A glint flashed in Val’s eyes. “Do you mean that?”
I didn’t like the way this conversation was going. Something felt off. Like a sizzle running along an invisible current. Adriana was too confident, and Val was too agreeable. A combination as natural as oil and water.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“Muy bien. Then I want you to go to Guadalajara.”
“What?”
Val smiled. “This is where you heard this Ignacio name in the first place, yes?”
“Well, yes, but you can’t expect me to—”
“Good,” he said, cutting her off. “Then it’s settled. You’ll leave first thing in the morning. You grew up there. You know the area better than anyone. Find out what you can and report back.”
“What will walking into enemy territory prove? That I’m suicidal?”
“No, that you have no lingering Muñoz loyalty, and you’re completely invested in keeping the Carreras in power.”
I couldn’t blame him. It was a dick maneuver, but a shrewd one. Besides, at least with Adriana gone, I didn’t have the black cloud of her threat hanging over my head.
“Fine.” The word crawled out of her throat like a beast trying to claw free from her chest. Pushing past me, she stomped toward the front door. “Whatever it takes, brother.”
“Adriana…” Hearing Val call her by her given name, she froze, her hands fisting by her sides. “I’m not a stupid man. While I’m willing to give you a chance due to the blood we share, I’d be foolish to trust you because of the same reason. Our mother gave love unconditionally, while our father used it as a weapon. Where your genetics fall remains to be seen, and until then, I can’t put anything past you, especially betrayal.”
“So, what are you going to do?” she taunted, popping a hand on her hip. “Send a group of spies to report back to you?”
“Close. I’m sending Brody.”
Chapter Thirteen
Adriana
I spun around so fast the room blurred. “I’m not going anywhere with him.” To make my point clearer, I flung an arm in Brody’s general direction.
“Over my dead…” A low grunt broke his protest as the back of my hand slammed against his chest, “…body.”
The stealth of his movement and the sudden impact caught me off guard. Without thinking, I turned away from Val and stared blankly where my hand still pressed against his chest. Even through the layers of his pretentious suit, the hard muscle molded against my hand, and my head filled with flashes of being pressed against a wall.
The sound of a throat clearing broke the moment, and all eyes turned toward Val. He stood with one arm crossed over his chest, stroking his chin with the other, his eyes bouncing between us.
He said nothing. In fact, the entire room had gone silent.
Jerking my hand away from Brody, I ignored the heat burning my cheeks and scowled at both of them. “No.”
Well, that sounded convincing.
Val quirked an eyebrow. “No?”
“No.” Why did my voice sound all breathy? Squaring my shoulders, I tried again with more conviction. “I work alone.”
“And I sure as hell don’t want to babysit her.”
I inhaled slowly, forcing myself not to turn around and punch him in the face.
“Val, come on,” Brody protested, stepping in front of me like a damn caveman. “That’s not feasible. I can’t drop everything and spend God knows how long in Guadalajara. I have an entire stateside operation to run, in case you’ve forgotten.”
I stared at the back of his head like it had grown horns.
Insubordination. I would’ve shot him on sight.
Apparently, Mateo had the same thought. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the room and stood beside Val, his hand disappearing under his black leather jacket. However, Val held up his hand and Mateo’s relaxed, dropping to his side.
“I’m sure you’ve left it in capable hands with Rafael,” he said, his tone slow and calculated. “Besides, you owe me for the mess you made in San Marcos, don’t you think?”
Brody’s face blanched. “Val—”
“I’m the boss of this cartel. It’s time you remember you take orders, not give them, lieutenant.”
A tense silence filtered around the room, and for once in my life, I didn’t know what to say. All eyes were on Brody, and all ears waited on his response. I had no idea what happened in San Marcos, but his entire body language changed at its mention. The fight drained out of him, his shoulders dropping, as if those two words carried the weight of a mountain.
I’d found another chink in his armor, and I tucked it away for later.
Lifting my eyes, I met Brody’s tortured gaze, but it wasn’t focused on my face. It was locked below my chin with a resigned intensity so strong it commanded my body without my permission. As he stared, my fingers brushed over the scarred skin at the base of my neck. I swallowed hard, the moment uncomfortably intimate.
Too intimate.
It was like he saw through my scars and forced his way into forbidden territory. My fingertips danced along my chilled skin, and as my hand shook, he caught my eye.
A simple glance.
No smirk. No wink. No words.
Just silent acknowledgment of an unintended show of weakness.
Pulling his eyes away from me, Brody stepped forward and settled them on Val. “Message received, boss. However, there’s no way Adriana can get inside Muñoz walls after they—”
“After they found out I was a Carrera,” I interrupted, commanding Val’s attention. “It’s all about protecting the bloodline…right, brother?”
Brody glanced back at me with a question in his eyes I ignored.
My words hung in the air, and Val’s grip on his glass tightened. Lines sank deep into his chiseled face, and the corners of his eyes pulled downward. “Adriana, I want to believe you. For almost a year, I’ve tried to find you. I…” His voice trailed off, and he lifted his glass, draining half of it. When he spoke again, his voice was clipped, all emotion on his face erased by the hardened mask of a ruthless leader. “My men will ensure you have all you need. I’ll expect regular updates.”
Without another word, he finished what was left in his glass, slammed it onto the marble bar, and stormed out of the room.
Mateo started after him, then paused, turning back toward us. As usual, his expression held both the unreadable secrets of an exclusive brotherhood and the transparent loyalty that said he wouldn’t hesitate to take us both down to protect them. “Try not to kill each other. I’ll be back to show you to your rooms.”
Brody and I stared after him, speechless for what seemed like forever. Scrubbing my hands over my face, I slumped against the wall, slowly sliding down until my ass hit the floor.
Well, that went well.
A shadow crossed in front of me. “Why wouldn’t you let me tell Val they hurt you?”
Every muscle in my body coiled as I peered up at him through a small space between my index and middle fingers. “Even though he doesn’t trust me, he wouldn’t have let me go if he knew.” Dropping my hands, I rolled my head against the wall and gazed up at him with a half-hearted smirk. “Come on, even a former Muñoz knows Val’s strict code against violence toward women. I told you I want to prove myself, and I meant it. If this is the way I have to do it, then so be it.”