Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  Women.

  Flinging open the refrigerator, I prayed Brody had the common decency to stock it before making the call to turn our world upside down with his sister’s bullshit.

  His fucking sister. Of all the people, it had to be her.

  My fingers closed around a bottle, and I silently thanked him, reminding myself to dial back my attitude a little. Once he found out Delgado wasn’t the first cartel runner to touch his innocent baby sister, he’d be out for more than my blood.

  With the vein in my temple throbbing, I stumbled across the living room and through the sliding glass doors leading to the deck.

  Air. I needed air.

  Once outside, the crisp March breeze whipped my long hair around my face like a mask. It felt good. Masks hid weaknesses that threatened to ruin everything a man had worked for. I trusted masks. I did not trust her.

  Slumping into a patio chair, I dropped my head back and tried to block the image of them together by staring up at the night. Unfortunately, karma was a motherfucker, and a shooting star raced across the blackened sky.

  Of course.

  It reminded me of the countless nights we’d lie on the grass, waiting to see one. She’d always believed destiny was written in the stars and seeing one fall meant a big change was about to come.

  We never saw one. I should’ve known the reason was because she was my shooting star. Her prediction had been right. Eventually change did come, and I never saw her again.

  Until today.

  I raised my beer in a toast toward the sky. “Bullshit. The only thing written in the stars is, ‘fuck you, Mateo.’” Tilting the bottle back, I drained half of it in one gulp.

  Dios mío, I should’ve been able to let her go. I thought I had. Hell, she’d obviously had no problem doing it. She’d allowed Delgado to get close enough to almost end her life. Just the thought of them together made me want to go back and pick up that soap dispenser she’d thrown at me so I could bash his head in. If he wasn’t already dead, of course.

  Shit, that posed another problem. I’d been so distracted by her I never asked any questions that mattered. This was exactly why any direct contact between us from now on had to involve Brody. I didn’t trust myself to be alone with her.

  I’d just tossed my empty beer bottle on the side table when my jacket buzzed. I didn’t bother to see who it was. Other than the informant I called at the bar, only three people had the number to this phone. One had already threatened to break my legs if I disappeared with his sister again and the other was probably balls deep in his dumb as rocks bartender.

  That only left one person.

  I answered with a smirk. “Are you calling for an update, or did you just want to hear my voice?”

  Val wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “Why the hell do I put up with your disrespect?”

  “Because I’m loyal as hell, and you know it,” I said, grateful for the distraction.

  He said nothing for a moment, and I allowed myself the small victory. They were few and far between with a man like Val.

  “Update,” he demanded.

  “Huh?”

  He let out a frustrated growl. “Update, you drunk asshole.”

  “There’s been a glitch.”

  “What glitch?” he asked, his voice low. “My instructions weren’t complicated. Get Harcourt and his sister out of this shit, find out what the fuck Delgado was up to, and make it go away.”

  I stared at the city below my feet. “She’s the problem.”

  “Who?”

  “Harcourt’s sister.”

  Val sighed. “Keep your hands off her, Mateo. Wasn’t it you who reminded me that Leighton Harcourt is familia? We don’t fuck familia.”

  The repetitive word made me wince. “Too late.”

  He let out a string of curses. “You’ve been there less than twelve fucking hours. What the hell, Cortes? You couldn’t go a full twenty-four without sticking your dick into a lieutenant’s sister?”

  I gripped the metal arm of the chair. “Thanks for your concern, but I’ve gone a full four years without sticking my dick in her.”

  “Mateo, this shit is getting complicated. I hate complicated.”

  “It’s not what you’re thinking. I had no clue my girl was Brody’s sister. Especially not the sister who’s causing all this shit.”

  “How in the hell could you not know?” he demanded, cutting me off. “How many Leighton Harcourts have you fucked, Mateo?”

  “None. When I met her, she told me her name was Star.”

  There. I said it.

  “Just Star, huh?” Sarcasm oozed from the other end of the line. “No last name? No house? You spread her legs, but never talked about anything?”

  His accusation flipped a switch in me. “Watch it, Val. You’re my boss and my friend, but don’t ever talk about her like that again. I’d never allow someone to disrespect Eden, and I’d expect the same from you.”

  “Noted. Continue.”

  An apology from Valentin Carrera was rare, and that was as deep as they got, so I spilled the closely guarded secret that could cost me my rank.

  “She was young. We both were, but she was just out of high school. She never wanted to be home and that’s why she’d never asked me to come around. It didn’t matter anyway because I wasn’t the parent-meeting type. We spent every night together.” I stopped and rubbed the back of my neck as memories I’d locked away came rushing back. “One night we met, and she was frantic. She begged me to run away with her. I know it was wrong, but I told her yes. I would’ve done anything to be with her.”

  Silence stretched between us again, and I could almost hear Val calculate the dates in his head. “You were already a sicario in my cartel four years ago,” he said, giving voice to the deadliest secret I’d kept from him.

  “I know.”

  “Yet you said yes. You were a twenty-two-year old man who chose to risk both your lives, for what? Some foolish crush that would’ve gotten you both killed?”

