Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  “So you keep saying.” He paused. “Does he know that? All I’ll say is I feel sorry for the first guy you try to have a real relationship with, Eden. Emilio Reyes is still here running the stateside operations, you know. Plus, Carrera has eyes and ears everywhere. If you think he doesn’t have them on you, you’re nuts.”

  I’d heard enough. “You have twenty minutes. If you’re not here, I’m going to bed.” Moving the phone to disconnect the call, I pressed it back to my ear and added, “Alone.” Then I hung up.

  * * *

  “Thanks for seeing me.” Walking past me, Brody ran a hand through his dirty blond hair and sat on the couch, bouncing his knees up and down in his habitual nervous gesture.

  “Please,” I offered, after the fact. “Come in.”

  Brody shot me a hardened look, with his eyes void of amusement. “Eden, this is serious.”

  Scrubbing my hands down my face, I took a seat across from him and tucked my legs underneath me. “Fine, what’s so important that it couldn’t wait until morning?”

  “You have to promise to let me finish before you flip out,” he muttered under his breath. After I nodded and grew more and more suspicious of his behavior, he stood up and paced in front of me. “I’ve been searching for Marisol Muñoz.”

  “What?”

  “You agreed to let me finish first.”

  “That was before I knew this had to do with the fucking Muñoz Cartel! Brody, have you lost your mind? This is like tap dancing on a land mine!”

  Closing the distance between us, he wrapped his fingers around my shoulders. “In digging for information, I found a faked birth certificate, Cherry. Marisol Muñoz doesn’t exist.”

  “What are you saying?” I whispered, afraid to hear the rest.

  “Not only was there never a real birth certificate for Marisol Muñoz, but there isn’t a death certificate on record for Adriana Carrera.”

  “No…” Shaking my head, I tried to pull away from his hold.

  “You mentioned a baby…Ana. What happened to her?”

  “No one ever found my sister’s body. I can’t think about that, Eden. I never have.”

  “Marisol Muñoz had to have a kidney transplant when she was fourteen. Her kidneys shut down because of a life-long battle with juvenile diabetes. The Muñoz family ran into a problem when none of her blood relatives were a match as a donor.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything, Brody,” I argued. “That happens all the time in families.”

  “Eden, both Esteban and his wife have type A blood. That means genetically they could only produce children with type A or type O blood.” Pausing, he glanced at his hands before locking me in an intense stare. “Marisol Muñoz’s blood type is AB. Adriana Carrera was born with type 1 juvenile diabetes. I have a friend in the Mexican Embassy. I had them run a comparison of the blood samples on record, on account of the unsolved murder of Adriana Carrera.”

  The gold flecks in her eyes. The thick dark hair. The refusal to degrade women.

  I twisted harder. “Brody, no...”

  “Adriana Carrera’s blood type was AB. They matched, Edie. Marisol Muñoz isn’t Manuel’s sister. She’s Val’s.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Valentin

  Mexico City, Mexico

  “I think it went well, don’t you?” Mateo asked, parking the car in front of the estate.

  “Well, no one got shot this time, so I’m going with yes.” Rolling his eyes at me, he opened the car door, and I broke a smile. It was one of the few I’d managed in the past six weeks.

  Today marked the first time I faced the men as the official head of the cartel since the ill-fated meeting that ended in Guzman’s death. Since returning to Mexico, I’d let Mateo handle the meetings with the lieutenants while I hid in the estate and healed from surgery. My men needed to see their leader strong and invincible, not in need of help just to walk to the bathroom.

  Plus, I hadn’t found much of anything to smile about after leaving everything that meant anything in Houston.

  After all we’d been through, the last thing I ever expected was for Eden to walk away. The moment she left my hospital room, I knew it would be the last time I’d see her. A few days later, I was discharged, and I still hadn’t heard from her.

  Once across the border, I’d picked up the phone to call her, then realized I didn’t have her number. The phone I’d given her in Monterrey was mine, and she’d either discarded it or simply stopped using it. For everything Eden and I had shared, there was so much more I didn’t know about her. Normal couples would’ve known such things within the first few days.

