Venom & Glory (Venom Trilogy Book 3)

by S Williams

  I smile.

  “Good or bad things?” Clark asks, stepping up beside me and folding his arms.

  The man shrugs and bluntly says, “A mix of both—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

  “What do you have for us, Allen?” Draco takes a step around him to look at one of the computer screens.

  “Oh— you are in luck, Jefe.” Allen sits in the chair and starts clicking away at one of the keyboards. “I’ve been tracking the phone number you sent me yesterday. It’s a satellite phone. She’s been using it ever since I called you a few hours ago about her location. She’s been making calls every two to three hours, some to the same people. Her conversations aren’t very clear anymore, and I also think she’s left Acapulco.”

  “Where is she now?” Draco stands up, spine stacking.

  “Sinaloa,” the computer tech sings, typing something in. As soon as he does, he points at the screen. “See that flashing red dot? That’s her location. Right now she’s on a call.”

  “Can you listen in on it?” Draco asks.

  “I can try.” Allen taps a few keys, and then her staticky voice fills the room. The mere sound of it is like nails on a chalkboard, making the hairs on my spine stand up.

  “It may be a little hard to hear at first,” Allen murmurs, twisting a knob for the volume and then typing again. “I’ll try and clear it up.”

  “Of course,” Hernandez says. “My men will be there soon, depending on how my next shipment is handled with my new territory…Well speak to my men…I don’t have time to meet up for this deal…Ugh. Fine. Since you leave me no choice. Respect is respect after all, and I need you to trust me.” After several seconds, she scoffs. “El Jefe?” She then laughs. “I know he’s looking for me. He’s not going to find me. Right now, he’s probably trying to figure out how to win his territory back without being seen…Trust me, he won’t do a damn thing… once I do what I need to do, no one will give a damn about El Jefe. No one will respect a man who gave his position of power to a woman…No need to be afraid. Forget about him, okay? I was told we could work well together…I hope I won’t regret it…Good. I’ll have my men take care of him once this is all over, and you’ll only have to deal with me from now on. You just worry about getting me the coke and the boat for clearance, okay?”

  That. Bitch.

  She thinks she’s so smart—so bold and confident and invincible. If Draco hadn’t already called dibs, I’d kill her my goddamn self.

  Draco clenches his gun tight, fisting it until his knuckles turn white. His jaw is pulsing rapidly, eyes a shade darker as he stares at the screen.

  “How long can you keep track of her?” he asks through clenched teeth.

  “As long as she has that phone and continues making calls, I’ll receive waves of it. If she ditches it then I’m not sure,” Allen says.

  “She’ll most likely ditch it by the end of the day,” Draco grumbles. “Like she said before, she learned from the best.” Draco steps around the desk and looks at Patanza. “We need to figure out who the cocaine is coming from and who she’s meeting for it.”

  “How, Jefe? She didn’t mention a location. We don’t even know who she was talking to,” Patanza tells him. “Most of the men in the territories she took have boats and marinas. We can go through all of them, but it’s going to be impossible to get to her on time if we sift through every single person you gave her access to. By that time she’ll have everything she needs.”

  Draco breathes hard through his nostrils, turning his back to her and looking at one of the computer screens again, his hand on his hip now.

  “She was talking to someone who seemed concerned or afraid,” I mention. “Or maybe worried about you?”

  “They’re all fucking afraid of him,” Clark gripes before pulling out a cigarette and sparking it.

  “No, but this person seemed like he didn’t want to do it and was only going through with it because you gave her the territory—like he is still hesitant and would gladly pass up the opportunity out of respect for you. Any of your suppliers still that loyal? Loyal enough to be worried about you?”

  Draco peers over his shoulder at me, head shaking.

  Patanza frowns a bit, like she has a clue, and right before she speaks, her cellphone rings. She snatches it out of her back pocket and looks at the screen. Draco turns fully to face her when she answers the phone.

  “Who is it?” he asks.

