Leighton
Standing in the living room I’d been dragged out of twelve hours earlier felt anticlimactic. Not that I expected a welcome home party from the Houston PD, but the silence that greeted me only served as a reminder that they still had Mateo.
Seeing my brother was the last thing I wanted, so I asked one of the officers to drive me home. As much as I loved Brody, I wasn’t prepared to answer the barrage of questions he’d have.
I surveyed the damage left by the morning’s events. Pieces of broken lamp lay scattered everywhere and chairs had been kicked over as the officers forged their destructive path.
And now I’d forged my own by signing the fucking paper.
I caved and agreed to testify against the man I loved.
Even though I had no plans to follow through with it, just admitting the words to myself made my skin crawl. The satisfaction on Alex’s face still made me stick to my stomach, but he could have his moment. He needed to remember how good it felt because as soon as I figured a way out of this, we were leaving Houston for good.
Kicking my way through the mess, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My face was pale and sullen, my eyes swollen from crying. But it was my clothes that disgusted me the most. The Caliente uniform I wore represented everything I hated, and I wanted to rip it off and burn it in the courtyard.
However, I’d settle for a shower and a pair of scissors.
Stumbling into the bedroom, I turned on the light just as my phone rang. I considered ignoring it, but a sliver of hope bloomed in my heart, causing me to dive toward the nightstand. My hands shook as “unknown” displayed on the caller ID.
Stella...
“Hello?”
“So, we finally meet, Leighton Harcourt.”
I didn’t have to ask who it was. The hypnotic accent and authoritative command in his voice gave him away. “Why, Valentin Carrera, as I live and breathe.”
“For now.”
So, he already knew. Good news traveled fast.
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked, my voice surprisingly calm.
“Do you want me to?”
“It would solve a lot of problems.” The logical side of my brain screamed at me to shut up, horrified at the invitation I just presented. However, the side that had just endured twelve hours of hell had already checked out.
“True, your family has certainly put my business in some unfortunate situations I have to clean up.” Maybe it was the fatigue, but I could’ve sworn I heard a hint of respect in his voice.
“So why are we still having this conversation?”
Apparently my indifference amused him because Val laughed. “Leighton, you are so bound by cartel blood, and you have no idea what the stain on your hands even means.”
I was sure that meant something important, but I’d grown tired of their cartel code bullshit. “In English, please?”
“Your brother is a lieutenant,” he said, as if it were some shocking revelation. “My second is a man who’s willing to defy me to save you. You’re bound to us. Call it a gift or a curse, but for the rest of your life, eyes will be on you.”
It was my turn to laugh. “And that’s supposed to be a good thing?”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you?”
“My wrists were in handcuffs.”
“Better than your head on a wooden stake, yes?”
“Ah, and there’s the veiled threat,” I mocked. “Kudos for waiting this long to throw it out there.” I held my breath. I may have checked out, but even my reckless side knew the kingpin of the Carrera Cartel would only be pushed so far.
“Leighton, this life is not for the soft-hearted. It’s ruthless and criminal, but we take care of our own. That especially includes Mateo.” The ease of our conversation shifted, his tone now deadly and direct. “I’ll say this once. Do not implicate him.”
“That sounds like a warning. What happened to our bond?”
“Your brother saved my life, and I’ll honor my vow to save yours.”
“But?”
“But trust me, I won’t break the one to my cartel to do it.”
“Ha,” I shouted. “Trust. Why should I believe a cartel member?” Val Carrera was probably the last person I should’ve been venting to, but he started it, and desperate times called for psychotic measures. “You want the truth? The man I saw arguing with Luis had a tattoo—some disgusting half skull covered in black roses and shit. The same one I saw on Mateo.”
“Niña tonta,” he muttered under his breath, and it spurred my irritation on even more.
“For the record,” I snapped, “I speak Spanish, and I’m not foolish or a little girl. I am, however, very cautious.”
He sighed. “Do you trust your brother?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“One I’m not sure you know the answer to. Ask him to see his tattoo. Someone has betrayed us, but it’s not those two lieutenants. You’re the key to destroying him.”
I continued hiding behind my brazen audacity. “If I don’t, are you going to kill me too?”
“You’re familia now. We don’t strike our own unless struck first.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, Valentin Carrera. If familia is so important to you, then it’s time to let you in on a little secret I have a feeling you don’t know anything about.”
I sat quietly, listening to Brody plead his case. When he finished, he stared at me, his expression hopeful, and maybe slightly fearful.
Good. He should be scared.
Earlier this morning, he showed up at the townhouse looking and smelling like he’d rolled around in the landfill before taking a swan dive into the sewer. I offered him some soap and water, but he declined, asking for coffee instead. His nervous silence concerned me. Since my surprise call from Val last night, I questioned everyone’s motives.
And after what he just asked me to do, I seriously questioned his sanity.
“You both can go to hell,” I blurted out, swiping my coffee mug from the table and dumping it into the kitchen sink.
Brody shifted in his chair and frowned. “You don’t believe he killed Hector any more than I do.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I snapped, slamming the dishwasher closed.
“Everything, Lil’ Bit. He’s being set up, and you know it. This is the only way to help him.”
He didn’t get it. Maybe in another lifetime this would be what I wanted, but not now. What he was suggesting should be entered into with a promise of love and security, not force and threat. Besides, we weren’t only playing with fire, we were playing with lives.
I threw a heated glare over my shoulder. “I’m not being forced to marry anyone, Brody.”
Leaving his chair, he stood beside me. “If he gets on the stand, they’ll rip the cartel wide open. Me included. But that’s just a small part, Lil’ Bit.”
He didn’t have to say the words out loud. The sorrow in his voice matched the one burrowing its way into my heart. He knew as well as I did that if this went to trial, Stella’s name would be dragged through the tabloids, forever linked with international scandal. She’d never have a normal life. Everything I sacrificed for her would be for nothing.