Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

“Hey, Danger, I’ve been looking for you. I…” Eden’s voice trailed off as she hovered in the doorway, her bright smile fading.

  Val held up a hand, his steady eyes locked with mine. “Un momento, Cereza. Adriana and I are talking.”

  The room crackled with tension, and I forced a weak smile. “It’s fine, go. It’s nothing that can’t wait an hour.”

  * * *

  The pounding in my head was relentless. A dull ache so intense it blurred my vision even in complete darkness. I had no idea what time it was. Just the thought of staring at the bright light of my phone was enough to send the room spinning.

  My teeth chattered as a trickle of sweat rolled down the back of my neck. I choked on the violent contrast of sensation, causing my body to spasm with a rough, rattling cough. Lifting a shaking hand to my chest, I clawed at my contracting lungs, my compressed throat, and my aching heart.

  I froze, the last thought woven in so seamlessly, yet laced with so much truth.

  Val said Brody confessed he was in love with me.

  I didn’t deserve that word, but just for tonight, as selfish as it was, I needed to pretend I did. I needed the gentle calm before the storm. The peace before the reckoning.

  I’d leave this world the same way I entered it. As a soulless pawn.

  Peeling back the blanket, I padded barefoot along the cold marble, goose bumps rippling across my bare limbs. My heart lurched into my throat as I stood outside the closed door, the silence behind it making me second guess myself.

  Don’t turn back.

  Twisting the doorknob, I stepped inside the darkened room before I could change my mind. My fingers curled by my side as an almost imperceptible exhale flitted across my ear.

  “I was wondering how long it would take you.”

  I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “Confident, are we?” I barely got the last word out before another round of coughs almost brought me to my knees.

  Sheets rustled, and the lamp ignited, flooding the room with agonizingly bright light. It felt like a thousand knives stabbing through my eyes all at once, and I muffled a cry as I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyelids.

  Brody’s warm hands cradled my head. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “The light,” I wheezed. “Turn off the light.”

  His warmth disappeared along with the glaring brightness. It was a painful and welcomed loss, fighting against another one inside my head. Once again, the violent contrast sent me into a tailspin, and I stumbled into his strong arms.

  “Christ, Adriana, tell me what’s wrong.”

  But I couldn’t. At least, not and still claim the peace I desperately needed. “Remember when I walked in on you at Caliente?”

  The tension eased with his low chuckle. “You mean when I was jerking off, pretending it was you?”

  I nodded. “I want to give you that.”

  He let out a rough exhale, the raw need in his voice strained with hesitation. “Adriana…”

  But nothing he said would deter me. Hell could rise up and drag me down piece by piece, but I was going to give him this one last memory.

  My final surrender.

  Sinking to my knees in the darkness, I curled my fingers around the waistband of his boxers and slid them down his strong thighs. Brody let out a low grunt as his cock sprang free. I’d never wanted to touch a man more. I’d never wanted to give without any reservations or expectations. So, I cradled him in my hands and stroked my thumbs over his swollen crown.

  He sucked a sharp breath through his teeth. “Shit.”

  “Sit down,” I instructed. “On the edge of the bed.”

  He didn’t argue, and I moved with him as he sank onto the mattress. Without a word, he planted his feet in an open invitation. Empowered by the musky, masculine scent of his arousal, I wedged myself in between his legs and swirled my tongue around the tip.

  “Fuck, Adriana, you’re killing me.”

  “Tell me what you want,” I whispered, licking underneath the head. “Every single detail. This is your fantasy. Make it come true.”

  His tortured groan sounded more animal than human as his hand dove into my hair. “I want you to suck me hard. I want to fuck your mouth, and then I want to come down your throat and watch you swallow it.”

  I let out an unsteady breath.

  “Do you know why?”

  I shook my head.

  His fingers twisted in my hair. “Because your mouth is mine. Your kiss is mine. And God help me, I need to mark them both. Stain them. Claim them. Mine, Adriana. My body. My mouth. My kiss.”

  Dios mío, a la chingada.

  Holy fuck.

