Carrera Cartel: The Collection

by Kenborn, Cora

  Instead, I’d bide my time and make a statement no one here would soon forget.

  Leaning back in my chair, I released the tension I held on the trigger. “It looks as though we’ll be adding another guest to the wedding.”

  Cristiano’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect that, which was precisely why I said it. “I don’t think that’s a good—”

  “Nonsense,” I said, cutting him off. “You’re Adriana’s…friend.” My emphasis on the word wasn’t an accident. Brody might be a pain in my ass, but he was about to be family. Loyalty was loyalty, and he had mine. “Any friend of my sister’s is a guest of mine. It would be rude to reject my hospitality. Wouldn’t it, Mateo?”

  Mateo smirked. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  “Fine,” Cristiano muttered. “Can’t wait.”

  A long silence hung in the air. I stared. He stared. Brody stared. Mateo stared. Fuck, we all stared like a bunch of catty women. Still, I gave him credit; not many men had the balls to go head to head with me. He wouldn’t win, of course, but I respected bravery.

  To a point.

  Offering him a self-righteous smirk, I nodded toward my first lieutenant. “Show Mr. Vergara to the courtyard. He’ll be joining us tonight.”

  Brody shot off the wall like a cannon. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

  “Is there a problem, lieutenant?” Lifting my gun from my lap, I set it on my desk, my hand still wrapped around the grip and my finger still resting on the trigger.

  Brody clenched his teeth so hard I could hear them grinding from across the room. “No,” he bit out. “I’d love to have my fiancée’s ex-fiancé attend our wedding. It’ll be the highlight of my year.”

  My lip twitched. “No murder on your wedding day, Harcourt. My sister will kill me if you get blood on your tux.”

  Brody stomped across the office, not bothering to wait and see if Vergara followed. Still, Cristiano rose, his steps slow and heavy. I had no doubt each one was leaded with the weight of his decision to come here. It could very well backfire on him, but his fate was none of my concern.

  I had more important things to worry about.

  Once their footsteps had faded away, Mateo cleared his throat. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to have him here?”

  “Who? Vergara, Kelly, or Santiago?”

  He shrugged. “All of the above.”

  Leaving my gun on the desk, I retrieved my glass, raising it in a sadistic toast. “Haven’t you ever heard it’s important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”

  “Haven’t you ever heard of digging your own grave?”

  I settled a fixed stare at him. “Let’s get one thing straight, Mateo. There’s only one grave being dug tonight—an extra wide one—and in a few hours, it will be occupied with one less pain in my ass.”

  “And the other one?”

  “That depends on his fucking manners.”

  “I don’t think he has any.”

  “Then I have two shovels.” Amused with myself, I tipped the glass back before noticing the shitty look on his face. “What the fuck is that look for?”

  He let out a troubled sigh. “This is supposed to be the start of an alliance, Val. A roomful of Santiago’s men, our men, the Russians, and the Sinners. What you’re proposing could make a statement, or—”

  “Or what?” I challenged.

  “Or it could start a war.”

  “And what if it does? What will you do, Mateo?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll fight beside you until my last breath.”

  It was the answer I expected, but an assurance, nonetheless. In cartel life, betrayal never came from a charge from the front. It came from the supportive hand on the back.

  “What about Adriana and Eden?” he added.

  “Brody will inform Adriana of what’s going on. But my wife…” I shook my head, more confident than ever of my decision to protect her from all this. “I don’t want anything upsetting her this close to delivery. I’ll have to inform her about Santiago and his crew arriving; the woman has eyes, after all. But any details pertaining as to why or anything involving what was just discussed…” I shook my head more vehemently this time. “Eden can’t know.”

  “I can’t know about what?”

  Mateo and I both turned toward the door where a pair of light blue eyes drenched in question stared back at us. The dagger from before plunged a little deeper. Sliced a little sharper. Twisted a little harder until the burn exploded into one word.

