you.”
He smiled as he extracted a cigar from an elaborately carved humidor, offered it to her, stuck it in his mouth when she declined, and took his time lighting up. Puffing out blue clouds of smoke like an iron locomotive, he said, “With the untimely death of your father, liaising with the cartels has fallen on your shoulders, I understand that completely. But at the same time I understand it must be difficult for you. After all, this is not your business—you rub shoulders with the elite businessmen, politicians, and entertainers on the opposite side of the world. Every day you spend here is dangerous, I suppose I don’t have to remind you of that.”
“I very much doubt you can frighten me, Señor Matamoros.”
“Felipe, por favor, mujer. ” He tilted his head back, blew smoke at the coffered ceiling of his vast, cluttered dining room. “Of course you’re right. And it was not my intention to frighten you.” He gestured. “But I must warn you my compadres are blunt, brutal men. They might not find you as charming as I do, they might not see the intelligence I do.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Now you insult me, mujer . You are my guest here. If we embark on this trip, you are under my protection. I am responsible for your well-being.”
This commitment was what she had been waiting for. Now to drop the other shoe and see how he reacted. “I appreciate that, Felipe. But as long as we’re going to meet the cadre, I’m thinking we should meet with the head of the Sinaloa as well.”
Matamoros stood stock-still. “ ¡Mujer, por favor! ”
“I am perfectly serious, Felipe.”
“You speak of us getting together with our mortal enemies. This is insane. We are winning the war against them. Eventually—”
“Eventually. How many of your men will be killed before eventually rolls around?” Maricruz kept her smile in place, but a cold, dark place was forming in her heart. She had no friends here; she never would. But she would make her mark in Mexico, of that she was certain. She leaned forward. “Listen to me. Consider the damage, the deaths you and the Sinaloa inflict on each other. Then there’s the time the war you’re slowly winning takes away from earning money.”
Her eyes searched his, looking for the effects her words were having. “Why do you think el presidente does the minimum against you? Because, as you say, you’re invincible? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. El presidente is sitting back in his golden chair, patiently waiting, knowing it’s just a matter of time before you and the Sinaloa decimate each other. Then he’ll swoop in with his tanks, armored cars, and helicopters, and take credit for cleaning up crime, for destroying the severely weakened cartels.
“But if you and the Sinaloa join forces, think of the strength, the power the one cartel will have. You will have the run of Mexico without fear of reprisal or damage. I want you to leave the bloodshed behind. I want to take you into the twenty-first century. Think of the glory that can be yours, Felipe.”
For a long time there was silence in the room. Then, all at once, Matamoros laughed long and hard, the sound coming from deep down in his lower belly. At last, he wiped his eyes. “ ¡Ay de mí! You have a golden tongue, mujer ; you could sell wool to sheepherders. Es la verdad. ”
“Nevertheless, it’s for you to decide.”
“Allow me to make some calls.” He gestured. “Help yourself to some coffee—anything you want.”
“You know what I want.”
He smiled and left the room, an aroma of Cuban tobacco trailing after him. Maricruz thought of calling Jidan, but her acute sense that nothing was secure here gave her pause. There was nowhere in this vast villa or even on its grounds where she could be certain of not being overheard. Instead she amused herself with imagining outrageous erotic scenarios.
Twenty minutes later, Matamoros returned. He said nothing, only nodded to her.
Maricruz felt
He smiled as he extracted a cigar from an elaborately carved humidor, offered it to her, stuck it in his mouth when she declined, and took his time lighting up. Puffing out blue clouds of smoke like an iron locomotive, he said, “With the untimely death of your father, liaising with the cartels has fallen on your shoulders, I understand that completely. But at the same time I understand it must be difficult for you. After all, this is not your business—you rub shoulders with the elite businessmen, politicians, and entertainers on the opposite side of the world. Every day you spend here is dangerous, I suppose I don’t have to remind you of that.”
“I very much doubt you can frighten me, Señor Matamoros.”
“Felipe, por favor, mujer. ” He tilted his head back, blew smoke at the coffered ceiling of his vast, cluttered dining room. “Of course you’re right. And it was not my intention to frighten you.” He gestured. “But I must warn you my compadres are blunt, brutal men. They might not find you as charming as I do, they might not see the intelligence I do.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Now you insult me, mujer . You are my guest here. If we embark on this trip, you are under my protection. I am responsible for your well-being.”
This commitment was what she had been waiting for. Now to drop the other shoe and see how he reacted. “I appreciate that, Felipe. But as long as we’re going to meet the cadre, I’m thinking we should meet with the head of the Sinaloa as well.”
Matamoros stood stock-still. “ ¡Mujer, por favor! ”
“I am perfectly serious, Felipe.”
“You speak of us getting together with our mortal enemies. This is insane. We are winning the war against them. Eventually—”
“Eventually. How many of your men will be killed before eventually rolls around?” Maricruz kept her smile in place, but a cold, dark place was forming in her heart. She had no friends here; she never would. But she would make her mark in Mexico, of that she was certain. She leaned forward. “Listen to me. Consider the damage, the deaths you and the Sinaloa inflict on each other. Then there’s the time the war you’re slowly winning takes away from earning money.”
Her eyes searched his, looking for the effects her words were having. “Why do you think el presidente does the minimum against you? Because, as you say, you’re invincible? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. El presidente is sitting back in his golden chair, patiently waiting, knowing it’s just a matter of time before you and the Sinaloa decimate each other. Then he’ll swoop in with his tanks, armored cars, and helicopters, and take credit for cleaning up crime, for destroying the severely weakened cartels.
“But if you and the Sinaloa join forces, think of the strength, the power the one cartel will have. You will have the run of Mexico without fear of reprisal or damage. I want you to leave the bloodshed behind. I want to take you into the twenty-first century. Think of the glory that can be yours, Felipe.”
For a long time there was silence in the room. Then, all at once, Matamoros laughed long and hard, the sound coming from deep down in his lower belly. At last, he wiped his eyes. “ ¡Ay de mí! You have a golden tongue, mujer ; you could sell wool to sheepherders. Es la verdad. ”
“Nevertheless, it’s for you to decide.”
“Allow me to make some calls.” He gestured. “Help yourself to some coffee—anything you want.”
“You know what I want.”
He smiled and left the room, an aroma of Cuban tobacco trailing after him. Maricruz thought of calling Jidan, but her acute sense that nothing was secure here gave her pause. There was nowhere in this vast villa or even on its grounds where she could be certain of not being overheard. Instead she amused herself with imagining outrageous erotic scenarios.
Twenty minutes later, Matamoros returned. He said nothing, only nodded to her.
Maricruz felt
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