The Vargas Cartel Trilogy: Books 1 - 3

by Lisa Cardiff

Sparks ricocheted off the door. Then, it flew open, bouncing off the adjacent wall.

  “Watch our back,” Ryker shouted, pointing to the man in the shadows.

  In the darkness, I could make out the outline of Ryker’s body. I ran across the room and circled my arms around his strong shoulders. My fingernails dug into the back of his neck like talons. My knees sagged. Tears flooded my eyes. My breath came hard and fast until I started hyperventilating.

  He wrapped an arm around my waist, and his fingers pressed into my side. “Relax, Hattie. I’ve got you.”

  He rocked me back and forth for a frozen second, and I wanted to tell him I missed him, I loved him, I couldn’t live without him, and so much more. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I pressed my lips to his neck, drawing his essence into my lungs. He smelled like sea air, gunpowder and man, but somehow it was better than anything in the world.

  “Can you walk?” he whispered, next to my ear.

  Jumbled thoughts whirled through my mind. Incoherent words mixed with whimpers streamed from my mouth. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t talk. Walking was out of the question.

  “Listen, baby. We need to get out of here right now. The helicopter can only stay so long before it draws too much attention.”

  I lifted my head from his chest and nodded. “I can walk.”

  “Hold on to the back of my belt and don’t let go no matter what happens.”

  I clamped my hands around his belt, fusing my body to his. My swollen hand protested the movement, but I ignored the pain. “Got it,” I whispered, my throat raw from dehydration and crying for days.

  “Noah,” Ryker said. “Follow us out of here.”

  A tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the shadows. A flash of light from the bottom of the stairs lit up one side of his face. He had sharp cheekbones, a long angular nose and almond shaped eyes. He flashed a thumbs-up signal. “I’m on it.”

  With his gun in front of him, we jogged down the stairs. Dead bodies and bloodied groaning men littered the floor. I floated through the room as if I were submerged in water, suffering from a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. My vision tunneled. My entire body trembled so I hard I thought I’d collapse.

  “Don’t look. Just keep your gaze glued to the ground in front of you and keep putting one foot in front of the other,” Ryker said without glancing at me.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and plastered my body against his back. My fingers curled around the waistband of his pants. My lungs rattled with suppressed cries. I would’ve crawled inside him if it were possible. A warm breeze caressed my skin. We were outside. Relief poured through my body. I opened my eyes and lifted my head to the sky, drinking in the faint glimmer of the stars. Palm trees danced in the wind. Sea salt wafted through the air. On any other night, it would’ve been peaceful, but not today. With the roar of the helicopter blades slicing through the air, it felt sinister. Ominous.

  Three guys barreled around the corner of the house, their guns pointed at us. “Ya están aquí.”

  Ryker shoved me away from him, and I stumbled backward. “Noah, get her the fuck out of here. Now!”

  “No,” I repeatedly screamed, reaching for Ryker. Horror clawed at my chest, dragging me into a full-blown panic attack within a matter of seconds. I didn’t want to be separated from Ryker ever again.

  Noah wrapped his arms around my waist and heaved me over his shoulder. “No. I’m not leaving him. Leave me here.” I slapped the corded muscles of his back until my hands stung.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Noah growled.

  “Please,” I begged, as my heart crumbled. “I can’t leave him. Not again.”

  “It’s better this way.”

  Noah ran to the helicopter, his boots kicking up a fine powdery dust that coated my lips. My head bounced against his back and blood rushed through my ears. Sobs clogged my throat. Acid gnawed at my gut. When we reached the door, he climbed inside and slammed it behind us. “We’re ready to go.”

  “No. We can’t leave him.” I darted for the door, but Noah’s arms closed around my waist and he pulled me into his lap.

  Sickness twisted my insides. My heart beat like a pogo stick against the inside of my chest. I kicked, bit and slapped him, but he wouldn’t budge.

