Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  Val looked over at me, giving me a quick nod. “En inglés, por favor.” In English, please.

  The doctor glanced between us. “Very well. Are you Valentin Carrera?”

  Val nodded. “Yes, how is my sister? Is she…” His voice trailed off, and Eden wrapped her arms around him.

  “Mr. Carrera, the laceration your sister suffered was serious, but it could’ve been a lot worse. The blade missed her liver by millimeters. She lost a lot of blood, and there was some internal bleeding, but we were able to repair the damage and stop it.”

  My eyes bounced between them, the words twisting around in my head.

  She’s all right.

  Val released the breath he’d been holding. “So, she’s going to be okay?”

  “Mr. Carrera, the information you gave stated your sister received a kidney transplant when she was fourteen.”

  Val and I glanced at each other in silent acknowledgment of “Marisol’s” medical history I exposed a year ago.

  “Yes, she was born with type 1 diabetes.”

  The doctor flipped through the chart in his hands and rubbed his eyes. “Eleven years is a long time for a donor kidney to last even with proper care, however from examination and bloodwork I can tell you hers is failing at an incredibly rapid pace.”

  Cristiano cleared his throat, and we all turned around. “When I was in that warehouse, Ignacio told me when he took her the first time, he tortured her and gained her cooperation by withholding her anti-rejection meds.”

  “Do you know how long she was without them?” the doctor asked.

  “Two days, maybe three?”

  Everyone’s eyes turned back toward the doctor. “One to two days would cause serious problems, but three days would’ve caused irreversible damage to an already deteriorating organ. The donor kidney is failing, and with the stab wound, Adriana’s body is going into shock.”

  “What are you saying?” I whispered, words sounding like they came from someone else.

  “We have her stabilized for now, but without an immediate transplant, there’s nothing we can do.”

  Val exploded, shaking off Eden’s arm and crowding against the doctor. “Then give her one, goddammit!”

  To his credit, the doctor didn’t back down. He stared up at the man who everyone knew owned the hospital and everyone in it. “Mr. Carrera, we can’t just hand one over. There are waiting lists with thousands of people on them. I understand your unique situation, but I refuse to play God with people’s lives.”

  “I’ll donate.”

  Leighton whipped around, her jaw dropping. “Brody!”

  Mateo laid a heavy hand on her shoulder, and she immediately pursed her lips in silence, but I didn’t care. I’d give her both kidneys. I’d give her my heart. Hell, she already had it.

  The doctor shook his head. “As admirable as that is, it’s not that simple. There needs to be testing done. Blood matching is required to ensure the kidney won’t be rejected. Ideally, she would need a parent for her best chances.”

  I refused to back down. “Her parents are dead.”

  A distant look crossed Val’s face. “What about a sibling?”

  You could’ve heard a pin drop. No one said anything until a fiery redhead attacked him like a linebacker. “Val, no! I know you want to help her, but it’s major surgery. We just got Santi back, and I can’t…” Tears spilled down her face. “…I can’t risk losing you too.”

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Adriana is my sister. She just risked her life to save our son. I owe her more than a kidney, Cereza. I owe her my life. We both do.”

  The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. “I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. There are blood tests that need to be done, as well as X-rays and abdominal CT scan. Not to mention the follow-up tests that must be analyzed a minimum of three days later. This isn’t an immediate procedure, Mr. Carrera.”

  Val cracked a brittle smile. “Perhaps that’s true for most of your patients. However, I’m sure you’d prefer the details of your trip to Monterrey remain private just as much as I’d prefer to stop discussing extraneous tests that aren’t any of my concern.”

  The doctor’s face blanched. I had no idea what happened in Monterrey, but apparently, it was enough to bypass hospital protocol.

  “Of course, Mr. Carrera, but even siblings only have a twenty five percent chance of being a perfect match, and only a fifty percent chance of being a half match.”

  Val kissed Eden again, prying away from the death grip she had on his arm. “Go check on Santi. I have some odds to beat.”

  Six hours later, I paced again, this time for an entirely different reason, but no less impatiently. I also had company as Cristiano, Leighton, and Mateo followed in line behind me. We were a train of anxiety, unsure if we’d arrive at our destination or derail and crash.

  Until Eden appeared, her face chalky. “He beat the odds,” she whispered.

  I stepped forward, too afraid to hope. “What does that mean?”

  “It means he’s a perfect match.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Adriana

  Tethered.

  That was the only way to describe the feeling. Suspended in a quiet, private space high above the world. Like a hot air balloon still anchored to the ground. I looked down as the world still went on without me, but I remained tethered by a cord.

  Beeps and voices hummed below me, but where I floated, it was peaceful. I glanced down at the rope holding me down and wondered what would happen if I cut it. Where would I go? Would I come back?

  Maybe I didn’t want to. Up here, the air was clear. I could breathe. I didn’t cough. I didn’t shake. I wasn’t cold. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t sick.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?”

  I spun around to see a dark-haired woman in a white flowing dress and familiar, warm, chocolate eyes dotted with gold. I’d seen her before. Not here, but in a dream.

