by Lisa Cardiff
“Two or three days. Maybe a week.”
I shook my head. “That won’t work. I need the information today or tomorrow. I have to attack before the seventy-two hour deadline.”
Ignacio snorted. “I’ve known Juan Alvarez for a long time and his deadline doesn’t mean anything. I can’t believe he actually mentioned one. If he plans to hurt her, a deadline won’t stop him.”
I swallowed over the sudden tightness lodged in my throat like a rock. He hadn’t told me anything I didn’t know, but having him utter the words out loud killed any lingering hopes I had about rescuing her before she suffered mentally or physically.
“Yeah.” I rubbed my hand down the side of my face. I hadn’t shaved in days, and the bristles were almost soft to the touch. “You’re probably right, which means every minute counts. I can’t wait a week or two to find her.”
Ignacio lifted a lidded plastic cup of water and sipped from the curved accordion straw. “Are you sure you want to do this? You could fly home and continue your life. Forget about Hattie, the Vargas Cartel, and Mexico. No one would know and eventually no one would care. She’d be another statistic, and you’d be free.”
My eyebrows snapped together. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? I would know. Hattie would know. I won’t let her die.” If Ignacio knew about the baby, I don’t think he’d act so cavalier, but I wasn’t ready to tell him or any other member of my family.
He shifted his weight in the bed. Sadness lined his face. “There’s a real possibility Hattie is already dead or well on her way there.”
I jumped out of the chair and yanked on the collar of my shirt. I felt like I was coming out of my skin. “She’s not dead.”
“If she’s not dead, then she probably wishes she were.”
“No.” I slammed my hand on the rolling food tray next to his bed. His fork clattered to the floor. “Hattie’s strong. She’ll keep fighting. She won’t give up.”
“And that’s what scares me. When we abducted Hattie, we toyed with her because that’s what the Deverons wanted. If she were any other hostage, we would’ve used her, tortured her, and inevitably killed her. With her bitchy mouth, she wouldn’t have made it three days much less three weeks.”
“They need her as collateral.”
“They don’t need anything. There is always another option to get what you want.”
“If they want Anna in one piece, they won’t harm Hattie.”
Ignacio sighed. “You haven’t spent much time with me in the last ten years, but the cartels have changed. Sometimes their crimes and viciousness shock the hell out of me, and I thought I’d seen everything. I hate to tell you this, but I know how Juan thinks, and he believes Hattie and Anna are disposable.”
Rage and fear collided in my chest. My hands shook. I stuffed them into my pockets as I walked to the window to get my emotions under control. I needed to be composed and clearheaded. Knee jerk reactions wouldn’t save Hattie.
I leaned my forehead against the window. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky and the trees were stagnant, almost frozen in time. Cars packed the two-lane street. Horns honked, and music spilled from their open windows. People strolled along the sidewalk, talking, laughing, joking, and living their lives as if they didn’t have a care in the world. In comparison to me, they probably didn’t. As much as I hated everything about my life, I would spend a hundred lifetimes in hell to give Hattie and our baby the life they deserved. And if living in misery guarantied her happiness, I would do it without regret for the rest of my days.
“I know things have changed since the last time I dabbled in cartel business with you and Rever, but I won’t abandon her.” I spun around. “It’s my fault she’s in Mexico. I left her unprotected while I helped Rever. I should’ve brought her to the Vargas compound until it was time to catch our flight, but I didn’t think the Alvarez Cartel knew about her. I thought they’d be focused on Rever and Anna, not Hattie or me.” I tugged on the cuffs of my shirt. My gut burned like I’d drank too many shots of Tequila on an empty stomach. “I didn’t fucking think.”
“You’re right. You didn’t think.” Ignacio angled his chin to the side. “Juan Alvarez isn’t an amateur. Not by a long shot. He has informants too.”
“Who the hell would tell that two-bit piece of shit anything? He’s got two fucking shipping routes. He’s not powerful. He doesn’t have much influence beyond a couple of small towns in your territory.”
“Loyalties shift and bend every day. Juan’s smart. He’s been in this business for over a decade. You have to assume your enemy knows everything you know or you’ll be caught with your pants down.”
“Nobody knew Hattie was with me except you, Emanuel, and Rever.”
“Exactly. Rever probably told a couple of friends and Anna Alvarez.” His face scrunched up when he said Anna’s name. “That’s as good as telling the whole goddamn world. You might as well have left a note with Hattie’s picture and location on the church steps when you and Rever took her.”
“What’s wrong with telling Anna? She’s not going to tell her family anything. She wanted to get the hell away from them.”
Ignacio raised one eyebrow. “I don’t believe that for one second. Anyone with the last name of Alvarez cannot be trusted. If you had consulted me, I would’ve told you to let her rot in hell. I don’t know for sure, but I’d bet my half of my fortune that Anna’s jerking Rever around. She won’t marry him. Hell, I bet she can barely tolerate him.”
My brows flattened. “How can you talk about her like that? She’s carrying your grandchild.” His words didn’t jive with the father I knew. Family meant everything to Ignacio, and Anna would be part of his family any day now. Rever planned to marry her as soon as possible.