  “Shh,” Noah whispered next to my ear. “Stop fighting. This is what Ryker wanted. You’d only be in his way.”

  “No.” I lurched forward and elbowed him in the ribs.

  He grunted, but his arms didn’t relent. “For fuck’s sake, you need to relax and let us do our job. We know what we’re doing. Don’t make this even more of a mess than it already is.”

  The energy drained from my body, and I slumped into his chest, my hands coiled into his black shirt. I didn’t want to leave without Ryker, but Noah was right. There’s nothing I could do to help him except do what he asked and get out of his way.

  Chapter Ten

  Ryker

  With my gun pointed in the center of Enrique’s Alvarez’s chest, I pulled the trigger.

  Click.

  And…nothing.

  I was out of ammunition.

  Fucking hell.

  Enrique tipped his head to the sky and howled like a coyote. “I’ve got this,” he said to the men next to him. Go take care of my dad.” He waved his high-powered rifle over my head. “The helicopter is leaving without you. Should I shoot it down?”

  I eyed his rifle. It wouldn’t come close. “That’s not happening.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll settle for killing you instead.”

  “You can try,” I answered. I kept my voice steady even as nerves zigzagged through my body like a plasma ball.

  “It’s only fair. You tried to kill me last week. Now I’ll return the favor, but unlike you, I’ll actually succeed.” He angled his chin to the side. “I already had some fun with your woman over the past few days, but I’m happy to show you some love too.” He pointed his gun at my foot. “I think I’ll start with your feet so you can’t go anywhere. Then, I’ll take my time. You know, make a real production of the whole thing. Maybe I’ll burn a letter A into your arm so you match her.”

  Pain wailed through my chest. My blood ran cold. I glowered. “What the fuck did you say?”

  “I guess you didn’t look at her too closely.” He shook his head, his dark eyebrows raised. “I branded your whore. You won’t live long enough to appreciate it, but you’ll die knowing I’ve marked her as property of the Alvarez Cartel. You may have rescued her, but she’ll remember me for the rest of her life. This question is…will she remember you in a couple of years?”

  My heart detonated like a grenade inside my chest. I didn’t think. I couldn’t think. Everything turned red. Rage fueled my body. I charged forward. My fist collided with his chin, and my knuckles scraped across his teeth.

  Crack.

  He stumbled backward, cupping the side of his face. I didn’t give him the chance to retaliate. I circled my arms around his body and tackled him. Air exploded out of my lungs as we hit the ground.

  I crawled up his body, pounding his face over and over until ribbons of blood gushed from his mouth and nose. With every hit, I relished his grunts of pain and the way his eyes went from alert to glazed.

  Then, he slipped a knife from his pocket. I almost missed the glint of metal as he slashed his arm in a wild arch, connecting with my lower ribs. I grabbed his wrist, shoving the blade away from me. The bloody knife was suspended between our bodies as we fought for control. With my jaw clenched, our arms locked together, moving back and forth in a tug of war punctuated by grunts, groans, and unintelligible curses.

  “I’m going to kill you,” he snarled between grunts, his contorted face gleaming with sweat. His lips curled over his bloodied teeth like a wild animal. “Then I’m going after your woman.”

  With his free hand, he swiped the side of my cheek, raking his fingernails down my face to my neck. I winced and softened my grip on him. He seized the moment.
He lurched forward trying to sit up, bringing his face within striking distance of mine. Without a second thought, I whipped my head forward, slamming my forehead into the bridge of his nose with a sickening crack. Blood spurted out of his nose, spraying my face.

  Enrique’s body went slack, and his head bounced like a basketball against the ground. His eyes rolled up in his head. I picked the knife off the grass, intending to carve a V in his cheek. I didn’t know if I’d let him live, but he branded Hattie so I’d brand him.

  Just as I finished the first gash in his cheek, someone yanked on the collar of my vest.

  “We have to get out of here now! The SUVs are waiting for us at the end of the driveway,” Rick said. “We’re running out of time. Eric intercepted a call for backup.”

