Page 40 of Cartel Viper


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“A luxury fallout shelter?”

My expression turns grim, and she merely nods. I turn toward the door, but she puts her free hand on my forearm.

“Javi, is this going to make life harder on everyone else? Will they have to do your work for you?”

“There’s nothing coming up that’ll be a burden to anyone else.”

“But you’re your family’s lawyer. Do you have court?”

“No. My calendar is clear for the next three weeks. I can still work from there since we have secure internet. And if anything comes up,TíoEnrique andTíoLuis are both attorneys too. They may not openly practice, but they’re still licensed in New York and New Jersey. I’m replaceable.”

Nails on both of her hands dig into my hand and arm. “Never, ever say that. No, you are not.”

“Shh,chica. I’m not going anywhere. Bets on how fast I annoy you because I’m up your ass.”

“If you’re offering, then how about three hours? Is that long enough for us to get wherever we’re going?”

I stare for a moment before I grin. My free arm wraps around her hips, and I squeeze her ass. I lean in to whisper to her, even though there’s no one to overhear me.

“I’m going to fuck your pretty little mouth, your tight little cunt, and your perfect little ass tonight. Then I’ll do it again in the morning, then the afternoon, then tomorrow night. I’ll do any and all of that whenever I want. Do you know why?”

“Because I belong to you?”

“You are mine to pleasure, Maddy. I want to watch you come while you forget about everything besides us. I want to make you happy.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

“Let’s get on the road. We need to get your stuff from the hotel, and I want to set off well before it gets dark. I told you I wouldn’t push you for more information, and I won’t. But you have the time we take to get to the estate to come up with more of the truth because you won’t enjoy the consequences if you don’t.”

Chapter Twelve

Maddy

Just like Javi told me, we stopped at the hotel. I’ve still been using my sleeping bag rather than mess up the sheets. I have my own towels too, so I’ve left as little trace of me as I can. He helped me wipe down all the surfaces before we headed out to the midsize SUV we’re in now. We aren’t going as far as I assumed, only into Greenwich.

This part of Connecticut lies along the Long Island Sound and about an hour’s drive from Queens with some traffic. It’s like an entirely different world, though. The properties around here are estates, not just houses. They have mansions and are on “grounds,” not front and backyards. As we approach the gate to a particularly secluded one—it’s on a fucking island by itself—I realize my comment about a twelve-thousand square foot mansion wasn’t far off.

We turned off the main road and onto little more than a dirt path that would be easy to miss if you didn’t know what to look for. It turns into a paved driveway as we emerge from a forest and approach a gate. I can see it’s the first of two, the second standing across a causeway. Javi pulls up to what looks like aregular tree, but I realize it has a keypad on it. He punches in the code, and the gate slides open. I watch guards step out of a hut tucked away against the tall brick wall. The two men nod at us.

They’re dressed like the ones who patrol Enrique’s property. They have Kevlar vests and helmets with black fatigues. They’re both armed with high-powered rifles and handguns in thigh holsters. I’m certain they carry knives just like Javi and his family always do. When I see more men like the first two as we approach the second gate, I breathe much easier.

“There are a dozen men who live here full-time. Four are always posted at the gates, and four patrol the grounds while the last four are off-duty. It might seem like a boring assignment, relegated to the middle of nowhere, but very few people in our organization know this place exists. The men stationed here know they’re among our most trusted because we can’t afford anyone to follow them here when they leave. With only a dozen men here, they have to be among our best.”

I swallow because the implications are grave. This place may be the pinnacle of luxury, but it could also feel like a prison. I hope it’s more like a romantic getaway than a secret lair. I don’t know yet. I scan my surroundings as we continue along the driveway until we circle around the side to the six-car garage. I’ve never seen one so large. It’s more like a barn attached to the main house. A guard materializes out of I don’t know where and holds out a remote, pointed toward the garage. One door rises, and Javi pulls in. The moment he’s in park, the door closes.

“Wait.”

I look over at him when he issues the command. I haven’t even unfastened my seatbelt or reached for the door.

“You don’t get out until the door closes. I’ll turn off the engine immediately, and once I do, you’ll know it’s safe.”

I look over my shoulder as the door stops moving. Holy shit. The rule’s in place in case Javi needs to reverse out of here orin case someone or something rolls beneath the door before it closes all the way.

Fucking intense.

Not quite as much as the high-speed chase, but it’s another overwhelming thing to take in today.

I unfasten my seatbelt and reach for the door. He covers my left hand as I pull the handle.