  I didn’t know her phone number.

  I didn’t know her middle name.

  I didn’t know her favorite food or her favorite color.

  I did know that I loved her, and with every week that passed, I missed her more, not less.

  But it was time to come to terms with the fact that we’d both made our choices and move on.

  “Did the shipment make it to Padre Island without any problem?” I asked, opening the front door to my new house.

  “Right on schedule.” Mateo nodded as he followed me inside. “We’ve appeased the Colombians with the new territories we picked up from the slack in the Muñoz holdings. I talked to Emilio a few hours ago. He says everything is running smoothly, and all stash houses should be filled and ready for delivery tomorrow.”

  “Muy bien.” I nodded and plowed a hand through my hair. “Tomorrow we need to set up an email account accessible for all the lieutenants. That’s how we’ll communicate for this next shipment we’re moving by train from Mexico City to Houston. One email account, Mateo, and we all have the same password. That way we can eliminate all this traceable shit going back, and…” My words died on my tongue as I turned the corner into the main living room, and all thought blanked from my mind.

  She’d never looked more beautiful. In a fitted sleeveless beige dress, she held folded papers tightly in her clasped hands as we stared at each other. The long, candy-red colored hair that I loved to wrap around my fingers was pulled up into a loose bun on top of her head. Large gold hoops reflected from her ears, and the Santa Muerte pendant I gave her hung around her neck.

  I didn’t know whether to pick her up and lock her in my bedroom or throw her ass out for putting me through six weeks of hell.

  “Eden.” It was the only thing I could think of to say that was safe.

  “Hey, Danger.” Unclasping her hands, she threw them out to the side. “Surprise.”

  “I think I have some…I need to go do the thing in the…they said I had to…I’m leaving,” Mateo mumbled as he hurried out of the front door, closing it behind him.

  “Did you take a wrong turn leaving Caliente?” Tearing my eyes away from her, I walked to the bar and poured a glass of tequila. I needed a drink to deal with seeing her again.

  “Val, you know I don’t work at Caliente anymore.”

  “How would I know that? I live in another country…Cere…Eden.”

  “Look, I didn’t come here to fight with you.”

  Slamming the glass down, I turned over my shoulder. “Why did you come here? I assume it wasn’t for a vacation.”

  Her fingers clenched around the papers. “I get that you’re mad. I don’t expect you to understand or forgive me for walking out at the hospital and not coming back. I’m not here to beg for your forgiveness.”

  Her words did something to me. For six weeks, I did nothing but imagine what I’d do if she walked through that door. I wished for it. Hell, I even prayed for it. But day after day, I lost faith in ever feeling alive again.

  Now, here she stood, just like I dreamed she would. Except she wasn’t apologetic and didn’t need or want my forgiveness.

  Fuck that.

  Hitching my arm back, I threw the glass against the wall, shards and tequila exploding everywhere. “Maybe I want you to, Cereza.” Stalking toward her, I gave up the fight not to touch her and roughly palm
ed her cheek. “Maybe I want you down on your knees, begging for my forgiveness.”

  Backing up, she grabbed my arm. “Stop it, Val.”

  “I mean, you’re so good at it.” I continued backing her up until her ass hit the wall. “Being on your knees, that is.”

  An impending storm of rage flashed through her eyes as she dropped the papers in her hand and slapped me hard across the face. For half a heartbeat, we stood there staring at each other, chests heaving and jaws clenched. Then, as if a dam broke, our mouths crashed together in impatient fury. There was nothing slow or soft about our kisses. Our tongues fought for dominance as teeth clashed and lips plundered.

  Without asking permission, I jerked her dress up around her waist and wound the string that rested by her hips around my hand and pulled hard. A satisfying rip filled my ears as the material tore in half.

  “Val,” she moaned, half encouraging me, half protesting.

  I didn’t care one way or the other. I was too far gone. “Beg me, Cereza.”

  “Fuck you.”