  A flood of warmth surged between my legs, and I didn’t think. I acted. I took him in my mouth, giving him everything he wanted as he hit the back of my throat.

  Brody hissed, leaning back on one arm as I bobbed up and down, fighting my gag reflex. “Ah, fuck. Yes, just like that. Faster.”

  All those things he said he wanted to do were just words. His commands flirted on the edge of dirty but didn’t fall over. His hand twisted in my hair but didn’t pull. His hips ground into the mattress but didn’t move. He was a live wire sparking toward an explosion, but he was holding back because he didn’t want to hurt me.

  But that wasn’t what I wanted.

  This was my gift. My ending. And I wanted to give him the fantasy.

  I gently pulled away and sighed. “I’m breaking another rule for you.”

  His pants came harsh and hard. “What?”

  “I’ve never let a man come in my mouth. It’s almost as intimate as kissing to me. I’m giving this to you. I’m giving you everything, and you’re holding back. I’m not innocent, Brody. I’m not made of glass. I’m scandal and immorality and sin. Now, are you going to claim me, or not?”

  It was like a switch flipped in Brody’s head. Twisting his hand in my hair, he shoved my open mouth onto his cock so hard, I choked. I braced my hands on his thighs, tears streaming down my cheeks as he pulled my head back.

  “You want a taste of sin, princesa?” he growled. Holding the base of his shaft, he flicked the head against my lips. “Lick.”

  I obeyed. Flattening my tongue, I dragged it across every inch, aching for more.

  “Goddamn, that mouth…” It was all he said before pushing me back down, hard steel filling my throat once more. But this time, he joined the effort, guiding me up and down his length by my hair. Just as I started to get used to the punishing rhythm, he bucked his hips, thrusting up every time he pushed me down.

  His hips and his hand were in a duel, and his cock was the only weapon.

  “Is this what you wanted?” He groaned out the last word, and I peeked up to see his head thrown back, his Adam’s apple bobbing hard in his throat.

  His movements were reckless and frantic. I didn’t know how much more I could take. My jaw ached, my throat burned, and my lungs were desperate to cough, but I refused to give in. We both needed this, and I was seeing it through until the end.

  “Shit!” Brody’s whole body jerked right before warm spurts jetted down my throat. Letting out a primal growl, he clamped both hands against the back of my head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” As his body spasmed, he opened his eyes and looked down. Seeing me struggle set him off again, sending another round of his release into my mouth.

  Finally, he pulled away and cupped my face in his hands. “Swallow it,” he commanded. “I marked it, now show me it’s mine.”

  So, I swallowed, and when I felt a mix of saliva and cum drip down my chin, Brody chased it with his index finger, scooping it back up to my lip. Without hesitating, I licked it off, the possessive adoration in his eyes all the reward I needed.

  Hauling me up by my shoulders, he pulled me into his chest and took my lips in a devastating kiss that carved my heart out of my chest and laid it at his feet. New tears coated my wet face as I kissed him back, pouring everything I had left into that one moment.

  That one perfect moment.r />
  I hoped he kept this memory locked away, safe from the tarnished ones to come.

  Pulling away, Brody brushed a hand across my cheek. He didn’t mention the fresh tears coating his fingers, but he knew they were there, and the pain in his voice shattered me as he stroked my hair. “Why does this feel like goodbye?”

  I forced a smile and traced his lips, memorizing every groove and crevice. “Nothing lasts forever, counselor.”

  “Then kiss me again.”

  Maybe he understood what he was asking. Maybe he didn’t. I chose to believe somewhere, deep down, a part of him knew it was goodbye. I understood better than anyone that sometimes you were better off opting to live in ignorance than reality.

  Reality was a cold and soulless place.

  So, I kissed him with all the passion and hunger inside me, trying to silently reassure him that the act and the words weren’t mutually exclusive.

  I loved him.

  And because I loved him, as he lay sleeping, I gave his lips one last kiss and left my heart next to his pillow as I walked out.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Brody

  For the second time, I woke up to an empty bed.