  When she looks up, her eyes are round and wide, and she murmurs a name I have never heard before.

  “Ruben.”

  36

  DRACO

  Ruben Andrés.

  A friend from private school who grew up with rich, part-time parents, anger problems, and always picked fights. Despite it all, he was a fucking bulldog and always had my back before I was homeschooled.

  He’s one of my biggest suppliers and transporters—always cutting deals for me, showing up for me. He’s always been loyal, even though there are times when he has annoyed the fuck out of me by showing up late for certain drop-offs and pick-ups.

  It has never mattered, though. He always shows. He never disappears, and every sprinkle of coke ever weighed is exact when imported and delivered to me.

  Giving Ruben up to Hernandez was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. His territory—his boats—play a huge role in my cartel.

  I didn’t think she’d go for Ruben so quickly, knowing the type of relationship he and I have. Either she’s that fucking dumb, or thinks I’m too stupid to figure it all out and take action. She thinks she’s doing this under my nose.

  She’s the stupid one.

  I know exactly where he schedules his drop-offs and where he docks his boats for imports.

  He’s always respected me, just as much as I’ve respected him. I have other loyal men, men who fear me, but not as much as Ruben. Ruben both fears and respects me. I know working with her doesn’t sit well with him, which is why he’s just called Patanza.

  One phone call, and he’s already setting it up for me.

  He will drop everything so I can do what I need to do.

  Bingo, puta. You are mine.

  37

  GIANNA

  I don’t ask questions.

  I don’t say much.

  It’s the flight leading to it all.

  Life or death.

  Restoration or destruction.

  The entire time, everyone has been preparing—looking at maps, taking calls, and filling empty chambers with bullets. Draco has been on several calls with different men, setting up for the arrival.

  When he finally catches a moment to breathe, he takes the seat beside me.

  “Everything has to go as planned,” he says without looking at me. “If she finds out and gets away, that’s it. I’m certain I won’t find her again. She’ll go so far underground, I’ll never find her, and she’ll keep growing her cartel. That is what I don’t want.”

  “What if she sends someone else to do the talking and the dirty work?”

  “The good thing about Ruben is that he’s a face-to-face man. He gives his respect and expects it in return. He expects to meet the leader for each drop-off and pick-up every time. His number one rule, otherwise he’s not up for working with you. Not to piss anyone off, but as a mutual respect. Lucky for him, I don’t have a problem with mutual respect, and since Hernandez is new and wants to get on his good side, she’ll have no choice but to meet with him.” He drops his hand, placing it on top of mine. A heavy sigh escapes his body.

  Patanza and Clark’s bickering over which gun needs to be used for whomever tries to defend Hernandez is all I hear for a while.

  “I don’t want you out there, Gianna,” Draco says.

  “Too bad. I’m going. You can’t make me stay back.”

  He drops his head. “There are ways of getting you to stay behind. I’m sure I have chloroform stashed somewhere on this jet.”

  I narrow my eyes up at him, and he tips his chin, a smirk playing
on the edge of his lips.

  “Jackass.” I laugh softly.

  He shifts in his seat, his hand sliding down so our fingers can weave. He squeezes my hand a little, focusing on my eyes. “I will let you go, but promise me that when I say something, you will listen. I don’t need to be worried about you while all of this shit goes down. If I fucking lose you—”

  “You won’t lose me,” I assure him, bringing my free hand up and gripping his chin. “I’m ready. I’ve been ready, Draco. This is our fight. I will do whatever you need me to do.” I sit up in my seat, leaning closer to him. “Let’s take that bitch down once and for all. I’m honestly so fucking tired of talking about her.”

  At that, he chuckles, slouching back in the leather seat. “We should be landing in about two hours.” He holds my hand tighter.

  A phone rings, and Emilio answers it, then points his gaze to Draco. Draco nods, but doesn’t budge. He stays glued in his seat for a while, holding my hand, thinking, breathing.

  He’s so tired.

  Utterly exhausted.