He snorted. “I’ll believe it when I have the paternity test in my hands. From the little I know about Anna Alvarez, that kid she’s carrying could belong to a half dozen men.”
I shifted on my feet. “Rever was pretty confident it was his.”
“Because Rever is a dumbass. He spent the majority of the last three or four months in prison or with you. The timing doesn’t add up.”
“He came back to Mexico for a while,” I argued, even though I was starting to believe Ignacio had a point. This whole thing could’ve been a set-up and the Alvarez Cartel played Rever or Rever played me. The thought caused my stomach to knot with anger.
“It’s possible. I know,” Ignacio agreed, nodding his head. “Rever could be the father if she’s pregnant, but like I said, Anna Alvarez isn’t a blushing virgin by anyone’s account and she’s not above lying either. This could be one more game in the war between our cartels.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “So what do you think I should do?”
“Don’t involve Rever in any of your plans. He can’t be trusted right now. His relationship with Anna is clouding his judgment.”
“I need his help. He owes me, and he has Anna.”
“You’ll have to collect on that favor later. Right now, you have to assume anything you tell Rever will be fed to Juan Alvarez.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” he countered.
Pacing the length of the hospital room, I weighed my dwindling options. Nothing was foolproof. Nothing would unwind the damage. Nothing would make Hattie whole.
I paused, sucking in a deep breath. “In that case, I think I’ll call Rever and tell him I’m not going after Hattie. I’ll tell him I’m going to report her disappearance to her family and the U.S. Embassy, and let them deal directly with Juan Alvarez.”
Ignacio rubbed his hand along his jaw line, his dark eyes narrowed. “That’s risky. They might decide she’s not worth the hassle and kill her.”
“I know, but they’re probably expecting me to launch an attack any day. If they think I’ve changed my mind, they might lower their defenses, and I could catch them off guard.”
“You might be right.” Ignacio squinted his eyes as he stared over my h
ead. “You need to get going. Emanuel is waiting for you at the compound. He wants to discuss a few things with you. Before you call Rever, ask him what he thinks.”
I rubbed my hands along my thighs. “Do you think I can trust Emanuel?”
“Yes,” he answered without hesitating. “He’s the best man I have.”
“Okay,” I said as I walked to the door without a backward glance. Ignacio had told me to trust Emanuel more times than I could count, but something about him got under my skin.
“Call me tonight.”
“I will.”
Chapter Three
Hattie
“Are you hungry?”
I didn’t move. I didn’t open my eyes. My bones ached. My head hurt. I wanted to die.
“Hello?” Cold fingertips trailed across my forehead, and I flinched, anticipating more pain or torture. “Are you awake?”
“Leave me alone,” I mumbled, but the words bled together. They sounded like a stream of incoherent grunts and moans.
“Sorry, I can’t do that.”
Lukewarm liquid dribbled across my lips, and I cracked my painfully dry eyes open. For a frozen second, I couldn’t see anything. Black spots dotted my vision. I licked my lips, trying to draw every molecule of the unknown liquid into my parched mouth. My throat burned when I tried to swallow. I blinked my eyes, struggling to bring the person in front of me into focus.
“Who are you?” I croaked, staring at the gray-haired man hovering over me. Hard lines bracketed his eyes and mouth. His skin resembled a worn leather jacket. A sheen of sweat beaded at his hairline.
“The closest thing you’re going to get to an ally while you’re here,” he whispered, his dark eyes unreadable.
Focusing on the cement block wall, I rolled to my side and pain ricocheted up my arm. Crap. I had forgotten about the cigar burns. Straining to move, I flattened my palms on the cold concrete floor and pushed my body upright, folding my legs to the side. Chains scraped against the concrete and the metal shackles bit into my wrists. “I don’t have any allies here. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
He frowned. “You have a couple, but we can talk about that later. Right now you need to eat and drink.”
My stomach rumbled as he placed a paper plate with some cut up fruit and rice on the floor next to me.
“What’s your name?”
He cocked his head to the side as though he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to tell me. He blew out a breath. “Raul.”
I attempted to smile, but I strongly suspected it resembled a grimace. “Thanks for the food.”
“It’s not much, but it should hold you over for a while.”
I nodded. “It’s better than nothing. Can I have a fork?”
“No,” he answered, shaking his head. “You might use it as a weapon.”
“With these on?” I lifted my shackled arm and flinched. “Fuck,” I mumbled. It felt like Enrique had dipped my arm into the fires of hell.
He pursed his wiry lips. “Let me see your arm.”
“It hurts to move it,” I said as I stared at the angry puckered flesh on my bicep.
“This will help.” He pulled a silver key out of his pocket and unlocked the shackle on my right wrist.
Red cuts encircled my wrist. I bent my wrist up and down and then in a circle. “Thanks.”
“Eat. I have to put those back on soon. Juan or his son will stop by to check on you soon. They don’t trust anyone.”
I shoved a piece of watermelon into my mouth. The sweet juice burst in my mouth and coated my cracked lips. I hadn’t eaten anything since I left the hotel room for a jog.
“What day is it? How long have I been here?” I asked as I grabbed a handful of white rice and shoved it in my face like an animal. If my mom were here, she’d be shaking her head.