  “Don’t patronize me, Val,” I snarled in between clenched teeth. “It was as real as what you and Eden have, but it never came to that. I got arrested and locked up for a year.”

  “What about now?” he said, his voice slightly calmer. “Where does your loyalty lie? If a gun was pressed against Leighton’s head and Brody’s head, who do you save, Mateo?”

  I’d asked myself this question a dozen times while sitting in that shitty pub. By the time I’d drained half a bottle of tequila, the answer was much clearer than my vision.

  Loyalty begot loyalty. She’d given me none, so she was owed the same.

  “Brody,” I answered. “The cartel comes first.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  “You doubt my loyalty?”

  “No, but I think you do.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Mateo, you hesitated in answering. Sometimes what you don’t say tells me more than what you do.”

  I contemplated arguing, but I knew it would get me nowhere.

  “I take it Leighton has no idea who you really are?”

  I had to think fast. Either I went all in or stepped off the ledge with a sin of omission.

  I braced myself. “She does now.”

  Val exploded. “Pinche estupido!” Fucking idiot. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing unfixable. She’s not as innocent as everyone think she is.” The words burned like acid on my tongue. “She knew about Brody’s involvement with us, Val. I don’t know what kind of shit she’s been feeding him, but she knows. So, yeah, I fucked with her a little and threw my weight around. She pushed my buttons, all right?”

  “You’ve got to take emotion out of this. Do you hear me?” he warned. “Mark my words, Mateo. This woman will end you if you continue thinking with your heart instead of your head.”

  The crisp air suddenly became sticky and humid. “That won’t be a problem. I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m already on some leads.” It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the in
consistency I’d found in her actions, but something held me back.

  Stupidity? Yeah, most likely.

  “You have one week to clean this up.” The finality in his voice swirled the tequila and beer together in my stomach. “Don’t make me cross the border myself to handle it.”

  “Sí, puedo hacerlo.” Yes, I can do it.

  It was the last thing I said before he hung up. His words echoed in my head, sending me into a downward spiral that opened scar tissue long healed. Or maybe it’d never healed. Maybe I’d just put so many bandages over it, they’d finally fused with my skin.

  It didn’t matter. Nothing could’ve protected me the moment I first saw her dressed like the sun about to be devoured by the night.

  Chapter Nine

  Mateo

  Four and a Half Years Ago

  “Let me go!”

  The frantic tone in her voice commanded my attention. Normally, I was oblivious to the incessant chattering of the women who hung around this corner. However, her frightened voice crashed through the barrier I kept between myself and the rest of the people in this part of town. I knew she didn’t belong here without looking up. A voice that sweet and innocent could never blend in among the jaded reality I lived in.

  Lost little lamb. Shame.

  I forced myself to tune her out. On the streets, we kept our heads down and our minds on our own business. Less blood spilled that way, and I dealt with enough of the stuff during normal business hours.

  Just as I counted through the money I’d been paid, a gruff voice carried from across the street. “This isn’t a freeway, baby. This here is a toll bridge, and you’re about to pay up.”

  “Stop it! Don’t touch me!” The innocent voice from before shifted from sweet to terrified. It unsettled me, and I fought a natural instinct to look up.

  Not my problem.

  “Check it out, Julio. We got us a fighter on our hands.” He laughed, and she screamed. “I love when they’re like that. It makes it better.”

  Her scream was what did it. Glancing up, I finally saw her—a ray of sunshine bathed in darkness. Golden hair tumbled down her back and settled at the top of her ass. The yellow dress she wore stood out like a siren among the crowd of working women who ignored her pleas. They couldn’t be bothered. She wasn’t one of their own, and time was money.

  If I had any common sense, I’d have followed their lead. The darkness had always been where I’d felt most comfortable. It was where I’d found a brotherhood who never judged me for who I was or how I survived.

  But the fear in her voice called to me, her yellow dress drawing me in like a moth to a flame. Her eye caught mine, and something passed between us. I knew in that moment that getting too close would end with incineration.

  I didn’t care, though, because when they touched her, I saw black.

  Not red.

  Black.

  Cold, blinding, uncivilized rage. A need for them to die a slow death.

  The whole time my feet moved, I cursed myself. This was stupid. Part of me wanted to turn around, finish my deal, take my money, and forget I’d heard her voice.

  That was the smarter part.

  But the part that kept walking had taken control. I had no idea if that part had a hero complex or just a death wish.

  Maybe both.

  The man groping her had his back to me, so all I saw was his bald head. Which was convenient because when I flipped him around, the tattoo that covered it all the way to his chin provided the perfect target for my fist. Bone splintered against bone, and the girl gasped, stumbling backward as the guy hit the ground with blood spurting from his busted lip.

  “Don’t just stand there, Julio,” the guy ordered. “Kick his ass!”

  When I turned to take care of Julio, I saw her eyes. They were deep pools of dark-cinnamon stained with raw emotion and untold truths, and she wielded them like a weapon. It wasn’t like me to leave a man unfinished, but they held me captive. Within that split second between Julio rushing forward and me reaching for my gun, they widened in fear. It wasn’t because of my gun. I had it tucked away on the side facing away from her. No, the panic on her face was for me, and what she did next had me breaking all my own rules.

