The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(160)

“Right, but everyone will know our whereabouts tonight. That’s what I’m worried about.”

“They’ll know we’re in Playa del Carmen for dinner, but they won’t know anything more than that. It’s the perfect cover.”

“I hope you’re right,” I mumbled more to myself than him.

A wide grin stretched across his face as we darted across traffic, earning more than a few honks and angry hand gestures. “Trust me. You’ll see. Besides, if our suspicions are correct, it won’t matter in a couple days.”

“I have a feeling you’ve done something like this before.”

“Not exactly.” His tires squealed as he slammed on his brakes and reversed into a tight spot next to the high-curbed sidewalk.

We both got out of the car, and Rever pointed to a restaurant with an open-air patio. “I hope you like Italian food.”

I shrugged as Rever greeted the hostess. “Does it matter?”

“Not really. We’ll sit down for five minutes, then make our way out the back door of the restaurant. Nobody will suspect a thing and if they do…f*ck ’em.”

“If you say so,” I said as we strolled through the restaurant to a table near the kitchen.

Heads turned in waves, watching every move we made. Murmurs and hushed whispers followed us like ghosts. I kept my chin up, and my eyes focused on the back wall. I couldn’t imagine a day when I would get used to the attention of being affiliated with the Vargas Cartel. For the most part, Ignacio confined me to the compound as a child, but on occasion he took me out and flaunted our connection. I still hated the way stares filled with fear followed me everywhere.

I settled into the chair across from Rever, stretching my legs out to the side with my back pressed into the wall. Rever was confident our high profile would shield us. I didn’t agree. The war with the Alvarez Cartel had eroded some of Ignacio’s power. Killing Enrique Alvarez had halted the power shift, but it left us susceptible to challenge.

Rever scanned the menu, commenting about the food he liked. I didn’t respond. Instead, I watched the restaurant staff and fellow patrons studiously avoid eye contact. Even the tourists avoided looking our way despite the fact that they were generally oblivious to the ugly side of Mexico. They viewed Mexico as a relatively inexpensive vacation with free flowing alcohol and long sandy beaches. As an unspoken rule, the cartels didn’t allow the violence to spill into tourist areas, but it happened on occasion.

“Why is everyone starting at us?”

Rever looked up from the laminated menu and tapped the corner of the wooden table. “Get used to it.”

“How do they know who we are?”

“The staff probably knows or suspects something and the rest of them are sensing the tension.”

“Maybe,” I said noncommittally.

Rever stood. “All right. Let’s get out of here.”

“How far is the walk?” I asked, following him.

“A couple of blocks. Maybe less, but either way he won’t have any idea we’re coming.”

I fingered the top of my gun under my linen blazer. Sweat trickled down the middle of my back, and I wanted to strip off the jacket and dump it in the trash, but Mexican gun laws were really strict. I didn’t want to be caught on the wrong side of the law right now. Ignacio had plenty of governmental officials on his payroll, and he could make the charge disappear with one phone call, but I couldn’t stomach being indebted to him for anything else.

Five minutes later Rever paused in front of the blue door of Emanuel’s house. He slipped his gun from the holster behind his back. “I’m going in first.”

I nodded. “I’ve got your back.”

Rever glanced over his shoulder, a wide smile on his face. “You better, *. This was all your idea. If it fails, I’m blaming you.”

He didn’t wait for my response. He shot the deadbolt on the door. The wood splintered, and I shaded my face, protecting my eyes from the flying debris. With his gun in front of his body, he kicked the door open. Following his lead, I slid my gun out of the holster.

Emanuel stepped out of the shadows, his gun drawn. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

“Put your gun down before I put a bullet between your eyes,” Rever said, his voice cold as ice.

The veins on the side of Emanuel’s neck pulsed with anger. “Ignacio is going to kill both of you.”

“We’ll take our chances with Ignacio.” I pulled the trigger of my gun and successfully shot him in the foot, immobilizing him.

The gun slipped from his hand, and he stumbled forward onto one knee. “What the f*ck is wrong with you?”

“You know,” I started, “after I talked to you last week, I had an epiphany.” I tapped my gun against my thigh.

“You’re crazy,” he growled through clenched teeth.

“All this time, you were pretending to be Ignacio’s faithful servant without any ambition for more,” I continued, ignoring his words. “Then, I realized you not only wanted more, but you were also actively manipulating Ignacio and Juan to consolidate the resources of the two most powerful cartels in this region behind you. Only Ignacio and Juan were too stupid to see you for what you are.”

“You’ll never prove anything,” he taunted, reaching for his gun on the floor in front of him.