The Vargas Cartel Trilogy (Vargas Cartel #1-3)(98)

Rever rolled his eyes, trying to brush off my criticism, but I could see his anger. His shoulders tensed, and his jaw muscles twitched. “They won’t cross me. I’ve done this a few times before, and they know what happens if they snitch or fail to pay.”

I snorted. “So this is a consistent side job for you?”

“Look.” He raised his hands in front of his chest. “I’ve done it two or three times in the past. It gave me an income independent from Ignacio and the Vargas Cartel.”

“That’s what jobs are for.”

“Don’t lecture me. You’re basically a political hit man.”

I slapped my open hand on top of the dresser. “I don’t kill people.”

“I don’t believe you, and you know what? I don’t give a shit how you earn your money, but don’t judge me. If you’d grown up under Ignacio’s thumb, you wouldn’t have a third of the freedoms you had growing up or even now. He’d be riding your ass every day about every small detail like he still does with me.”

I gritted my teeth. I didn’t want to have this conversation with Rever. He blamed Ignacio for every perceived slight. He needed to start taking responsibility for his actions instead of using the victim card at every opportunity.

“When are you supposed to get the money?” I asked, purposely changing the subject.

“The drugs have already been delivered to the Mexican Mafia, and they’re supposed to pay me tomorrow or the next day. Then, I’m done. I should net over a million and half dollars.”

“How are you getting the money?”

“They’re wiring some of the money to various accounts I’ve set up around the world. Panama. Andorra. Cayman Islands. Just to name a few. Then, I have a contact who will exchange the rest of the money for gold and diamonds. I’ll trade the gold and diamonds for cash in Panama and buy a house for Anna and me.”

I nodded absently. He described the two most common techniques for laundering money. “Are you meeting with the Mexican Mafia again?”

Rever yanked on the collar of his t-shirt. “No. We’re done. All the arrangements have been made.”

I blew out a breath and took a couple of steps to the door. “It’s almost morning. I’m going back to bed.”

He cleared his throat. “You’re still going to help me, right?”

“I can’t talk about this anymore. I need to cool off first and wrap my head around everything you told me. Go to bed, and we’ll talk in the morning.” I cracked open the door.

“Am I allowed out of my room?”

I glanced over my shoulder with narrowed eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Princess Hattie is sleeping over tonight, right?”

“What are you getting at?”

“You don’t want us to meet.”

I leaned my shoulder into the doorjamb. “You’re right, but it’s unavoidable. She’s going to be staying here for a while. Just leave her alone, and you can stay here.”

“Qué chingados?” he growled, his nostrils flaring. “You can’t trust her with all the shit going down right now. You hardly know her.” He shook his head. “It’s crazy. She could turn on you in a second and sing like a canary to every government agency under the sun.”

I spun around. My hands clenched, I prowled forward until I stood inches from his face. I shoved my palm against his chest, and he stumbled backward, bumping into the edge of the mattress. I wanted to hit him, but I smothered the urge. Giving Rever a black eye or a bloody nose wouldn’t solve anything. Besides, he’d fight back, and I didn’t want to wake Hattie up because I couldn’t keep my fists to myself.

“?Cállate!” I yelled, switching to Spanish.

“Bastardo,” he hissed as he grabbed my wrist and pushed my hand away from him. “No me toques.”

“I don’t care what you want or don’t want. Don’t talk about Hattie. Don’t talk to Hattie. You got that? You don’t know anything about her. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

He breathed hard through his nose, and his chest heaved with barely concealed rage. “She’ll complicate everything. You know it, and I know it.”

“Yeah, well, so did your dumbass relationship with Anna. If you’d stayed away from her and kept your dick in your pants, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

I walked out of the room without waiting for his answer. He’d never admit any wrongdoing, and he’d never apologize unless I held a gun to his head.





Chapter Eighteen




Hattie



I woke to the sound of hushed voices outside of Ryker’s bedroom. I couldn’t make out any of the words, which meant he didn’t want me to overhear the conversation. Resting on my elbows, I stared at the ceiling and the walls, absorbing the minimal details of his bedroom. Similar to the rest of his apartment, it didn’t have any personal effects.

No pictures.

No artwork.

No books or scattered papers.

Just the bare necessities.

Would Ryker always be a mystery? Occasionally, I glimpsed pieces of him beneath his mask, but as quickly as those moments materialized, they disappeared. Just as I thought I’d gained ground, something happened to make me realize I didn’t know much of anything. I shook my head to dispel my morose thoughts. Things were getting better.