I held my breath. I could hold my own with Dumb and Dumber; however, as confusing as my feelings were for him, Val Carrera was a volatile man. By the way he shoved me aside like an outgrown pair of shoes moments before, that much was clear. If his lieutenants convinced him I’d somehow betrayed him, the consequences could be deadly.
Val caught my eye and held it far too long for my liking. “Impossible. I screen all outsiders personally. No one has access to that information.” He shook his head, effectively dismissing their suggestion. “From now on, no phone conversations about anything, am I understood?”
“Yes, boss.” Both men agreed.
“We communicate in person or not at all. No one gets shipment details but the three of us, or any details of my location. The next attack won’t be a close call. It’ll be an exact hit from either a Muñoz or a Columbian bullet.” A strange look crossed Val’s face as he directed a stare at Mateo. “If they succeed, by two witness rule, you’re to take control of this cartel.”
Mateo’s eyes widened with dark undertones. “Boss, that’s not going to happen—”
“Yes, or no, Mateo? Do you accept, or do I need to find someone who can make a decision?”
Evidently, rank presided over friendship in cartel warfare.
“Si.”
“Bien.” Seemingly overpowered by sudden fatigue, Val rose from his chair and nodded to the two men. “That’ll be all.”
“But, boss,” Emilio protested, gesturing to his bloody limbs. “You need to see the doc.”
Thedoc? Who the hell wasthedoc? Did they have their own?
Must be the shithead vet with the endless supply of M99.
“Yes, Emilio, I realize that,” he commented, glancing at his tattered clothing. “But not today. It’s got to be close to four o’clock in the goddamn morning, and I’m exhausted. It’s nothing that can’t be tended to in a few hours.”
“Boss…”
“Now!”
With a dip of their chins, both men rose from the table, and keeping their heads down, exited through the front door without another word.
Interesting.
I would’ve fought harder for him to seethe doc.
Of course, after the cold shoulder and brush-off I got at the door, I was hardly in any position to push for a ‘how do you do,’ much less demand medical attention for a drug lord.
“Well, glad to see you’re alive and in one piece.” Antsy and awkward, I rubbed my damp palms down my legs. Risking a glance up, I caught Val eyeing my bare thigh.
In a bold move, I’d showered in his bathroom. Stealing his razor, I’d attempted to get rid of the small forest that had grown on my legs during my imprisonment. Rummaging through his bag, I chose a pair of black boxers, rolled down until they hung low on my hips, and a black button-down shirt that smelled of his cologne.
As pissed as I was right now, I’d kill for a parka and a poncho.
“Are you?”
“What kind of question is that? You think I want you dead?”
“Not many people would blame you.” Pinning me with a deadly stare, he grunted as he reached behind him and grasped his t-shirt, pulling it over his head in one swift jerk.
“What are you doing?” The man was a master manipulator and knew how to push my buttons. Figuring out whether we were having a civil conversation or if he was trying to bait me proved impossible.
He paused, his bloody shirt balled in his hands. “I’m getting dressed for dinner at the White House,Cereza. What the hell does it look like I’m doing? I need to shower. Almost being blown up will do that to you.”
I forced my stare away from his defined abs and narrow hips. “Right. Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Blowing a rough breath out, I took two steps toward the room I’d been sleeping in, when a strong hand wrapped around my upper arm.
“Eden, wait. You know I couldn’t let my men see that side of us.”
Pride overrode the electricity from his touch. “What? No friendly pat-down this time? Maybe you’d prefer a fist-bump, instead?” Smirking, I held out my fist in front of his bare chest, poised and ready. When he just stared at me, I pursed my lips, and raised it higher. “You just going to leave me hanging,bro?”
