The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(75)

I covered her mouth with a searing kiss, conquering her sweet taste one stroke and slide at a time. Her body swayed into mine as her fingers tangled in my hair. My heart pounded in unison with hers. Urgency roared through my blood as our last night together flickered through my mind. The memory of that night had haunted me for weeks—the feel of her silken skin against my fingertips, the taste of her lips, her fresh, crisp scent, and everything uniquely Hattie. I wanted to feel her body beneath mine again as I took everything she had to offer and more.

Then, all too quickly she pulled her head back. Hattie gaped at me with a mixture of wonder and fear; her pleasure-stung lips parted as her fingertips stroked my jaw line.

“Hattie,” I muttered. “I’ve tried to let you go over and over in Mexico and again today. But this is it. I’m done trying.”

Her eyes glistened. “Ryker, I want this to work, but I don’t know if I’m ready. I need to sort through all these messy emotions I have for you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“This morning I had convinced myself I felt attached to you because of our twisted history and everything would fade. But when I see you…” She shook her head and exhaled a delicate puff of air. “When we’re alone, everything changes. There’s just something about you, about us, that makes me want to take a chance. That may make me an idiot, but maybe I don’t care anymore.”

“I have an idea,” I rasped.

She smiled as her hand toyed with the top button of my shirt, and I groaned inwardly. “Yeah?”

“Come out to dinner with me tomorrow.”

“How’s that going to solve anything?”

“It will give us time together in a normal setting, without worrying about life or death or the Vargas Cartel.”

The corners of her lips curled upward. “What’s this really about? Why are you suddenly back in my life?”

“I’m not done with whatever happened between us, and I don’t think you are either.” I waved my hand back and forth between our bodies. “I think we should explore this. See where it goes. See if it’s real.”

Her mood lifted. “I’d like that.”

I brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “Go. I have to make a call. Meet me at the car.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Okay.”

She jogged up the front steps of the library. The minute the door closed behind her, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“Senator Deveron, it’s Ryker Vargas. Is now a good time to talk?”

“One minute.” A door slammed. “You’re calling earlier than I anticipated. I guess that means you have good news.”

“It depends on your definition of good news,” I hedged. “Good news for me or good news for you.”

“Which is it?” he asked through gritted teeth.

I laughed coldly. “Good news for me.”

“Explain.”

“Did you know Ignacio is a meticulous record keeper? He records every conversation. He documents every bribe, political donation, and every favor or slight.”

“No.” He cleared his throat. “He’s never told me that.”

“I didn’t think so, because if you knew, you wouldn’t be threatening the Vargas Cartel. If the Vargas Cartel goes down, we’ll take you with us. Consider this your one and only warning.”

“And if I don’t heed your warning?”

“Did you hear about the politician in Monterrey who was killed after crossing the Vargas Cartel?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice fractured on the last word.

“Well, let me enlighten you. They draped his skinned face over a statue of a Mexican golden eagle on the front steps of City Hall. Alongside the statute were two garbage bags. One contained his torso and the other contained his legs, arms, and scalped skull.”

“What the hell are you trying to tell me?”

“VC captura y exucutes traidores,” I hissed, saying the words I hadn’t uttered in more than a decade, not since I watched Ignacio’s personal hit team lodge fifty knives in a man. It was the Vargas Cartel’s calling card. Every cartel had one. “The Vargas Cartel captures and executes traitors,” I said, repeating the words in English.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Yes.”

“You’ll never get close enough to me to do a damn thing,” he snapped.

“Maybe not, but I won’t have any trouble getting close to Evan or your wife.”

He sucked in a breath. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t threaten my family.”

“You threatened mine. I’m returning the favor,” I shot back. I might even carry out the threat myself, and if I shared his threats with Ignacio, he wouldn’t hesitate either. Ignacio didn’t rise to the top of the Vargas Cartel by exercising mercy. Senator Deveron underestimated us if he thought we’d roll over and cower to his threats.

Senator Deveron’s heavy breaths echoed through the phone. “What do you want?”

“I want you to stay out of cartel business, and I want you to stay the f*ck out of Hattie Covington’s life.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“Mine. Always mine,” I snapped.