Daring Summer (Colombian Cartel Book 5)

by Suzanne Steele

  “You’re always protecting people,” Stacy said.

  “I know. I just hope it isn’t my undoing.”

  Stan stood around a corner, just down the hall from the nurses’ station, where he could watch her discreetly. She was so pretty. He couldn’t believe how nice Harley had been to him in the elevator. Maybe he’d been wrong about her. Maybe she wasn’t like every other woman he’d ever known. She’d been so kind and friendly, not like the rest of these stuck-up bitches. She looked him in the eye when she talked to him. He wished he’d thought of something witty to say, but it was okay because she liked him anyway. She liked him just the way he was.

  How could he have been so wrong about his beautiful Harley? He gushed at the thought of the things he was going to do to her. They needed time alone, just the two of them. He might not even use her to blackmail the cartel after all; he might just keep her for himself. Luis had been an asshole, anyway. Good riddance. That King guy probably did the world a favor. Stan scowled as he thought ahead. He might have to get rid of that other bitch first. No great loss, of course, but he hadn’t expected to need to dispose of her so soon. Last night’s debut had gone better than expected, and his satisfied customers had done their job by discreetly spreading the word. Nobody wanted to lose their new fuck toy, so they had sworn they’d be careful in spreading the word about Stan’s basement playroom. Stan wasn’t worried. He was invincible.

  He had every intention of being the best kept secret in town for as long as it lasted. He had already gotten a couple of discreet text inquiries from individuals who were interested in paying big bucks to use Kat in a snuff film. He was intrigued but knew he wasn’t quite finished with her yet. But eventually, sure. She was turning out to be a fucking goldmine.

  His business model was flawless: no names, just a cover charge for unfettered access to what was in the basement. The more, the merrier. He had placed a discreet camera in a corner of the basement ceiling and had monitored the night’s action from an app on his phone. He had watched it all on the big screen in his living room while the men came and went at their own pace all night, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. It had been eye-opening, to say the least. He had been right about one thing: his clientele was definitely a special group with unique needs. He was a fucking genius.

  Stan took his phone out and opened the app. He had left her chained to the wall that morning. Her eyes were still glazed and she was clawing at her skin. He scowled. Withdrawal. That was a complication he hadn’t considered, although he could certainly use it to his benefit to keep her compliant. She hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic last night, true, but that had suited his customers fine. But he couldn’t have her getting out of hand; he’d have to secure a stash to keep her managed properly. Either way, it was all about power and he, as it turned out, was a very powerful man.

  Stan wondered what it would be like to have that kind of power over Harley. He’d need to find out more about her so he could plan properly. Getting her addicted to cocaine or meth would be easy enough; then she’d never want to leave him. Hell, if he managed her addiction just right, she’d be begging him for his attention. He wondered what it would be like to have two women at his disposal—every man’s fantasy. Maybe he’d just keep them both.

  It was then that he noticed the big, burly man leaving a patient’s room. Harley had been in and out of that room all morning, so that was as good a place to start as any. Once the man was gone, Stan moved quickly. When he reached the doorway of the room, he could hear a soft snore coming from the woman in the bed.

  He took a quick look up and down the hallway and made sure no prying eyes were watching him as he tiptoed in. These nurses are so fuckin’ arrogant. They think they’re the doctors and that I’m below them. All except for my sweet Harley. She’s the most caring nurse in the world; that’s why he knew checking this particular room would be a good idea.

  His steps were light as he crossed the small space to the bed. The sleeping woman looked like she’d been in a street brawl, with a black eye and everything. He glanced back at the door, then rifled through the white plastic Patient Belongings bag on the side table. He couldn’t believe his luck when he saw the white business card with Harley’s name and contact information lying on top of the woman’s clothes.

  It was almost too good to be true, but he knew it for what it was: a sign. Fate had placed that card right there for him to find because Harley belonged with him. All of his plans were coming to fruition. He really was unstoppable.