  It’s as clear as day.

  I don’t know how he continues to fight, but he does, and he does it well.

  I know he’s trying to get even for Thiago. I know he wants to get to her for his sake and for his soul to rest peacefully, but something deep in my gut tells me Thiago isn’t the only reason he’s fighting so hard anymore.

  At first, that was his mission. Revenge.

  But ever since my return, things have shifted. In the beginning, his fight was distant, cold, dark, and had no end in sight, but now it is full of fire, happening right before my very eyes, and so fucking brutal. And it will be coming to an end soon. Very soon, if all goes as planned.

  I thought I knew what all The Jefe could do.

  I thought I had him completely figured out.

  I was wrong.

  I see now that he would travel thousands of miles and set this world ablaze with each footstep when it comes to the people he loves. He will let the entire world know he’s on the hunt—that a minor setback doesn’t have shit on his comeback—and there is nothing this world can do to stop it.

  He is the boss.

  The king.

  The fucking Jefe.

  He is everything I crave and more, and when this is all over, I can’t wait to be on top of the world with him.

  I just pray we both stay alive long enough to enjoy it.

  38

  GIANNA

  The sky is dark, the jet landing on a quiet strip.

  Draco unbuckles his seatbelt and pushes to a stand, glancing sideways at me as he picks up an AK-47, strapping it around him. Patanza and Emilio follow suit, as well as Clark, who gives his gun an aggressive kiss before holding it close.

  “Keep me safe, motherfucker,” Clark says, clutching his gun.

  I stand last, my guns already in holsters and strapped to me. We all have bulletproof vests on, but even so, I still feel exposed.

  Emilio steps toward the exit of the jet, and when Draco bobs his head, he pushes the door open. As soon as he does, I see a man standing at the bottom of the staircase.

  He’s a buff man with a bald head, guns strapped around him. With his nod of respect, I assume he’s one of Draco’s men.

  Draco asks him something when he meets up to him, and the man turns around, speaking rapidly and hustling at his side. More men appear from parked cars as we march, following in line.

  “You good?” Clark asks, stepping up to my side and walking with me.

  I glance over at him before putting my focus ahead, on the man I’m doing this for.

  I’m risking my entire life. My future. For all we know, Yessica knows we’re on the way and will end us before we even begin.

  She’s not stupid. If she learned from the best, she’s going to take caution. Right?

  “You’re nervous for him,” Clark mumbles.

  “A little.”

  “No need to be,” Patanza says, meeting on the other side of me. “Jefe has gone to war many times before. She isn’t the first he’s had to settle the score with.” Patanza pauses, focusing on her boss with furrowed brows. “But she is the first puta to make him work this hard just to find her. I fear for her, because when he gets to her, he won’t be lenient. Not even for a second.”

  Oh, I know he won’t.

  I know once he gets a hold of her, his wrath will be hard to witness. A part of me feels bad for her—for what she’ll go through—but a part of me can’t wait to see what he does.

  We meet up to three different BMWs: one black, one silver, and the other white. Draco takes the white one, flicking his fingers at me to hurry. Patanza and Clark jump into the backseat of the silver car and Emilio and the new guard take the black one, Emilio climbing into the passenger seat. We follow the black BMW, and the driver of our car clears his throat.

  “She deserves every bit of punishment you give her, Jefe,” he says.

  Draco doesn’t even look at him. He’s been so far gone and way too focused ever since landing, ready to claim his deadly prize.

  The cars drive for some time—nearly thirty minutes—before we slow down, parking in front of a tall building. The windows are tinted black, shining from gold garden lights. We step out of the car, and it’s quiet. Too quiet. The wind doesn’t even blow. The air is stiff and hot, but I can smell the sea—the thick scent of salt.

  Clark meets at my side, taking note of his surroundings with his finger on his trigger. Draco follows one of the drivers to the building. We don’t hesitate on following him. I draw my gun from the holster in my waist—Daddy’s pistol—and study the building. It’s clean.