  However, we weren’t in Chapala, and this time, I had a feeling it had less to do with sneaking out to avoid an argument as much as sneaking out to avoid a confrontation. One that had one hell of a right hook, I might add.

  Despite the fact Vergara was still out there. Despite the fact the Muñoz Cartel was still intercepting our shipments. Despite the fact we now knew why he had a vendetta against the Carreras, especially Adriana, I couldn’t stop smiling.

  She never said the words, but then again, neither did I. It didn’t matter. I felt them. She loved me. No woman had ever surrendered herself to me like Adriana did last night. If I ever wavered before, I didn’t now. Adriana Carrera was mine, and God help the man who tried to take her from me.

  After a quick shower, I started to shave, then remembered Adriana’s nails raking through the scruff filling in my cheeks and tossed the razor in the trash. Maybe it was time to ditch the clean cut, boy next door look. After all, I was a cartel lieutenant, and an intimidating image was everything in this world.

  I smirked at the reflection in the mirror.

  Yeah, it was time to lay Brody Harcourt, assistant district attorney to rest, and breathe life into Brody Harcourt,, first lieutenant of the Carrera Cartel.

  And the first thing the new Brody Harcourt needed to do was get rid of the Armani suits. Adriana was right. They made me look like an investment banker. But my choices were limited, so I pulled on the black jeans she made me buy and a white button-up shirt, rolled up at the sleeves.

  Not bad. Not bad at all.

  My phone chimed with a text, and I groaned, knowing if Val heard it, there would be hell to pay. However, once I saw it was from Carlos, I didn’t care.

  Not much on Cristiano Vergara, but Ignacio and Rosita are Colombian. Funny since I’ve never heard the name. Maybe an alias since I can’t find any record of Ignacio existing.

  I forgot I’d asked him for intel. Since he had nothing on Cristiano’s whereabouts, I decided not to text him back. I had more information at this point.

  Opening the door to the sitting room Val used for our meetings, I was met with silence. Val stood in his usual spot at the bar, glass in hand and eyebrow cocked. Mateo sat on the couch, one ankle crossed over his opposite knee, a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “When’s the rodeo, cowboy?”

  I stalked past him, flipping my middle finger. “Fuck off, Cortes.”

  Val just poured a glass of scotch and held it out. “You’re late.”

  Rolling my eyes, I reached for the glass, then hesitated as Adriana’s voice filled my head.

  “You need to lay off the booze. I’ll never understand why people willingly destroy their bodies. It’s disrespectful to those who never got to make that choice.”

  “Hell, Harcourt. Are you drunk already?”

  I dropped my hand and stepped away from the glass. “No, not drunk. In fact, I think I’m going to stop drinking for a while.”

  He stared at me, his face deceptively neutral. “Casual clothes? Sobriety? Who the fuck are you, and what have you done with my lieutenant?”

  “Cupid shoved an arrow straight up his asshole.” Both of us turned to see Mateo, not even trying to hide his arrogant smirk.

  I folded my arms across my chest and glared at Val’s second-in-command. “Are we going to discuss business any time soon, or is he planning to toss out shitty one-liners all morning?”

  Val set down the untouched scotch and lifted his tequila to his mouth. “Shut up, Mateo. That fucker shoved his arrow so far up your ass, I had to bail it out of jail. You have no room to talk.”

  Mateo shot me a scowl, which I returned with a pleasant smirk and another middle finger.

  “I have no intention of talking about this here,” Val said, pacing the room. “I’m tired of being one step behind this pinche pendejo. My men have searched the address Adriana gave you but found nothing. He’s on the move again. I’ve called a meeting with all my lieutenants in an hour. I want every top soldier we have on this. Ignacio Vergara will be stopped today if I have to track him down myself and send what’s left of him in a box to his mother.”

  Mateo nodded. “So, we’re invading Guadalajara.”

  Val’s hand clenched around his glass. “We’re invading Mexico. No one is safe until I have this asshole hanging by his feet.”

  Blood pumped through my veins, and a rush of adrenaline awoke a dark craving inside me. “What are we waiting for?” I asked, running my hand over my gun holster. “Let’s go get this fucker.”