  Shoving two fingers inside her, I pumped them hard and growled again. “Beg me, Cereza.”

  Gasping, she threw her head back against the wall and groaned. “Fuck me. Forgive me, and for God’s sake, fuck me.”

  I released my pants with one hand while continuing to thrust mercilessly into her. I felt her release the moment she clenched around my fingers. Moaning, she slammed her palms against the wall above her head and panted for air.

  “Jesus!”

  “Don’t move,” I demanded. Kicking her legs apart, I grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her onto my cock. “No man will ever love you like I do, Cereza.” Driving into her hard, I bottomed out as she screamed my name. Holding us both still, I took full possession of what belonged to me. “Serás mía para siempre,” I commanded hotly into her ear. “You’re mine forever, Eden Lachey.”

  * * *

  “This isn’t why I came here,” Eden mumbled, cradled in my lap as I sat leaned against the wall.

  Eventually coming down from the high of simultaneous orgasms, we’d finally caught our breath, too exhausted to move. I couldn’t remember anything feeling as good as holding her in my arms at that moment. It was as if the anguish of the past six weeks faded away the minute I buried myself inside her. I didn’t care what she had to say. Eden wasn’t going back to Houston. I’d chain her to the bed again if I had to.

  “Okay,” I said, burying my nose in her hair. “I’ll bite. Why did you come here?”

  Climbing off me, she reached for the papers she’d dropped earlier and knelt beside me. “I have something to tell you, and I don’t know how you’re going to react.”

  “You’re freaking me out a little, Cereza. Just tell me.”

  She blew out a heavy breath. “Okay, so, Brody came over two days ago.”

  “I don’t like where this is going,” I growled, my skin feeling like fire.

  I’ll fucking kill Brody Harcourt.

  “Oh, calm your inner caveman, Danger. It was innocent. He came over to talk about you.”

  “Me?”

  “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to put it out there, and we’ll deal with the fallout.” Rubbing the back of her neck, she caught my eye and held it. “Marisol Muñoz isn’t Marisol Muñoz.”

  I leaned away, and studied her determined face. “That makes no sense.”

  “You told me your baby sister’s body was never found after your family was attacked.”

  “Eden, I don’t want to talk about…”

  She placed a hand on my chest. “That’s because there was no body.”

  “Huh?” I had no idea why she brought up such a painful subject, but I wanted no part of it. “Look, this is a part of my life I don’t want to talk about, all right? The past is the past.” Pushing off the floor, I buttoned my pants and headed back to the bar.

  “That’s just it, Val; the past isn’t the past. Your sister didn’t die that night. Esteban Muñoz was one sadistic fuck. Think about it. What would hurt your father more than murdering his wife and children?”

  Her words started to sink in, and my hand gripped the glass so hard I worried it might shatter in my hands. “It can’t be.”

  “Esteban Muñoz took Adriana and raised her as his own daughter. He raised your sister to hate her own family and plan their deaths.” I felt her behind me before her hands touched my back. “I saw it in your eyes in that basement when you looked at her. You felt a connection with her, but you didn’t know why and it confused the hell out of you. Now you know.”

  I swallowed hard, forcing the vomit I knew would eventually rise back down. “What are the papers in your hand?”

  “Faked birth certificates, real birth certificates, blood records, and hospital records. A paper trail of proof that Brody dug up supporting what we’ve found. Esteban’s wife only gave birth once, and that was to Manuel. She’s your sister, Val.”

  Turning, I met her stare, allowing her to see the fear that rolled through me. “If this is true, what will happen to her, Eden? This is all so farfetched, and she doesn’t know. All she knows is her entire family is dead now. What if she’s unsavable?”

  Eden smiled knowingly. “She’s a Carrera. She’s not unsavable.”

  I swallowed hard and grabbed her hand. “She ordered the hit on your brother. How would you ever forgive her for that?”

  “One thing at a time, Danger.” Sighing softly, she buried her chin in my back. “Look, yesterday I thought I’d never see you again. That plan worked out well, huh?”