  His fingers trembled as he took a picture of the card with his phone and quickly tucked it back into the bag. He tiptoed back out of the room, checked up and down the hall, and made quick strides to get out of the area before anyone saw him. The nurses were so intrusive and always so quick to question him. He could always say he was emptying the trash, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. His head was spinning with ideas and they all had to do with his new love, Harley.

  Things were finally beginning to look up for ol’ Stanny boy. It had been a good night and an even better day. He finally had a reason to live. The thought of soon being all alone with Harley stole his breath. Stan knew a man with a clear vision for the future was unstoppable. He had a lot to think about, but he’d wait until he got home to sift through the depraved ideas swimming around in his head.

  He wished he could think of an excuse to get off work early, but he forced himself to remain disciplined and finish his shift. He needed to not do anything out of the ordinary. In the meantime, Harley would be there waiting when he was ready to take her, and the bitch in his basement sure wasn’t going anywhere.

  Patience, Stan. Patience.

  Chapter Twenty

  “I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me, Blue.”

  Blue looked up from where she was busy adding Amber’s profile to the website, and smiled. “I think you’ll fit right in. You just need some guidance.” Her look turned serious. There was more to Blue than met the eye and Amber instinctively knew that crossing her would be a mistake. “You have to be careful about who you let into your life from now on. What we’re doing isn’t exactly legal. The people I have ties with are dangerous. What I do affects them. They’re going to be watching you and you’ll never know. They’ll have eyes on you when you least expect it. It’s what they do,” she said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

  “You’re scaring me, Blue.”

  “There’s no need to be scared as long as you don’t do anything to jeopardize my business.”

  Blue’s phone rang and she frowned down at the display as she took the call. As the caller spoke, her frown deepened. She glanced over at Amber then addressed the caller in a professional, courteous voice. “Excuse me for a moment, please.”

  Blue nodded in Amber’s direction and gestured toward the next room. Amber took the hint and left her to her phone call. When Blue was sure she was out of earshot she put it on speaker. “What are you saying, Antonio Wayne? Since when do you concern yourself with missing hookers?”

  “I’m saying I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this hooker has gone missing. You took out Huggy Bear and now Kat’s missing. I want you to use your connections to find out what the hell’s going on out there, that’s what I’m saying. I want to know what’s going on in MY city.”

  “Alright. I’ll take a trip down to the neighborhood and talk to some of the girls. It’s probably nothing.”

  “You’re probably right but get your ass down there and find out.”

  “Sure thing. How’d you find out about this anyway? And how do you even know her name?”

  “Diego Dias’ woman Brook is a friend of Kat’s. Kat worked at his club before she started smoking meth. He warned her, but you know how that shit works: it takes over a person’s soul. So he had to let her go. Between you and me, he may have been particularly harsh with the tough love this time around because he’s dealt with it once before. He used to be involved with a woman who became an addict. S
he was a fucking mess and really screwed him over. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I think he saw Kat’s problems barreling down on her like a big train and did what he thought was right to try to get through to her. When it didn’t work, he had to cut her loose.

  “But, back to Brook: Brook and Kat got to be really close. It hit her real hard when the girl got hooked on meth. It quickly became obvious that she was beyond saving. Diego is as tough as they come and he doesn’t suffer fools, but he loves his woman. Even if Kat hadn’t been a good friend to both of them, what matters to Brook matters to him. I don’t need one of my top cartel men distracted because his woman’s upset.”

  “Can you tell me anything else about her?”

  “She goes by Kat on the streets but her real name is Kathy Jameson. I’m sending you pictures of her, sort of a ‘before and after’.” Blue imagined Antonio Wayne shaking his head as he continued talking. “Prepare to be horrified. Meth has really fucked her up. It’s like two different women. Maybe if you find her we can do an intervention and bring the girl back from the dead.”

  “I’m not in the intervention business, Antonio, but I’ll do what I can to find her.”