  Six determined eyes, six heavy feet, and six clenched fists all moved toward the hallway when an ear-piercing scream drew three loaded guns. I rushed toward the front door, and Mateo sprinted toward the back while Val ran up the stairs, colliding halfway with a hysterical and crying Eden.

  “Cereza! What the hell?” Val tried to take her in his arms, but she fought him like a rabid animal, fists flying at his arms, chest, and one even landing across his jaw. “Cereza! Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.” However, there were only more screams, more crying, and more fists until Val had enough. “Eden!” he yelled, pinning her arms by her side. “Talk to me!”

  She glanced up at him, and the moment she looked in his eyes, the life drained out of her. Her body went limp, and she collapsed, her knees hitting the stairs with a sickening thud.

  “Fuck,” Val growled, sinking onto his knees with her. Twisting around, he cradled her onto his lap, and wrapped his hand around her jaw, forcing her glassy-eyed stare on him. “Cereza, tell me who did this to you, and I swear he will die by my hand tonight.”

  That was when time stopped. Eden’s lifeless gaze shifted toward me, tears spilling down her cheek. “It’s not a he. It’s a she.”

  My pulse roared in my ears, and Val stiffened. “She, who?”

  “Adriana.” Turning her watery eyes back to her husband, Eden ripped my world apart. “Santiago is gone. His crib is empty, Val. I—I looked everywhere. He’s gone, and so is Adriana. She took our son. I told you.” Pain turned to rage, and she screamed, driving her fists into Val’s chest. “I fucking told you not to let her come here! I told you this would happen! She murdered my brother, and now she’s taken our son! I hate you for this! I hate you! I-I…” She never finished. She collapsed again in hysterical tears, her pain so raw I grabbed my own chest.

  No. She was wrong. Adriana wouldn’t harm Santiago. He was Val’s son. He was her family. I didn’t care what it looked like. Eden had it wrong.

  I cleared my throat. “Val—”

  Val’s face blanked. It was as if he went on autopilot. Scooping Eden into his arms, he barked out orders while climbing the stairs. “Cortes, search the grounds and look for any signs of forced entry. I want every staff member questioned and don’t hold back any method needed. Call the lieutenants and
reroute the search from Vergara to my missing son and sister. Also, notify the doctor he’s to bring over sedatives. Not later; I want it done now. And get your wife over here. Eden isn’t to be left alone.”

  I ran my hand across my mouth. “What can I do?”

  Pausing with his wife cradled in his arms at the top of the stairs, Val turned a hard stare over his shoulder. “I think you’ve done enough.”

  * * *

  An hour later, Mateo had done all that Val asked, and we were still no closer to an answer.

  All doors and windows were intact, and there were no signs of forced entry. Val insisted on interrogating every staff member himself, and they swore under the threat of bodily harm, or during bodily harm they saw no one on the grounds or near the house.

  Now Mateo and I sat in the Carrera estate kitchen, my unwanted presence a thorn in his side. Sighing, he rubbed his palm across his goatee, flipping his phone in his hand. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

  I knew he thought defying Val’s orders and sticking around was either insane or suicidal, but I didn’t care.

  “Good thing you’re not me.”

  “Val just needed to lash out at someone. He’ll realize it’s not your fault. It’s not like you had any idea what she planned to do.” He stopped flipping his phone and glanced up at me out of the corner of his eye. “Did you?”

  “Fuck you.”

  Dropping his phone, he reared back, raising his palms in the air. “I had to ask.”

  “She didn’t do this.” I still believed that. With every piece of my soul, I believed that. However, the longer both of them were gone, the harder it would be to convince anyone else. Every tick of the clock caused my stomach to plummet.

  “Brody…”

  “No!” I yelled. “She didn’t do this. Eden is confused. Adriana hurt her before, and she doesn’t trust her. I get that, but she doesn’t know her like I do. She didn’t hurt that baby.”

  “I don’t want to believe it either, all right? But there isn’t any other explanation. If she didn’t do it, then why is she gone?”