  As Julio rushed, the girl jumped in front of him, blocking his path with her arm outstretched. “No!” she screamed, her limbs shaking. “Leave him alone!”

  Whereas before, no one gave a shit to acknowledge her, now, the whole street fell silent.

  Julio leaned over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at me while flicking his thumb in her direction. “Is this bitch for real?”

  I wondered the same thing.

  Ignoring him, I stepped forward and whispered into the girl’s ear. “I appreciate the gesture, but, duck.” When she just stood there, I didn’t bother holding in my annoyed grunt.

  “Duck?” She turned halfway around, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “What does a duck have to do—”

  “Julio, what the fuck?” the bald guy yelled, slapping his palms onto the concrete.

  “Duck!” Grabbing her soft blonde hair, I shoved her to the ground with a heavy hand. Now wasn’t the time for chivalry.

  In a split second, the guy on the ground was on his feet and charging toward me while Julio shook himself out of his confusion long enough to follow suit.

  Since they’d made my life easier by corralling themselves into one spot, I pulled my gun from my waistband and aimed it at them. “It seems you two are determined to make this personal.”

  The bald guy flipped me off, proving he had more tattoos on his head than brains inside it. “Hey, fuck you, pendejo. This doesn’t concern you.”

  “Wrong. You made it my business when I asked you nicely to leave the lady alone.”

  “You sucker punched me from behind!”

  “That was me being nice.” I smirked, and he sneered back at me. “Now, both of you are going to walk away, or you can limp. It makes no difference to me. I don’t give a shit about your kneecaps.”

  Apparently Julio was the smarter of the two, throwing his hands in the air and backing up with a scowl. “Man, a piece of uppity pussy isn’t worth this. Let’s go.”

  Chuckling to himself, the bald guy wiped the blood from his lip and smeared it across his T-shirt. “You’re lucky. Usually, I wouldn’t take this shit, but I’m feeling generous tonight.”

  “I’m not,” I said, shooting him in his right knee.

  “Motherfucker!”

  Everybody moved at once. The bald guy hit the concrete for the second time, and Julio jumped to his side like the obedient puppy he was. Stashing my gun back in my waistband, I grabbed the girl’s hand and jerked her toward the unlit part of the street. She hesitated, staring over her shoulder at the bloody mess that used to be the guy’s knee.

  I tugged harder. “Let’s go.”

  “You...you just shot him.”

  Fuck. She was in shock. I didn’t have time for this shit.

  Tightening my hold on her hand, I swung her around, and before she could say a word, I hoisted her over my shoulder. “I warned him I’d do it.” I shrugged under her weight. “It’s not my fault he didn’t listen.”

  She pounded on my back, screaming at me to put her down the whole way to the railroad trestle. Technically, it was only about a ten-minute walk, but with her yelling in my ear and driving fists into my back the whole time, it felt like fifty.

  I knew the area well, and for the most part, nobody cared to hang around here. The roar of trains barreling down the tracks at eighty miles per hour tended to discourage anyone from doing business here.

  My shoulder ached, so I dropped her on the grass just below the tracks. I wasn’t worried. With me standing in her way, there were only two ways to get off the hill: slide down the steep embankment on her ass or walk the tracks that led over the bridge. It had to be at least a twenty-foot drop off either of the pathetically guarded sides. I doubted her need to escape was strong enough that she’d risk it.


  “Just let me go here,” she begged, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand. “I promise I can pay you whatever you want.”

  I hated tears. More so, I hated tears from her. She’d been so fearless when she thought I was in danger that the scared kitten routine irritated me.

  “I don’t want your money. I want an explanation.”

  “About what?”

  “Why did you jump in the middle of my fight?”

  She took a deep breath and shrugged. “It was my fight first.”

  “You think you could’ve handled those guys? You have no idea what kind of shit you walked into tonight.” I waved a hand up and down the length of her dress, noting the expensive material and diamond earrings hanging from her ears. “And from the looks of you, street fighting isn’t one of your strengths.”

  “Why did you?” she asked, looking up at me with those damn inquisitive eyes. “Jump in the middle of my fight, I mean.”

  I had no good answer for her. I had no idea why I was doing this. I just knew I couldn’t stop. Answering her with the truth was out of the question, so I coughed and turned my head, hoping she’d leave it alone.

  She didn’t.

  “He could have shot you, too, you know.”

  “They weren’t wearing jackets.” She furrowed her eyebrows, and I sighed, forgetting normal people didn’t understand such obvious things. “If a man isn’t wearing a jacket, he’s not packing.” To emphasize my point, I lifted my black leather jacket and dropped my gaze to my gun. “No place to hide it.”

  “If they weren’t armed, why’d you shoot him?” she repeated.

  “That’s a question for another day, little lamb.”

  She frowned. “Little lamb?”

  I should’ve shut her down right there. I’d just saved her ass. However, my lips moved before I could stop them. “You looked like a lost little lamb out there, all alone in the middle of a pack of wolves.”