didn’t want anything to do with Ignacio, Emanuel, or the Vargas Cartel.
“You think you’re smart enough to manipulate me?”
“I know I am,” he croaked.
“You don’t know anything.”
He spat on my face. Saliva dripped down my cheek. “I got rid of Rever and I’ll get rid of you too if I feel like it. You think Ignacio’s in control, but he’s not. I call all the shots.”
Poison laced laughter exploded from my mouth. “What happened to all that sanctimonious bullshit about not wanting to lead the cartel and being happy with your lot in life?”
“I could wrestle control from Ignacio in a second if I wanted to.” He snapped his fingers. “That should tell you something.”
I slammed his body against the wall. “That I’d be doing Ignacio a favor if I killed you.”
“Rever was too impulsive, and I’m starting to think you’re not much better.”
My fist had a mind of its own. It landed in the dead center of his right cheek. His head jerked to the side. Fire shot up my arm, and my knuckles buckled, but I didn’t care. I welcomed the pain.
“Listen,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “I don’t give a shit about the Vargas Cartel or Ignacio’s legacy. You can have the cartel. I don’t want anything to do with it, but don’t play mind games with me. You won’t win.”
The veins on the side of his neck bulged, and his jaw muscle ticked. “Is that a challenge?”
“Make what you want of it. All I ask is that you stay far away from Hattie and me. When it comes to either of us, keep your opinions to yourself.” I shoved him to the side. “Now get the fuck away from me before I change my mind.”
Emanuel ran his hand down the side of his swollen cheek. “Ignacio won’t like this.”
Smirking, I raised one eyebrow. “What gave you the impression I give a shit what Ignacio does or doesn’t like?”
“What won’t I like?” Ignacio said as he strolled into the room.
“I thought you were sleeping,” Emanuel said, his eyes boring into the wall above Ignacio’s head.
Ignacio leaned his shoulder into the wall, his narrowed eyes boomeranging between Emanuel and me. “How could I sleep with this noise? Now are either of you going to tell me what the hell is going on or do we have to play twenty questions?”
I stuffed my swollen hand in my pocket. Not that it’d conceal what happened. Emanuel’s face looked like he had a third eye growing out of his cheek. “We had a disagreement.”
“A disagreement that ended with your fist in his face,” he said wearily.
I glared at Ignacio. “Something like that.”
He scowled for a second, then his hardened stare cut to Emanuel. “Do you have something to add or did you suddenly become mute?”
Emanuel folded his arms across his chest and drummed his fingers against his biceps. “It was a misunderstanding, but we’re good now.”
“Is that right, Ryker?” Ignacio asked.
“I don’t trust him.” Ignacio sliced his hand through the air in front of him, interrupting me. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I know you trust him, and I know he’s worked for you for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I should trust him with my interests. With the people I care about. I don’t think you should either.”
Emanuel scoffed. “Your cryptic bullshit doesn’t make sense. I know you have a long résumé back in the States, but you don’t know anything about the way things work in Mexico.”
“And you just proved my point.” I pinned Ignacio with my eyes. “He’s trying to undermine me just like he undermined Rever.”
Emanuel chuckled. “You don’t need me to do it. You’re doing a good job all by yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Juan Alvarez is alive. You killed his son. You helped kidnap his daughter. If you intended to escalate the war between the two cartels, you succeeded. This whole mess is going to get a hell of a lot bloodier before it’s put to rest.”
Ignacio’s mouth tugged down in
“You think you’re smart enough to manipulate me?”
“I know I am,” he croaked.
“You don’t know anything.”
He spat on my face. Saliva dripped down my cheek. “I got rid of Rever and I’ll get rid of you too if I feel like it. You think Ignacio’s in control, but he’s not. I call all the shots.”
Poison laced laughter exploded from my mouth. “What happened to all that sanctimonious bullshit about not wanting to lead the cartel and being happy with your lot in life?”
“I could wrestle control from Ignacio in a second if I wanted to.” He snapped his fingers. “That should tell you something.”
I slammed his body against the wall. “That I’d be doing Ignacio a favor if I killed you.”
“Rever was too impulsive, and I’m starting to think you’re not much better.”
My fist had a mind of its own. It landed in the dead center of his right cheek. His head jerked to the side. Fire shot up my arm, and my knuckles buckled, but I didn’t care. I welcomed the pain.
“Listen,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “I don’t give a shit about the Vargas Cartel or Ignacio’s legacy. You can have the cartel. I don’t want anything to do with it, but don’t play mind games with me. You won’t win.”
The veins on the side of his neck bulged, and his jaw muscle ticked. “Is that a challenge?”
“Make what you want of it. All I ask is that you stay far away from Hattie and me. When it comes to either of us, keep your opinions to yourself.” I shoved him to the side. “Now get the fuck away from me before I change my mind.”
Emanuel ran his hand down the side of his swollen cheek. “Ignacio won’t like this.”
Smirking, I raised one eyebrow. “What gave you the impression I give a shit what Ignacio does or doesn’t like?”
“What won’t I like?” Ignacio said as he strolled into the room.
“I thought you were sleeping,” Emanuel said, his eyes boring into the wall above Ignacio’s head.
Ignacio leaned his shoulder into the wall, his narrowed eyes boomeranging between Emanuel and me. “How could I sleep with this noise? Now are either of you going to tell me what the hell is going on or do we have to play twenty questions?”
I stuffed my swollen hand in my pocket. Not that it’d conceal what happened. Emanuel’s face looked like he had a third eye growing out of his cheek. “We had a disagreement.”
“A disagreement that ended with your fist in his face,” he said wearily.
I glared at Ignacio. “Something like that.”
He scowled for a second, then his hardened stare cut to Emanuel. “Do you have something to add or did you suddenly become mute?”
Emanuel folded his arms across his chest and drummed his fingers against his biceps. “It was a misunderstanding, but we’re good now.”
“Is that right, Ryker?” Ignacio asked.
“I don’t trust him.” Ignacio sliced his hand through the air in front of him, interrupting me. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I know you trust him, and I know he’s worked for you for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I should trust him with my interests. With the people I care about. I don’t think you should either.”
Emanuel scoffed. “Your cryptic bullshit doesn’t make sense. I know you have a long résumé back in the States, but you don’t know anything about the way things work in Mexico.”
“And you just proved my point.” I pinned Ignacio with my eyes. “He’s trying to undermine me just like he undermined Rever.”
Emanuel chuckled. “You don’t need me to do it. You’re doing a good job all by yourself.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Juan Alvarez is alive. You killed his son. You helped kidnap his daughter. If you intended to escalate the war between the two cartels, you succeeded. This whole mess is going to get a hell of a lot bloodier before it’s put to rest.”
Ignacio’s mouth tugged down in
Similar Books