  “Eden.”

  Chapter Five

  Eden

  Silence wasn’t linear. Eventually, it forked like a divining rod into one of two extremes.

  Peace or chaos.

  My father’s words of wisdom came back to haunt me as I stared at my husband and his most trusted confidante. Growing up, his cryptic warning meant little. However, after taking my place beside one of the two most hated men in the world, I understood them.

  Life was never black and white, and words were never straightforward. Sometimes, basic survival hinged upon looking beyond pretty words to hear the ugly truth hiding behind them.

  I’d learned survival.

  And that’s why I didn’t miss the two sets of lips clamped together in quiet chaos.

  Val’s jaw unclenched seconds before his lips parted in a slow, sinful smile. “Eden. I was hoping you’d find your way to me before the ceremony. You look good enough to eat.”

  “Nice try, but I asked you a question.”

  An icy chill skimmed across my bare arms as another deadly stillness thickened the air.

  I was no stranger to fear or deceit. They were the very foundation of a cartel life I willingly accepted. Transparency was a luxury a Carrera couldn’t afford, and I got that. But this was me. This was us. Val and I were a team.

  However, secrets and lies brought us together.

  I always feared they would also be what ended us.

  Mateo cleared his throat, his dark eyes bouncing between us. “Right, well, I’ll give you two some privacy.”

  Val’s gaze didn’t stray from mine as his second in command crossed the office, eyes downcast and guilt etched across his face. Mateo Cortes was a deadly killer. One known around the world for two things: his loyalty and stone-cold facade.

  But the man closest to Val had three weaknesses.

  His wife.

  His daughter.

  And me.

  The woman he helped abduct and hold captive. The one he befriended and risked his life to save. The unlikely ally he could never bring himself to look in the face and lie to.

  Seconds before he crossed over the threshold into the hallway, I tossed out my arm. He stopped inches away, not daring to move it.

  The heat of Val’s stare burned the side of my face, and I knew Mateo felt it too.

  He was a deadly killer, but Val was a vicious god.

  “When this wedding is over, you’re going to tell me exactly what the fuck is going on,” I whispered, “or you’re not going to like the shitstorm I’ll cause. Got it?”

  Mateo’s nostrils flared. I felt a twinge of guilt in pulling the boss’s wife card, but not enough to fall back. Glaring at me out of the corner of his eye, he gave a slight nod before stepping a wide circle around my arm and disappearing into the bowels of the estate.

  “Bad girl, Cereza.”

  I turned to find my husband leaning against the desk, with his arms folded across his chest, wearing a smirk that could ignite the sky. God, that man drove me crazy. The way he effortlessly flipped from soulless to seductive was both infuriating and addictive.

  Cocking a hip, I planted a hand on what remained of my waist. “Why? Because I don’t play by your rules?”

  “You’ve never played by my rules.” Pushing away, he walked toward me with the stealth of a predator. “It’s why I married you.”

  I gritted my teeth.

  It wouldn’t work. Not this time.

  “However,” h
e continued, bending his head to brush light kisses along my neck. “I’m referring to your not-so-subtle attempt to threaten information out of my men.” I opened my mouth to defend myself, but Val shut me down with a firm finger against my lips. “While incredibly sexy, it undermines my authority.”

  “Mateo will—”

  Val lifted his head, his eyes swimming in arrogance. “Say nothing. He respects you, Eden.” His warm breath fanned across my cheek as he brushed his mouth against my ear. “But he fears me.”

  Damn it.

  Pulling away, I put some much-needed distance between us. “What’s going on that I don’t know about, Val?” I asked, gathering my dress in my hand and pacing the room. “If it concerns this family, it concerns me too. Holding back because it’s dangerous is a dick maneuver.”

  “What makes you think it’s dangerous?”

