The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(144)

“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 f*ck 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 a disapproving frown, and he scrubbed his hand down his face. “I don’t have time to mediate this pissing contest right now. What’s done is done. As for Juan, we’ll figure out how to deal with him later. He’s a sick f*ck, but he can’t do anything from his hospital bed. We still have time to come up with a plan.”

I clenched my hands. “But you had time to spill all my secrets to Hattie,” I said bitterly.

Ignacio rolled his eyes and blew out an exaggerated breath. “So what? I ripped the bandage off. It had to be done. You were dragging your feet. You and I both know she doesn’t belong here. The quicker you sever your connection with her, the quicker you’ll learn what you need to know to help me.”

I took a deep breath, struggling to maintain control. “I didn’t need your help with Hattie. I had everything under control until you opened your mouth.”

Ignacio raised one brow. “Really?”

“I planned to talk to her tonight,” I said through gritted teeth. Less than a week with the Vargas Cartel, and I was already losing my sanity. It was like living in a den of poisonous snakes. I couldn’t trust anyone. Not even my own father.

Ignacio stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Then, take care of it. I heard she’s awake now. The last time I checked, your friend Noah was in there with her.”

“He’s not my friend. I hardly know him.”

“Well, Hattie seems to like him. Maybe he’d be willing to take her off your hands.”

Ignacio intended to piss me off. I knew it. He knew it. Unfortunately, the knowledge that he wanted to provoke me didn’t stop the anger from swirling in my gut like the flames of hell.

“Yeah, well, unlike you, I don’t make other people do my dirty work.”

Ignacio’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re smart enough to put the pieces together. Figure it out,” I said as I stalked down the hallway.

I had agreed to Ignacio’s terms, but I couldn’t go through it. It was like all the pieces finally slid into place. I wasn’t going to bend to Ignacio’s will. I made a bargain with him. I gave him my word, but he owed Hattie. He owed me. I considered my debt to him paid in full. Right then, I promised myself, I’d find a way out of the Vargas Cartel’s web or die trying. Life was too short to let Hattie slip through my fingers. If I lost her, then I didn’t have any reason to live. I understood that now.

I needed to fix the mess I’d made. Plain and simple. I promised I’d take care of Hattie, and for some reason, I’d convinced myself that meant pushing her out of my life forever. That might’ve been true on some level, but deep down I knew I wanted and needed her more than anything or anyone. As a kid, I learned if I wanted something I had to fight for it and never give up. In the midst of this whole debacle with Ignacio, I’d forgotten that, but that would change starting right now.