  Shiny.

  The offices are full of desks, computers, and stacks of paper. We pass by many cubicles. The only thing I can hear is the pounding of our boots on the linoleum.

  The leading guard continues until he reaches a door with a SALIDA sign above it. He shoves it open, and we’re in a dark, dank room. Another door appears, and he pushes it open as well.

  This door leads to a staircase. We take the stairs down, everyone hustling, still not speaking.

  My heart is rattling in my chest now, my adrenaline increasing by the second. My body wants to shake and throb. I want to be terrified, but I can’t be.

  There is a task to complete.

  This task won’t be over until we get to her.

  After hustling down the stairs, we walk through a long underground tunnel. I keep my eyes on Draco, who hasn’t bothered to look back or even around him.

  Finally, after two minutes of walking, a ladder appears. The guard takes the ladder up, telling Jefe to wait just a moment. He props the square, brown door above open and takes a look out.

  He then looks down, nodding with approval.

  Draco takes the steps up. He’s out in no time, and Patanza and Emilio follow suit. Clark looks at me, shrugging lightly before following too.

  I take the stairs next, two of the guards still behind me. A hand comes in plain view, tan and large.

  I grab it, and I’m hauled up rapidly, clashing softly into a broad, strong chest. It makes me slightly dizzy.

  My breathing falters as I peer up into Draco’s eyes. His head is tilted, his eyes remorseful, like something is wrong.

  “What?” I ask. “What is it?”

  “This is as far as you will go, Gianna. Clark will stay back with you. He’s already agreed to.”

  I frown. “What?” I look at my surroundings. Ahead of us is very tall grass, and beyond it are docked boats in a small marina. Wet cement and wooden boards lead to each boat.

  From where we stand, no one can really see us. We’re beneath the roof of a broken down shack, hidden between shadows, the moonlight not even touching us.

  “Do not argue with me, Gianna,” he mumbles when a set of new men walk past him, loading up their guns, slamming bullets into chambers and gripping their Glocks. There are ten of us now.

  Patanza and Clark stand at the edge of the roof, glancing bac
k at me once before pulling away.

  “You will stay here, keep watch. You see anyone or anything, you shoot and then you run.”

  “Draco, no. I can’t just stand here. I want to be out there—I want to help you,” I plead.

  “I know you do but I can’t risk it, Gianna. As soon as we walk past this field and to the marina, it will become dangerous. I can’t promise to watch your back as well as my own. I need you here, where it’s safe. You can still fight from here. If any shit goes down, put those guns to use. Don’t hesitate. But don’t come out and try to help. You hear me?” He grips my face between his fingers, breathing heavier now, eyes boring into mine. “Do not come for me, Gianna. You fucking run if you see or hear anything wrong, and you don’t look back. Do you understand?”

  “Draco.” I grip his forearm.

  “I need you to understand.”

  “Please,” I whisper, the rims of my eyes burning now.

  “Stay. For once, reina,” his head shakes, eyes sealing, “fucking listen to me, and stay.” When he opens his eyes again, they’re glistening, cloudy with emotion.

  My chest tightens, throat thickening with the same emotion. My grip slacks around his wrist. I lower my arm, keeping my head high, and finally nodding.

  He needs me to stay. He wants to keep me safe. He wants this. More than anything right now. Honestly, he may be right.

  “Fine.” I whisper. “I’ll stay.”

  “Bueno.” He steps forward, gripping my chin. His lips fall down on my forehead, a soft, damp, warm kiss. And then his lips are on top of mine.

  The kiss deepens, his other hand cupping the back of my neck. He kisses me hard and rough. It’s both demanding and empowering. I kiss him back, clutching him tight around the neck, breathing raggedly when our lips are forced apart by a guard’s whispered warning that they have to get moving.

  Draco drops his hands, but his eyes don’t pull from mine. He takes several steps away, holding my gaze. The rims of my eyes are wet and hot. He tears away before I can, turning and marching after one of the guards.