The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(155)

Rever’s eyes drifted to the side. “Yeah, well, you’re in luck. It didn’t go too well so now I’m back.”

My brows slammed together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He stared at me in silence for a few seconds and then shrugged.

“Are you going to explain or should we play twenty questions?”

“Anna left me.”

An involuntary laugh exploded from my lips. “I thought she was pregnant and you were going to get married.”

He swore under his breath, running a hand down the side of his face. “So did I.”

I took a long drink of my bottle of water. “So she’s not pregnant.”

“No.”

Clutching, the handrails on the treadmill, I gritted my teeth. “You lied to me?”

A bitter laugh erupted from his lungs and he raked his hand through his hair. “No. She lied to me. I guess I’m as dumb as everyone believes.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his dark eyes stark. “We got into a fight. I left to give her some time to think, and she was gone when I came home in the morning.”

“Maybe she’ll come back.”

“No.” He shook his head. “She left a note.” He pulled a balled up piece of paper from his pocket. “You want to read her parting words?”

I eyed the paper in his hand. “No, I’ll pass, but you can summarize them for me.”

He glared at the paper and then he threw it across the room and into the trashcan. “Well, she flipped out when she found out you killed her brother, and her father was in the hospital. Things deteriorated from there.”

I wiped a white hand towel over my face and swung it over my shoulder. “I can only imagine.”

“It was a f*cking mess. She threatened to leave me if I didn’t help her family. Can you f*cking believe it?” His lips twisted into a sneer. “She actually wanted me to rally behind Juan f*cking Alvarez. There is no love lost between Ignacio and me, but I’d never betray him for Alvarez trash.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, really?” I mocked. “Because I’m pretty sure you already did when you stole his money to start a life with Anna Alvarez.”

“Yeah, well, that was a mistake. She’s a f*cking bitch. She lied about everything. I don’t even understand why. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand what she wanted to gain.”

I picked up the television remote and turned up the volume as loud as it would go.

Rever waved his hand at the television. “What the hell is that about?” he shouted. I pointed to my ear, and then at the walls.

He nodded. “Got it.”

“Will you spot me?” I asked as I stretched out on the charcoal weight bench. The angle of Rever’s body would block my face from Ignacio’s camera, and the loud volume would prevent anyone from hearing our conversation.

“Yeah.”

“I think Emanuel set you up,” I said as I lifted the weight bar. “I think he’s collaborating with Juan Alvarez. Actually, I think he’s been collaborating with him for a long time.”

“Emanuel? Ignacio’s ass kisser? Are we talking about the same person? He doesn’t have a rebel bone in his body. He’d never do anything Ignacio didn’t order.”

“Yes,” I ground out as I pushed the bar away from my chest. “We’re talking about the same person, but you’re wrong about him. He’s a traitor. I think he initiated this whole war between Juan and Ignacio.”

“You’re crazy.” Rever shook his head. “Emanuel’s so far up Ignacio’s ass, he’d never do anything like that. He’s been working for Dad for a long f*cking time.”

“I know. Ignacio has reminded me on several occasions, but that’s why it makes sense. Ignacio would never suspect him. He could get away with anything.”

“I don’t know, man.”

“Think about it. He wanted you out of the picture. He made it happen. Then, all of a sudden I’m drawn back into the Vargas Cartel, but I don’t think he has any intention of allowing me to slip into Ignacio’s role.”

Rever lifted the bar out of my hands and placed it on top of the bar catcher. “What do you mean, he wanted me to fail?”

“He said he planted ideas in your head, made things available.” I lifted the bar again to do another set of reps. My entire body burned, but I couldn’t stop. I’d go crazy. I’d been spinning my wheels to no end for days.

Shadows flickered through Rever’s eyes. “You really think he could be working with Juan Alvarez?”

I lifted the weight bar eight more times, concentrating on the simultaneous burn and quiver of my pectoral muscles as I counted off the reps in my head.

Eight. Nine. Ten.

“No.” I handed the bar to Rever. “I think he’s playing Juan and Ignacio against each other.”

“Why would he do that?”

I licked my lips. “Think about it. If both cartels are weakened by this turf war, it leaves the whole region open to being exploited by other cartels or new leadership.”

Rever frowned. “How would that benefit Emanuel?”

I wiped my hand across my sweat stained forehead. “Emanuel wants to be the new leader to rise from the ashes, and consolidate the entire region under him. We all know he has people in the Alvarez Cartel feeding Emanuel information. Who’s to say they’re not working for both sides? I’m sure he has plenty of people loyal to him in the Vargas Cartel, but in order to unite everyone behind him, he needs to discredit both of Ignacio’s potential successors. Your name is already shit, and that leaves me.”