  “Because when I’m pregnant you treat me like I’m made of glass.” Tears burned my eyes, but now wasn’t the time for emotion. I needed him to trust me to weather the storm, not drown in it. “Damn it, Danger,” I swore, spinning around. “I’m not going to break. Don’t shut me out.”

  My throat tightened at more silence, but then a deep horizontal line darted across Val’s forehead, and he scrubbed a hand across his face. “You don’t understand. If anything happened to you—”

  “Two weeks.”

  He glanced up. “I’m sorry?”

  “Two weeks,” I reiterated, holding up two fingers. “I knew you two weeks before I risked my life for you, Carrera. Before I shot a man for you. Before I spent hours on my knees in a hospital waiting room covered in blood praying to a God I didn’t even believe in to bring you back to me.” Mimicking his earlier tactic, I clenched my fists and stalked forward. “So don’t stand there and lecture me about my safety,” I warned, jabbing my finger into his chest. “I can damn well take care of myself.”

  “You’re right.”

  Wait, what?

  “I am?”

  Too easy. Valentin Carrera didn’t relent for anyone.

  Val’s eyes softened, both hands cradling my face. “Cereza, you, Santi, and this baby are my world. If anything happened to any of you, I’m not sure I could go on. So, I can’t help it if I get a little overprotective sometimes.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “A little?”

  A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Don’t push it, Lachey. But, yes, you’ve proven time and time again how strong and capable you are. You don’t need me to protect you, Cereza.” His voice trailed off as he leveled a hard stare at me. “But I need you to let me.” A strange intensity lit in his eyes.

  A spark of finality that scared the hell out of me.

  “Val…”

  And just like that, the flame flickered out, bringing with it, his usual shield. “However, you’re my wife, and you deserve answers.” Dropping his hands, he shoved them in his pockets and walked toward the window overlooking the courtyard.

  Biting the inside of my cheek at the new splinter of silence, I waited for him to speak, only to be met with a third round of silence.

  A silence of hidden chaos.

  I waited, staring at his muscular back as he looked down at the rows of guests already seated for the wedding. I didn’t have to see his face. I knew this man. His mind was always working. Always plotting to ensure he remained two steps ahead of everyone.

  “Dante Santiago is coming,” he said finally on a harsh exhale.

  My mouth dropped open. “Why?”

  Rocking back on his heels, Val glanced over his shoulder with a half-smirk. “Because I invited him.”

  “I don’t find your sarcasm attractive right now, Carrera. I’ll take the real answer now if you don’t mind.”

  I waited for a lengthy explanation. Something to justify this ridiculous game of verbal hide-and-seek. Instead, Val shrugged, turning away from the window in disinterest. “Because I need more than one road into Colombia, Cereza. Thanks to my soon-to-be brother-in-law, the Carrera name isn’t exactly held in the highest regard at the moment.”

  I was almost insulted. He really expected me to buy that.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I cocked an eyebrow and said nothing.

  Eventually, Val shoved a hand through his carefully slicked back hair and tugged at the roots. “For fuck’s sake, he wanted me to fly to his fucking island fortress, Eden. Fight me if it makes you feel better, but you’re nine months pregnant. I’d rather have access denied to the entire goddamn country than risk missing the birth of my daughter.”

  Better, but I still wasn’t buying it.

  “Even so, at your sister’s wedding, Val? The man is psychotic.”

  “True. I won’t argue with facts. However, despite what most people think, most cartel business can be conducted with a drink instead of a gun. You’d be surprised how far a good party can go in subduing the most unstable of men.” When a fourth round of silence hung in the air, I steeled myself for another argument when he tossed out a grenade he knew damn well would throw me off course.

  A wicked grin peeled across his face as he moved in behind me and kissed my neck. I managed to resist giving in until he pulled the pin and wrapped his arms around me from behind, settling his hands protectively on my belly.

  White flag.

  I surrendered.

  Fucker.

  “Now enough of this.” Pulling me closer, I sighed as his lips traced my hairline up to my ear. “My sister only gets one wedding, Cereza. Let’s not fuck it up with business. Enjoy it, and tomorrow we can sit down and talk strategy.”