  “I’m worried any goodness that might have been inside her has been eaten away by Muñoz influence.” I’d lived with the death and destruction of both our families my whole existence. I had no idea how she’d return from a lifetime of that kind of mind control.

  “You both have your mother’s blood, as much as your father’s, Val. Give her time. She’ll find herself and seek you out. When that time comes, we’ll deal with it and be there for her.”

  “What about you, Cereza?” I asked, turning and snaking my arms around her waist. “What’ve you found?”

  A smile broke out across her lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Pressing her lips against my ear, she whispered with the strongest conviction I’d ever heard from her.

  “Home.”

  Epilogue

  Eden

  Two Months Later

  “Val!” He sank his teeth into my shoulder as my body tumbled over the crest. Panting, I struggled to focus on his face as I grabbed it between my palms and brought his lips to mine. After a devastating kiss that found us both exhausted and collapsing in bed, he rolled to the side and scooped me in his arms.

  “So, Cereza, how does it feel to sleep with the most powerful man in Mexico?”

  A full-chested laugh escaped before I could stop it, causing him to raise an eyebrow. “Oh, please, Carrera. Do you really think you hold all the power around here?” The cocked eyebrow raised even higher, and my smile widened. The confused look on his face was priceless. “Come on, get dressed. We’re going to be late.”

  He watched as I threw the covers back and opened the closet. “We? Where do you think you’re going?”

  Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I met his stare, ready for the next step in my life. “We have a meeting.”

  * * *

  As the last man walked out of the room, Val returned to his seat beside me at the head of the table and placed a shot of tequila by my folded hands.

  I shot a side-glance at him. “Añejo tequila? Straight shot, in a stem glass, not a highball, room temp, and if it hasn’t aged at least three years, shove it up the owner’s ass?”

  “Warm house tequila, in a dirty shot glass. Cartel special.”

  “Ah, big spender.”

  Glancing around the room, he sat back in his chair. “So, was this your plan all along? World domination?”

  With Mateo’s help, I’d finally figured out how I could be with
Val and still keep my identity.

  As equals.

  I refused to be his dirty little secret or the little woman waiting at home for him to maybe come home, or maybe not. If what we had was going to work, I had to be in on every decision, every strategic move, and every dangerous situation he put himself in.

  Sitting beside him at this table.

  Bringing my idea to Mateo, he’d grinned and arranged my ambush of Val’s scheduled meeting with his top lieutenants, demanding their compliance by assuring Val’s approval. I knew Val would never agree with a partnership if I’d asked straight out. He was too protective, and if I started asking for his approval for my actions now, not only would that set a precedent in our relationship, it wasn’t how Val and I worked.

  Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

  Lowering my lids, I picked up the shot and downed half of it and shuddered. It was eighty proof piss water.

  From beside me, Val let out a low chuckle. “All you Americans are alike. You never take time to appreciate the finer things in life.”

  Holding the glass by my cheek, I shot him an annoyed look. “You just said it was shit tequila.”

  “Not the tequila, Cereza,” he said, his eyes deadly. “What’s at the end of it.”

  “Oh, my God, there’s a fucking worm?” Slamming the glass on the table, I pushed my chair as far away from it as I could and scrubbed my tongue with my palm.

  His laugh growing louder, Val picked up the glass and shook it, as something made a ting ting sound at the bottom. Curious, I snatched the glass out of his hand and peered inside. Immediately, my heart raced with disbelief and apprehension.

  It couldn’t be real.

  And yet, there it was, right before my eyes—large, round, brilliant, and very wet.

  Taking the glass from my shaking hands, Val dug a finger inside and pulled the ring from the bottom, shaking off the excess tequila. Holding it up, he took my hand in his. “Eden, you’re everything I thought I never wanted. I don’t think there’s anyone else like you in the world, and for the sake of humanity, I hope I’m right. The minute I saw you, you got under my skin. You make it impossible for me to make sound decisions when you’re around, and you disrupt every aspect of my life.”