  “One more minute,” I answered without glancing over my shoulder. I needed to finish this. If Enrique lived, he’d wear the Vargas V for the rest of his life. If he died, his family wouldn’t want to have an open casket funeral.

  My heart hammered inside my chest as I jabbed the tip of the knife into his cheek and slashed downward until the two lines intersected, perfecting the V. I wiped the handle of the knife on my pants and tossed it in the bushes next to the house.

  I stood and kicked Enrique in the ribs. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

  I turned to Rick. Dumbfounded, he rubbed his hand across his mouth, his eyes wide.

  “What crawled up your ass?” I snapped.

  “Nothing.” He shook his head.

  I started walking. “Are you coming?” I said as I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Yeah, man.” He jogged to catch up with me, his gaze glued to the side of my face like he’d never seen me before.

  “What?” I barked.

  “With your background, I assumed you wouldn’t be as crazy as the rest of those cartel fuckers.”

  “You shouldn’t assume anything. I’m a Vargas.” I shot him a bitter smile as I rounded the side of the SUV.

  “Aren’t you going to finish that shit?” Rick asked, leaning his shoulder into the SUV.

  “Finish what?”

  “You need to kill that fucker or he’ll hunt you down and go after Hattie again.”

  I spun around, eyeing Enrique’s huddled body. He had rolled to his side, curling into a ball with his hand pressed to his cheek. My need for revenge had fizzled marginally in the last few minutes, but then I remembered the look on Hattie’s face before Noah threw her over his shoulder. The way her body trembled and her eyes dilated scared the shit out of me. Her high-pitched cries would haunt me for years.

  “You’re right.” I grabbed Rick’s gun from his hands, aimed and pulled the trigger.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times.

  I handed him the gun and flung open the driver’s side door. “Move. I’m driving.”

  Eric eyed me guardedly, and then he nodded. “Whatever you want. This is your show,” he mumbled as he climbed into the passenger seat.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hattie

  I pushed up, bracing my body on my elbows as my eyes scanned the darkness swallowing the room. The floorboards squeaked. A loud scream erupted from my mouth, ringing in ears. Arms circled around my waist. I swung my hands and my open palms connected with flesh. I curled my fingers into weapons, clawing at everything within my reach.

  Someone pinned my arms to my sides. Short panting breaths exploded from my mouth. Fear crawled up my throat, suffocating me. My muscles stiffened, preparing for battle.

  “Shh. It’s me. It’s Ryker,” he whispered next to my ear. “You’re safe. You’re going to be okay.”

  I inhaled his familiar spicy sea scent, and the tension in my muscles evaporated. My heart slowed and my sluggish brain cleared. “Where am I?”

  He didn’t say anything for a few drawn out seconds. Instead, he stroked the back of my head lazily as he hummed softly in my ear. “You’re in my room at my dad’s compound.”

  As much as I hated the Vargas compound and everything it symbolized in my mind, relief zipped through my veins. I was safe here. Nothing would happen to me. Ryker would make sure of it. I cradled my head against his chest, savoring the moment. Savoring our connection. He rocked me back and forth silently. His strong, even heartbeat echoed in my ears, grounding me in the moment and away from the nightmare of the past few days.

  “You should go back to sleep. You need your rest.” His fingertips slid down my sides, and the bed shifted as he stood.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be in the room next door if you need me.”

  I gasped and held out my hands, reaching for him. “Wait. Don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone.”

  He tucked my hair behind my ear. “You need your rest,” he repeated.

  “I won’t be able to sleep if you’re not here.”

  “You did just fine without me. I’ll just get in your way.”

  My brows furrowed as my mind scrambled to unravel his words. What was I missing? Something wasn’t right.

  “No.” I shoved the sheets off my body. “Now that you’re here, I’m not letting you go again.”

  “Hattie.” My name came out like a long drawn sigh.

  “Ryker,” I responded in kind, kicking my legs over the side of the bed.