  I knew what he was doing.

  My husband loved me. He protected our family with a fierceness few men on this earth could rival. And during most of our marriage, he treated me as his equal.

  But I knew when I was being placated.

  There were two Valentin Carreras: the supportive partner who ensured my safety by including me in his cartel business, and the paranoid husband who took control of it by denying me access.

  Whatever I walked in on a few minutes ago had already flipped a switch in him. I could have pushed him harder on this whole Santiago thing, but it was pointless. When Valentin Carrera shut down, it was behind an iron wall. Arguing after that would be like throwing nerf darts at concrete. His mind was made up and that was that.

  I’d have to bide my time, but this was far from over.

  I didn’t go from being a drug lord’s captive to his queen by giving up.

  Lolling my head to the side, I glanced out the window and smiled. It was beautiful. Dusk had settled over the estate, and the fairy lights crisscrossing the open courtyard gave everything almost an ethereal look. Lavish roses lined two sections of white chairs, and an aisle draped with rich red fabric ran between them.

  My eyes trailed the length of the fabric until they landed on the altar. It wasn’t fancy or elaborate. Two long pieces of white-painted wood formed the top while two on each side fanned out to secure it almost like a child’s swing set frame. The same red fabric that lined the aisle was draped and woven around the wood and secured with deep crimson roses and greenery.

  It was simple, yet intricate. Understated, yet impactful.

  Just like Brody and Adriana.

  I sighed, my eyes stinging with nostalgia. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it? So much has happened, but it wasn’t that long ago that you and I were getting ready for our own wedding.” Tilting my chin, I gazed up at him. “Do you remember?”

  His eyes darkened. “I remember our wedding night.”

  “Val…” Groaning his name, I pulled away, but he tightened his hold. “You looked like a goddess, Cereza,” he continued, dousing my suspicion and igniting the ever-present fire between us by letting his hands wander. “I felt like I’d waited my whole life to see you in a white gown, and all I could think of was hauling you over my shoulder and ripping it off you.”

  I smirked at the memory. “You didn’t think, Danger. You did.”

  “I want you as much no
w as I did back then,” he rasped, drawing my dress up my legs. “Maybe more.”

  It was over. He’d won.

  Just as I reached down to guide him, the gestational cockblock inside me completed a full somersault, breaking the moment. Laughing, I leaned back into his chest and smoothed a hand over my stomach. “That was the night I told you I was pregnant with Santi. Do you remember what you said?”

  “How could I forget?”

  Chapter Six

  Eden

  Two years ago

  Releasing the garters from my elastic thigh holster, Val slid it down my leg and tossed it and my gun to the floor. I groaned impatiently as he chased his fingers back up the length of my leg with his lips. The minute he passed my knee, I meant to moan something enticing and dirty.

  Unfortunately, that wasn’t what came out.

  “About that heir thing…” He froze, with his mouth on my inner thigh. Glancing up through thick eyelashes, he waited for me to continue. Swallowing the lump growing in my throat by the minute, I took a deep breath and smiled. “Well, with Nash being gone, and neither of us having any family left, I decided to listen to you and stop putting everything in a box.”

  “Oh?” He smiled.

  “Except for one thing. I left this in there.”

  Digging under the pillow, I handed Val the rectangular box and held my breath. It rattled as he shook it and I smiled nervously. “So, how would you feel about a daughter running the empire someday?” The horrified look blanketing his face first scared me, then irritated the hell out of me. Narrowing my eyes, I peered at him through tiny slits. “Really?”

  Full chested laughter overtook him as he rolled over and took me with him. “If she’s anything like you, she’ll run more than this empire. She’ll run the world.”

  * * *

  Present Day

  Closing my eyes, I tipped my head back against Val’s chest as his hand wandered under my dress. “You still think she’ll run the world?”