  “Mamá? How’d you get here?”

  She laughed, the soft, lyrical sound of her voice carried by the breeze. “I’ve always been with you, cariño.

  “Where am I?”

  “Your safe place. This is where you keep all your memories.”

  I shook my head, and it suddenly felt heavy. “I can’t remember any.”

  She lifted a hand, brushing my hair back. “Yes, you do.”

  * * *

  Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

  Fifteen years ago

  I twisted my fingers together while standing outside Papá’s office. I knew he was busy, and it was forbidden, but the sound drew me near.

  “Marisol, did you get lost again?”

  Click clack click clack click clack.

  I peeked into the office, keeping my eyes on the ground. “No, sir.”

  “Come in here.”

  The invitation filled me with anxiety, yet my feet moved without my permission, and I stepped into the dark office, the sweet leather scent of rain-soaked earth filling my nose. Papá sat at his desk, a lit cigar between his fingers as a row of silver balls hanging from wires clacked together.

  Back and forth.

  “What’s that?” I heard myself whisper.

  “A pendulum.”

  “What is it for?”

  “It’s a reminder that nothing is stationary. Any situation can fluctuate from one extreme to the other at any given time. One must always prepare for the unexpected and never become complacent, Marisol.”

  I didn’t know what most of that stuff meant, but it sounded scary. I didn’t think I ever wanted a pendulum. “Does it ever stop?”

  He leaned forward, taking a long puff off the end of his cigar. “You should hope not, pequeña. The moment the pendulum stops clicking, the clock starts ticking.”

  I giggled. “That rhymes!”

  A cold smile split across his mouth. One that never reached his eyes and sent a shiver down my spine. “You laugh like your mother. The voice of an angel spoken by the lips of the devil
.”

  I frowned. “But Mamá never laughs.”

  His gaze shifted back to the pendulum. “No, pequeña. She can’t. Not anymore.”

  * * *

  Houston, Texas

  One Year Ago

  “Hello, Val.”

  His dark eyebrows bunched together. “Do I know you?”

  “Probably not. But I’ve studied you for a while now, and I think I understand you more than most anyone.”

  “I doubt that,” he shot back with full conviction.

  Stepping out of the shadows, I ran a hand through my long hair, and he immediately took a step back.

  “I’m the one who ordered the hit on your new girlfriend’s brother.” I smiled and moved closer. “I’m the one who’s been tracking you, turning all your allies against you.” I pounded my chest with my palm. “I’m the one who watched you long enough to know you had such a hard-on for your own lieutenant’s bartender that it was just a matter of time before you fucked up.”

  “Oh my God,” Eden croaked, her voice hushed and strained from Manuel’s restrictive hold. “It’s you. You’re the woman from the bar. You were sitting at the end the night Val came in. I remember because…because it was the night Nash was killed.”

  I pulled my hair to the side and tucked it behind my ear. “Marisol. Marisol Muñoz.”

  “Muñoz?”

  “Yes, Valentin…Muñoz. As in Manuel’s sister and Esteban’s daughter. I’ve been away for many years while you’ve been in America. Too bad we won’t be getting better acquainted.”

  * * *

  Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

  One year ago

  “No!” I stumbled backward toward the bookshelf. “It’s not true!”

  Cristiano sat on the couch, sympathy etching in the lines drawn across his face. “I’m sorry, Mari. It is.”

  But I didn’t want his sympathy. I wanted him to take it all back. I wanted him to tell me it was all a lie.

  “How do you know? He’s in with the Carreras! He could be lying!”

  He clasped his hands in front of him. “Brody Harcourt got the information from Leo Pinellas. I verified it myself. The birth certificate is authentic, and so are the blood records. Esteban and Carmen both have type A blood. You are AB. They can only produce children with type A or O. Adriana Carrera was born with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. The same thing that forced your transplant at age fourteen. Did you never wonder why your parents weren’t matches? Or Manuel for that matter?”

  I heard every word he said, but I didn’t want to believe it. “They told me sometimes that happens.”

  The corners of his mouth turned down, and he sighed. “Mari…”

  “Why?” I screamed, ripping a book from the shelf and throwing it at him. “Why would they do this to me?”

  He averted his eyes. “I don’t know.”

  The cry that tore from my throat didn’t sound human. I didn’t feel myself falling until I hit the floor. “I can’t be a Carrera. I can’t!”

  * * *

  Present Day

  I blinked, the visions fading as if they’d never been there. “I’m so sorry I never got to know you. I’m sorry I grew up hating you, and for turning into such a selfish, vile woman. You must be so ashamed of me.”

  “Cariño, none of what happened was your fault. We live the life we are given. A child cannot be faulted for not seeking the truth when lies are all she knows. I’m not ashamed of you. You gave your life to save my grandson, Adriana. That’s the most selfless gift a person can give.”

  I gave my life?

  I looked again at her flowing white gown and glanced down at the tether. I couldn’t breathe as I spun around. “Am I dead?”

  “That’s up to you. However, I believe someone is waiting for you down there.”