  “When did you become so stubborn?” he mumbled more to himself than me.

  I flipped on the light next to the bed. I searched his eyes for the glow of the affection I’d grown to love, but there was absolutely nothing. A blank void. A mask.

  “What’s going on right now? Why are you running away from me? Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. Of course not,” he said, his voice strained. His gaze bounced everywhere except on me.

  “Then why won’t you look at me?” I grabbed his wrist. He glanced at the A Enrique burned into my arm, and then he looked away like he couldn’t stand the sight of me. I snorted. “You can’t be serious.”

  “What?” he growled, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You’re right. You didn’t.” I dropped his arm and stood up. “You don’t have to. It’s written all over your face.” I shook my head. “I get it. Explanations aren’t needed.”

  My legs wobbled from disuse and exhaustion as I walked to the bathroom. I lamented my fate, the last three months, meeting Ryker, dating Evan…everything. At that moment, I hated myself. I hated my life. Why did everyone use me and reject me?

  “You don’t understand anything.”

  “Uh huh. Whatever,” I mumbled.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To the bathroom to shower.” I peeked over my shoulder. He alternated between flexing and curling his hands into tight balls. Obviously, our relationship had run its course—at least in his mind. He made me all these promises, and now he couldn’t even look me in the eyes. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Go back to your room and do whatever you were doing.”

  “No. Wait. I’ll stay. Let me help you.”

  “Not if you’re going look at me like you’re going to be sick.” I didn’t turn around. I kept walking. I didn’t want to see the pity or disgust flashing across his face like a neon sign.

  His arms circled my waist and he dragged me against his chest. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  My body battled with my mind. My body wanted to sink into his embrace and beg him to never let go. My mind wanted to fight him, scream at him, and curse him to hell.

  “The look on your face says it all, but I don’t get it. Even Noah was more compassionate than you, and I’ll probably never see him again. You, on the other hand, can’t run away from me fast enough. You made me all these promises. Promises you have no intention of keeping. Are you going to ship me back to Evan again? Is that what this is about?”

  He spun me around so fast, I felt like I had vertigo. “All this is my fault. I should’ve let you go. I should’ve stayed far away from your engage
ment party. Look at what I’ve done to you.”

  “Are you talking about this?” I held up my arm, waving the still pink and puckered letter A above my head.

  He swallowed and nodded.

  “Well, I don’t give a shit about it. Just like everything that happened over the last few days, it will fade. It can be fixed. Everything can be fixed. I only care about us and our future.” I’d spent every moment of the last five days reliving our moments together and dreaming of being with him again and he was pushing me away…again.

  “You’re right,” he murmured, guiding me into the bathroom by my shoulders. “We’ll take this one day at a time.”

  He turned on the bath and poured some bath salts into the water. Without meeting my eyes, he pulled my t-shirt over my head and slipped my panties down my legs swiftly and without a comment. Goosebumps kissed my greedy skin, and I swayed on my feet. My soul wept for his touch. His kindness. His love.

  The second the bath filled, he tipped his head toward the tub. “Get in and relax.”

  For an uneasy second, I stared at his face, willing him to see me…really see me. I wanted him to tell me he still loved me. I wanted him to promise me we’d have a family and grow old together. Words circled the tip of my tongue like marbles, but nothing came out. I didn’t know where to start.

  He sighed heavily and combed his hands through his inky hair. My gaze fixated on the slight tremor. It was the only indication he still cared. Any sane girl would have run away a long time ago. But here I was, exposing myself to more heartache, praying he wouldn’t push me away again.

  “Just leave it alone for tonight,” he whispered. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Just get in and let me take care of you. I need to take care of you.”

  My shoulder muscles crawled up my neck. I wanted to talk to him. I needed to talk to him. Every passing second another emotional door slid shut between us. By tomorrow, I’d need a battering ram to get through to him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “Please,” he whispered, briefly shuttering his eyes. “Don’t fight me on this.”