  Antonio Wayne laughed, “You and I both know how you are about taking in strays. You’ve got one right now, come to think of it.”

  She cleared her throat. “I’m a businesswoman, not a social worker.”

  “Oh, is that what you’re doing with this one? Just business? What you are is a woman who works for the Colombian cartel. I expect you to give this your full attention and not let your protégé become a distraction.”

  “You know I’ll do my best,” Blue answered, standing her ground.

  “That’s always been enough for me. Just do it without killing anybody if that’s possible,” he grumbled. Even though his voice was brusque, there was a part of his evil heart that was smiling. Only one woman had his heart and that was his wife Roxanne, but he did admire Blue. After all, there weren’t many people who would drive up and put a bullet between a pimp’s eyes without giving it a second thought.

  Fuck Huggy Bear, Antonio Wayne thought to himself. He’d never liked the asshole anyway. The guy had always been too damn cocky and full of himself. But Antonio Wayne respected Blue and her willingness to kill for the cartel. She was brutal and unyielding, and that was something Antonio Wayne could relate to. “One more thing -- you asked how I knew Kat was missing. Always remember, the streets have eyes and ears. I know everything. You’d do well to remember that.”

  Blue breathed a sigh of relief after Antonio Wayne ended the call. The man was as sadistic as they came. His brutal reputation preceded him. Blue preferred to keep him at a distance whenever possible.

  “Everything okay?” Amber asked as she entered the room.

  “As long as you know how to walk a tightrope, it is. That was Antonio Wayne Ramirez and as he worded it, I’ve taken you in as a stray so he’s watching you. You do realize that, on occasion, I do jobs for the Colombian cartel, right?”

  Amber grabbed the arm of a chair as a wave of nausea rushed over her. She swallowed hard and bit back the urge to empty the contents of her stomach. She’d known Blue had connections with dangerous people but nothing like this had ever occurred to her.

  “The Ramirez brothers,” she whispered. “I’ve heard their names mentioned in back alleys. Even the pimps are scared of them.”

  “Well, it goes deeper than that. I may as well tell you what’s going on. There’s a hooker, a meth head. She’s missing. She knew Diego Dias and his woman, also with the cartel. The Ramirez brothers want my help finding her. You have more connections on the street than I do at this point, so I’m enlisting your help. You’re in deep now, whether you want to be or not. We’re putting this--” Blue waved her hand toward the computer, “on hold until we get to the bottom of what happened to Kat.”

  “Kat? Hey…I know her. Her story’s so sad. She used to be so beautiful.”

  Blue’s phone pinged and there was the promised ‘before and after’ pic. “Is this her?” Blue asked, leaning over and showing the image to Amber.

  “Yep. Man, look at that. It’s hard to believe how far down that girl’s gone. She’s so thin, and looks so drained and strung out, like she hasn’t slept in weeks. It’s sad. It really is.” Amber shook her head.

  Blue studied her face and if she didn’t know any better she’d swear her new friend was tearing up.

  “You know,” Amber whispered, her voice choked with emotion, “that could have been me if you hadn’t jumped in and saved me. I hope you know how much I appreciate what you’re doing. But what am I going to do to make money if we put my work on hold? I can’t live off of you. After all you’ve done, it would just be too much.”

  “Baby, don’t worry about that; you work for me now. I’m putting you on payroll. But you have to prepare yourself that you can deal with whatever you see, and keep your mouth shut. Do you know what a Sicaria is?” She didn’t know why she was confiding in this girl, but she wouldn’t be letting the Ramirez brothers know that they had established this level of trust.

  Amber shook her head, so Blue filled her in. “A female assassin. You already know I work for the Colombian cartel. Look, I’m not a good person, Amber. I’ve got a history and a lot of demons.” She reached over and took Amber’s hand. Amber admired her long fingernails that would have looked overdone on anyone else. They fit Blue just like her black leather and five-inch heels.