  The tether grew slack. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You’re in charge of your own destiny, cariño.”

  I glanced down once more just as the tether snapped, and a voice from below carried by me on a passing breeze.

  “We’re losing her…clear!”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Brody

  I was staring down at my clasped hands when Eden jumped up from the chair beside me. “How are they? How is my husband? Is he…” The words caught in her throat as tears poured down her face. Mateo slipped an arm around her, bracing for whatever news came next.

  The doctor smiled. “Mrs. Carrera, your husband pulled through just fine. He’s in recovery.”

  Eden let out a sob and covered her face.

  I cleared my throat and stood. “What about Adriana?” When he didn’t say anything, I repeated it louder as Leighton took my hand.

  His face became solemn. “She coded on the table.”

  Sight and sound ceased to exist. My sister’s arm tightened around me, but I jerked away from her. I didn’t want to be touched.

  “But we were able to stabilize her at the last minute,” he added. “The next few days will be crucial in Adriana’s body accepting the new kidney. Anything can happen.”

  “Does that mean…?”

  He smiled. “It looks real good.”

  Relief flooded my body, and I dropped my head back as Leighton hugged me. My heart raced with one question. “Can I see her?”

  “I’m sorry, immediate family only, and Mr. Carrera is under sedation.”

  No! She needed me. After all this, I couldn’t let her wake up to a silent room. She’d think she’d been abandoned all over again.

  I dared this motherfucker to keep me away.

  But before I could do anything, Eden stepped forward and shocked everyone. “Adriana is my sister-in-law, and as Valentin Carrera’s wife, I suggest you reconsider your stance on that rule. I’m a volatile woman, Dr. Torres. With the trauma my son and husband have endured, I’m sure you understand how unpleasant I can make your work environment should my emotions get the better of me.”

  Everyone’s jaw dropped, including Dr. Torres’s who cleared his throat, a bead of sweat forming on his upper lip. “I, uh, I don’t see a problem in Mr. Harcourt visiting Miss Carrera once she’s out of recovery.”

  “Wise decision.” Turning, Eden gave me a private wink. “Now, if you all will excuse me, I’m going to check on my men.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, I still waited for her to wake up.

  It didn’t matter. I’d waited for her my whole life. I’d wait for two years. Two decades. Two lifetimes. No one was taking me out of this room until she opened her eyes.

  I brushed a piece of dark hair away from her cheek, ignoring the wires, tubes, and bandages in my way. Even with ashen gray skin and the quiet drip of an IV feeding into her veins, she’d never looked more beautiful.

  This woman.

  This force of nature who bulldozed her way into my life with threats and a vendetta.

  She challenged me. She argued with me. She made me question myself and everything around me. She was both a brazen criminal and a fierce protector.

  She was selfless.

  I was the selfish one. I needed her here with me. I needed to hear her voice instead of the damn beep of the machines. And once I did, I was going to kick her ass for hiding something so huge from me.

  From all of us.

  I pressed my forehead against her hand and closed my eyes. “Just say something. Anything. Let me know you’re coming back to me.”

  “Hola.”

  My neck snapped up as her eyes fluttered open. It felt like every muscle in my body gave way at one time. “You gave everyone a scare, Carrera.”

  She attempted a smile. “I like to keep things interesting.”

  I tightened my grip on her hand. “How long have you known?”

  I didn’t have to elaborate. By the guilty look on her face, she knew what I meant. “A few weeks.”

  A few weeks.

  The words settled at the base of my brain, and little clues came rushing back in a blaze of truth. “When you were sick on th
e plane, and when I wasn’t able to wake you up in Morelia, the dizziness, the coughing, all the talk about the end, and death…all of it makes sense now. I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”

  She shook her head, reaching for my arm and wincing as a jolt of pain shot through her. “You didn’t see it because I didn’t want you to. You were never supposed to get close enough, remember?”

  I remembered. It didn’t mean I was over it.

  “Val gave you a kidney.”

  “I know.”

  “How?” When she just offered a secret smile, I shook my head. I probably didn’t want to know. “They said you coded. I thought I lost you.”

  “You did.”

  “Huh?” Something was off about her. Her demeanor seemed too calm. Almost at peace.

  “It would’ve been so easy to walk away from everything, Brody. This life hasn’t been kind to me, so I thought the next one had to be better.”

  She didn’t say the words, but the implication was there. I knew what she meant, and I stilled. “Do you still think that?”

  “No, I’m ready to finally start living. I used to want power, but that was the old me.”

  “What do you want, Adriana?” I looked away, not wanting to see her face if her answer wasn’t the one I wanted to hear. I’d laid all my cards on the table. I still had some damn pride left.

  “A home,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and raspy. “I want to belong.”

  I entwined our fingers together, turning them so her palm faced up. “You have that, princesa, and I’ll never take it from you again.”

  She swallowed hard, her brows pulling together. “Does that mean you’ll be going back to Houston soon?”

  “I have to. Val needs me there, and it’s my home. He’s put a lot of trust in me, and I won’t let him down.”

  “I understand.” She tried to pull her hand away, but I gripped it tight.