“Thursday. You’ve been here almost two days.”
“Do you think they’ll let me go?”
Raul glanced over his shoulder.
“Or are they going to…” The words stuck in my throat. I wasn’t ready to hear his answer.
He drummed his fingers on his thigh and his gaze flicked to the side. “I don’t know. They haven’t discussed their plans with me.”
“Are you friends with Ryker?”
“No,” he answered.
My brows scrunched together. “Then why are you being nice to me?”
He chuckled. “Money. Everything is always about money. Don’t you know that?”
“Who’s paying you?”
“Here.” He handed me an open bottle of water. “Drink this.”
I drained the entire bottle, shaking the last few drops onto my tongue. I still felt dehydrated. I could’ve drank ten bottles. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“No. Are you done eating?”
I popped the last grape into my mouth. “Now I am.”
“Good.” He grabbed the empty paper plate and the plastic bottle. “Get some rest.”
“As opposed to what? Doing jumping jacks while chained to the wall? Talking to myself? Watching the non-existent TV?”
He squeezed my chin between his thumb and index finger. “Listen,” he growled. “Your friends and family might dismiss the way you talk to them, but the Alvarez Cartel won’t and neither will I. If you want to get out of here alive, you need to shut your fucking mouth. This isn’t a game. This is real. There are no second or third chances. They won’t hesitate to carve you up into a hundred pieces and feed you to the animals.”
Fear ghosted down my spine. “Okay. Okay,” I whispered as I scooted backward. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Can you tell me why I’m here?”
He sighed and rocked back on his heels. “You’re here as collateral for Anna Alvarez. The Vargas Cartel took her so they took you.”
“But I thought she wanted to go with Rever.”
“It doesn’t matter what she may or may not want. Rever and Ryker humiliated Juan Alvarez and Ryker shot his son. If he didn’t respond, he’d look weak. Looking weak won’t do you any favors in the drug smuggling business.”
“But what does any of that have to do with me? I don’t have anything to do with the Vargas Cartel.”
He shook his head as he wrapped the metal shackle around my wrist again. “Don’t play dumb. We both know that’s not true.”
“Wait.” I grabbed his arm. “Don’t lock it. My wrist is killing me. If anyone comes in, I’ll put it on.”
He stood and wiped his hands on his pants. “Fine, but don’t forget.” He opened the door.
“Will I see you again?” Using the wall as support, I climbed to my feet. My vision blurred, and I swayed to the side like a drunken sailor.
He dragged a hand through his shaggy hair. “Maybe. Maybe not, but if everything goes as planned, you should be out of here soon.”
“Soon? As in today?”
A faint smile spread across his face. “It’s a secret. You don’t need to know anything. Just keep your mouth closed and do what you’re told when the time comes.”
The door slammed and I slid down the wall, curling into a ball on the floor. Silently, I prayed I’d sleep until this nightmare ended.
***
“Wake the fuck up.”
An open palm collided with my cheek and pain vibrated from my chin to my temple. My eyes popped open. Enrique’s nose was less than a foot from mine. His dark hair curtained the sides of his face. A sneer stretched his lips. My heart thumped in uneven intervals inside my chest. I scratched the side of my neck.
“I’m up. I’m up,” I mumbled, slithering away from him on my back. The rough concrete scraped my bare shoulders.
He snatched my wrist, holding it less than an inch from my nose. “Who unlocked you?”
My eyes flared. “I don’t know anything about it.”
His hand tightened, strangling the blood flow to my fingers. “Don’t lie.” Spit showered my chest and neck.
“I don’t know,” I repeated. “I was sleeping. Maybe it fell off.” I c
ringed as the words exited my mouth. No one would believe my metal cuff miraculously popped open, freeing me.
“Try again, Miss Covington.” He twisted my arm to the side.
A scream erupted from my mouth and tears welled behind my eyes. Fucking hell. He was going to dislocate my shoulder.
“Okay. Okay. I stole the key. It fell out of Juan’s pocket, and I kept it.” I didn’t want to tell him about the man who unlocked it. He said he’d help me. He couldn’t do that if Enrique killed him.
He slammed my hand against the wall.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I yelled. I cursed. I fought, but none of it mattered. My entire arm blazed with pain, throbbing with every pulse of blood through my veins.
He stood up and kicked my thigh. “If you want to eat today or anytime in the near future, you need to start talking.”
“I already ate,” I groaned, rolling to my side, cradling my hand against my chest.
His eyes glittered. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yes,” I rasped.
“That’s the first interesting thing you’ve said all day.”
My stomach somersaulted as his black boots stomped across the room and out the door. What the hell did I say? Why would it matter if I had eaten?
My lungs squeezed as the answer raced through my brain. No one was supposed to bring me food. No one was supposed to talk to me. A shiver danced down my spine.
I flopped onto my back, staring at the ceiling. I was fucked. I screwed everything up without thinking. Raul told me to keep my mouth shut and I failed.
“Do you recognize this man?” Enrique barked less than five minutes later.
I rolled my head to the side. Enrique dragged Raul into the room by his arm.