  Everything about Blue oozed sexual confidence and Amber found herself strangely intrigued by it. She knew being loyal to her wouldn’t be a problem. In fact, she was more concerned about Blue’s safety than what she might witness as they tried to get to the bottom of the missing girl’s whereabouts. Amber might not be as badass as Blue was, but she wanted to find a way to help.

  “If you make money doing that, Blue, then why do you work as an escort?”

  “Let’s just say I haven’t found a man worthy of my love. Maybe making them pay for pussy is my way of putting men in their place, at least as far as I’m concerned. Men are great, they’re just not for me. Trust me, baby, there’s no greater power than a man giving you free access to all he’s worked for. Well…other than the power of holding a person’s life in your hands.”

  “I get it. I work for you and you work for the cartel. Who knows, you may find out there’s more to me than you think.”

  “I’m counting on it,” Blue said with a secret smile, then cleared her throat. “We’ll head out later tonight. You can keep it casual, just jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers in case we have to run.”

  Amber grinned. She was looking forward to her new life with Blue.

  We’ll be like Thelma and Louise, she thought. I love it!

  Chapter Twenty One

  Harley slid into the driver’s seat of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon that King had insisted she drive. The black and white vehicle was built to withstand even the roughest terrain on the expansive wildlife refuge King called home, but she loved it because it was sporty as pure hell. Harley was quickly becoming spoiled by the vehicle’s luxurious bells and whistles as she traversed the streets of Louisville. The thing probably cost more than she made in a year. Every time she climbed in, her blood pumped a little faster and she got excited like a little kid.

  “Don’t. Fucking. Move.” The cold steel blade against her neck made the words unnecessary. The man’s voice seemed somehow distorted. The rearview mirror had been pushed out of position so she couldn’t see who was threatening her. Fuck!

  “Look, calm down, okay? My purse is here on the front seat. There’s about a hundred bucks in there. You’re welcome to it. Nobody has to know about this. All I want to do is go home, seriously. I’ve got no beef with you at all. Just take whatever you want.”

  “Oh, I intend to. Now, drive!”

  Damn straight, I’m going to drive—straight to my boyfriend’s house so he can take that knife and shove it straight up your ass. Even in the midst of a crisis, she was struck
by the surreal notion that she and King were a couple.

  Harley started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. She turned the car in the direction of the animal refuge. He hadn’t given her any directions to follow, so she was going to get as close as she could. As the blade pressed against her neck, she thought maybe having a boyfriend who was a killer wasn’t such a bad thing.

  “Listen, let me save you some trouble, okay?” she said soothingly. “Seriously, I don’t think you realize who I am. I’m going to give you one chance to save your life. My boyfriend works for dangerous people and they aren’t going to be happy if you hurt me.”

  “Shut up! This isn’t about your boyfriend or his buddies. This is between you and me – got that?” the garbled voice said.

  “Got it. Absolutely. Look, could you just take the knife away from my neck? You’re making me nervous and I’m still getting used to driving this tank.”

  “I’ll do you one better than that, darlin’.” This time it was a real voice—King’s voice, no less.

  “Damn it, King! You motherfucker! Why would you do that to me?” she shrieked indignantly as she pulled over to the shoulder and heaved the gear shift lever into Park. She was firmly in fight-or-flight mode and prepared to let her temper blow sky high. But when she turned around and saw the lopsided grin on King’s face and that damn dimple winking at her, she couldn’t stay mad – which infuriated her even more. One look at this sexy man and every bit of her anger went bye-bye. How maddening.

  His face became somber with an almost wistful cast to it. “I needed to know, that’s all. I had to find out how you’d handle yourself if shit got real. And I needed to show you how easy it would be for someone to try to take you away from me. I won’t let that happen. No way. Baby, I’ve got it bad for you.”

  He shook his head as he once again pondered the situation he found himself in. No matter how much he tried to remind himself that love at first sight didn’t exist, all the logical reasoning in the world couldn’t loosen the stranglehold this woman had on his heart.