger.

  Taking a sip of my coffee, I dialed the first number and waited for them to pick up.

  “Yes?”

  I didn’t have time for pleasantries. “I need to see you. I have something I think you’ve been looking for. Meet me in the parking lot at two o’clock.” I hung up before a single rebuttal could be formed.

  Dialing the second number, I took another sip of my coffee, irritated to find it unpleasantly cold. Now I was pissed.

  “Hello?”

  “I think we can help each other. I’m not as stupid as you think I am, but that’s okay, neither are you. It’s time to cut the crap and be who we are, don’t you think?”

  “But...”

  “I said, cut the crap. I know everything. Meet me at three o’clock. I’ll text you the address.”

  I hung up again, adrenaline rushing through my veins. God, that felt good.

  Two down, one to go.

  While dialing the third number, I dumped the shitty coffee into a nearby trashcan.

  “Leighton, thank God. I’ve been trying to call you.”

  “Yes, well, I had my phone on silent. You’re supposed to do that in church, you know. But I suppose you wouldn’t know that since I bet you’d burst into flames if you stepped foot in one, huh, Alex?”

  “Where are you?”

  “Not important. However, I do need to see you later. Around four o’clock, perhaps? You can pick the place, although I’m sure your tired old sedan holds a special place in your heart.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you? Are you drunk?”

  I laughed, causing the guy next to me to glare up at me from his laptop. “Only on love, agent. I am a newlywed, you know.”

  “Yes, thanks to you, I’m back to square one.”

  “I’ll order another coffee so I can cry in it for you. In the meantime, about four o’clock...”

  “Screw four o’clock, Leighton. Where the fuck are you? I need to see you now. It’s important.”

  It was out of order, but I did have time to kill before my first meeting. Shaking things up seemed to be working for me so far today, so why not give it a go.

  “Okay, fine. I’m at the Starbucks near Bagby. Give me about twenty minutes, and I’ll meet you at—”

  “No! Stay there. I’m right around the corner. I’ll pick you up in five minutes.”

  “Wait, no, Alex!” I pulled the phone away, and realizing he’d hung up on me, slammed it onto the table. “Fuck!”

  Almost immediately, my phone rang, and for the first time since walking out of the church, I doubted what I was doing. My heart constricted, knowing I’d left him in the dark, but my actions started this, and it had to be my actions that finished it. Just because Mateo was my husband, didn’t mean I would drag him into this mess.

  Just to stay focused, I turned my ringer off.

  Tires squealed in front of me, and I glanced up as Alex pulled the dark sedan up on the sidewalk with horns honking all around him. Sighing, I tucked my phone in my back pocket and hopped over the fence in front of the car. I’d barely gotten in when he slammed on the gas, causing me to slide off the seat.

  “No, thanks,” I scowled, “I don’t need a seat belt. I’m fine.”

  “Buckle up then.”

  He drove north on I-69 for what seemed like forever in silence. He seemed off. No, frantic was a better word. His usual calm, arrogant attitude was gone, and an anxious, uptight stress ball bounced around in its place.

  Well, anxious and uptight worked for me. No time like the present.

  Smirking, I draped my forearm against my window. “I found out some interesting information today, Alex.”

  He pressed harder on the gas. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. I know you were the one who called in the tip that got my father shot. I also know you were promoted and paid well for it. I have proof.”

  I sat back, waiting for the shock to set in. I waited for the rage I expected for besting him at his own game. I waited—and got a shrug.

  “Good. Great. We have bigger problems.”

  I shook my head and leaned forward, not sure he’d heard me. “Maybe I wasn’t clear. I know you had my father killed. That’s why you wanted me to get shit on the Carreras. They own you, don’t they?”

  Again, I waited for some kind of stunned reaction. I fucking deserved it. And again, I was denied as he sighed and wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. After taking the Lauder exit, he quickly headed down a side road. “Leighton, listen to me. Estella is missing.”

  My limbs went numb. “No.”

  “Yes, Leighton.”

  “When?” I barely whispered. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” he growled, shooting me an accusing look. “Someone found out. Maybe your husband decided you weren’t worth the trouble.”

  I felt like I was going to pass out. “Mateo wouldn’t do this.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Why not?”

  “Because Estella is his daughter.”

  My revelation didn’t seem to register with him—or if it did, he didn’t care. He was too preoccupied with staring into the rearview mirror.

  “Oh, fuck!” Jerking the wheel, he made a sharp right turn down a single road.

  “Slow down!” I screamed. His erratic driving threw me around like a rag doll and my head smacked against the window. “You’re driving like a maniac!”

  “They’re behind us,” he growled, pointing over his shoulder. “Tahoe.”

  Turning around, I saw a tan Tahoe with tinted windows bouncing along the road behind us. Every time we sped up, so did they.

  Still, I rationalized his paranoia. “Lots of people drive Tahoes.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself
that.”

  As we drove farther away from civilization, I panicked, slapping his shoulders and screaming at the top of my lungs. “Let me out of this car! I have to find my daughter and my grandparents!”

  He offered me a quick glance that almost seemed sympathetic. “You don’t have to look for your grandparents. They’re dead.”

  “No!” I shook my head, unable to stop. I shook it until I became dizzy. A strangled cry tore from my throat, and I punched any part of him I could. I wanted him to hurt as much as I did.

  “Would you fucking stop? I’m trying to drive!”

  “You’re lying! It’s not true! You’re—” As the tears rolled, I glanced out the window, seeing nothing but wilderness. There were no houses. No people. Suspicion, pain, and fear swirled in my head.

  Then I recognized it.

  Matty took me out here once, only to warn me to never come back. He knew I liked to wander and made me promise to stay away because he’d heard stories that there were cartel safe houses in these woods.

  At the time, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a warning.

  It was sound advice from one of their own.

  When I got in this car earlier, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t a talk.

  It was a trap.

  I jerked on the door handle, ready to jump out of a moving car if I had to, but it wouldn’t budge. “Let me out of this car!” I screamed.

  Alex shook his head, his expression almost sad. “I can’t. I told you, they have her. It’s either you or her, Leighton. I can’t hurt a kid. May God forgive me.”

  I stared at him in horror. I’d counted on everything except Alex’s conscience. He was right when he said he’d protect Stella, but the price he’d pay was my life.

  May God forgive me too.

  Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, I grabbed the wheel with both hands and jerked it hard to the right. The sudden turn caused the car to spin into a ditch.

  “Alex?” I coughed, my voice barely a whisper. He didn’t answer. Glancing to my left, I saw him slumped over the wheel. He was unconscious, his face covered in blood.