Mateo dipped his chin. “Brody.”
Adriana stood motionless beside me as Val made his way toward us. I followed his gaze, identical eyes meeting for the first time in over a year.
“Marisol.” He spoke the name slowly, as if tasting the word on his tongue.
“Adriana,” she corrected, not an ounce of fear in her tone. I didn’t particularly like the woman, but I had to admit, hearing her talk back to Val Carrera did something to me.
Something that, if I didn’t get under control, would embarrass all of us real soon.
Instead of launching into his usual tirade about respect and authority, the corners of Val’s mouth curled in the barest hint of a smile. “Of course. Adriana. My mistake.”
“Where’s Eden?”
Fuck.
Yeah, I thought it, but I sure as hell didn’t mean to say it. The words just slipped out, and as soon as they did, I wanted to stuff them back down my throat.
Mateo raised a questioning eyebrow, and if looks could kill, Val’s narrowed stare would’ve incinerated me to dust.
“My wife is out.”
I heard the meaning behind the words loud and clear.
Stay away from her, asshole.
“Besides, I thought it would be best that Eden not be here when she arrived,” he added, nodding toward Adriana.
Adriana opened her mouth to object, but I stomped on the toe of her high heel, causing her to swallow a muffled groan instead.
“Of course,” I answered for her.
While Adriana shot me death glares, Val headed into a sitting area to our right and straight for the fully stocked bar nestled in the corner of the room. Filling a stem glass full of what I knew to be añejo tequila, he placed one hand on the marble and drank leisurely before saying a word.
“So, Adriana, I suppose I should welcome you home.”
I glanced at Mateo who simply shrugged. This whole situation was a grenade waiting to explode, and at any moment, either Carrera sibling could pull the pin. To prevent a disaster, I did the only thing I knew she couldn’t resist. I stared hard into her gold-flecked eyes and dared her to play his game.
Adriana Carrera never backed down from a challenge.
And judging by her defiant stare, it was game on.
She turned a brittle smile Val’s way. “Thank you for having us.”
We stood in silence for a moment, each of us staring at the other, unsure of what to do or what to say. Finally, Val offered her a curt nod and motioned for us all to sit, breaking the tension.
“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to catch up later, but Brody tells me that we have pressing business to discuss. My men have heard rumblings of a new leader attempting to reassemble the Muñoz Cartel, but no one has managed to gather useful intel on him. I believe you have some information for me.”
Her hands tightened by her side. “Yes. I have the name of the man in charge of restructuring them.”
“I’m all ears.”
He wasn’t the only one. Since returning from Chicago, I’d waited to hear the name of the man who stole my shipment and set this whole thing in motion. The man who’d made enemies of two powerful crime syndicates then opened the door for the woman who stood beside me to hold my life in the palm of her hand.
“His name is Ignacio.”
Taking a slow drink of tequila, Val studied her while running a thumb over his beard. “Ignacio…what?”
“That’s all I know.”
Val cocked his chin toward me, a smug smile twisting his lips. “That’s all she knows.”
I whipped my head around, clenching my fists just to keep from wrapping them around her neck. “You lied to me?”
“Brody, I—”
“You told me you had inside information Val had to know in person. I put my reputation, not to mention my life on the line for you!”
Her cheeks flushed. “If you would just listen to me for a damn—”
A low chuckle from across the room caused us both to turn just as Val set his empty glass on the bar. “Well, this has been enlightening, but if you two will excuse us, Mateo and I have real intel to find before shit gets out of control.”
“Val,” I called after him.
He paused at the entrance to the sitting room. Tipping his chin over his shoulder, he leveled a hard stare at Adriana. “Brody will make sure you get back to Houston safely.”
“You need me.”
“Adriana!” I was going to fucking kill her.
Provided she didn’t get me killed first.
Val held up his hand. “No, let her speak, Brody. I’m intrigued.” Taking a few steps back into the room, he locked his hands behind his back. “And why would I need you?”
I’d seen grown men fall to their knees under the predatorial hunt of Val Carrera. He stalked, they retreated. However, Adriana didn’t back down. She lifted her chin and met him eye to eye.
Carrera to Carrera.
“I’m the only one who knows the inner workings of the Muñoz Cartel and how they operate. To find Ignacio—to figure out who he is and stop him—you need me. If you send me back to Houston this little scavenger hunt of yours will take three times as long.”
Little scavenger hunt.
Mateo and I locked eyes across the room, and this time it was my turn to shrug. I had no idea what she thought she was doing. I wasn’t a pussy. I’d walked into massacres unarmed. I’d taken more lives than I could remember. I’d outsmarted some of the world’s most sophisticated criminals. But not once had I mocked a cartel boss to his face.
And even though I knew allowing the repercussions for her actions to play out would solve most of my problems, I found myself standing in front of her.
I made myself a goddamn human shield.
For Adriana fucking Carrera.
“She doesn’t mean that.”
Adriana shoved her way around me. “Don’t answer for me like I don’t have a brain. I meant every word of it. He needs me, and he knows it. The three of you can stand around here congratulating yourselves on how big your dicks are, or you can go on the offensive and strike first. It’s your choice.”
If and when we made it back to Houston, I’d kill her myself.
Slowly.
“Val,” I started, raising a hand. “Call your driver. I’ll take care of this myself and make sure she never—”
“She’s right.”
“What?” I whipped my head around sure I’d heard him wrong.
“She’s right,” he repeated. “By the time I tracked this pinche cabrón down, the damage he might inflict on us could cripple our distribution channels and our infrastructure. We need to end him, and we need to do it now.”
Mateo raked a hand over his long hair and let out a harsh breath. “So, what do we do?”
Val never took his eyes off Adriana. “We strike first.”
Unbelievable.
Adriana managed to do something very few ever accomplished. She forced her way into the inner circle of two cartels and dragged me along with her. If she succeeded in drawing out the Muñoz organizer, my position within the cartel would be solidified.
If she failed…
Well, I didn’t care to think about that.
Adriana fought a smirk as she dipped her chin. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”