Page 38 of Cartel Viper (The Cartel Brotherhood #2)

Chapter Nineteen

Javier

What the fuck is he talking about?

I won’t show my confusion or how this rattles me. I cock my left eyebrow instead as I shift the barrel of my gun to aim at the center of his chest.

“You want to know so bad, but you refuse to ask. Tough shit because I refuse to tell.”

“Javi, I thought of something.”

I barely hear Maddy’s whisper as her chest brushes against my back. The feel of any part of her touching me reassures me, but it reminds me at the same time she’s in the middle of a volatile situation. Could Jacob mean more men will be here? Will there be an aerial strike?

I turn my head a fraction of an inch, but she leans closer.

“He has a sixteen-year-old son no one is supposed to know is his. I’ve seen them both barefoot.

The guy inherited Jacob’s webbed toes. It’s a paternal hereditary trait.

I don’t know about cartels, but the mob’s initiation is pretty loose, apparently.

They swear their oath after a needle pricks their right index finger.

For the O’Sheehans, it requires killing someone.

Timmy’s supposed to join officially this month.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Drew tests him and marks a senior rival.

If Drew already knows I’m with you, then he’ll pick someone in your family.

Timmy’s more boy than man. If he can’t get the right target, he might be desperate enough to go after someone he thinks is easy. ”

“My mom or aunts.”

“Yeah.”

“They’re far less forgiving than the men in my family. That kid’s fucked. Jorge?”

“Yeah, I’m calling Tío Enrique right now.”

I remain focused on Jacob, but I hear my brother speaking to our uncle and filling him in on everything. In the near quiet, I hear a whirring sound from above. Jacob laughs as I spot the drone.

“Get Maddy inside!”

I put a bullet through Jacob’s forehead as I step backward, forcing Maddy to do the same lest I step on her. I don’t turn around, but I know my brothers and Maddy do. They’ll shield her as I watch the drone. It could just be surveillance, but I doubt it. I suspect it carries explosives or bullets.

I watch Tómas have the wherewithal to grab José and drag him away from Miguel.

He’s only saving the puta de madre —motherfucker—because he knows I have questions.

It’s not because he cares about his former brother-in-law.

A bullet strikes the ground where José knelt only seconds ago.

While Jorge, Joaquin, and I guide Maddy through open French doors to a family room, Tómas and José lure the drone away.

“What the hell?” Jorge peeks through a window.

“Did it follow them?” I try to see past this shoulder.

“Yeah. But will there be more?”

We can only guess the answer to that, and we all assume it’s yes.

“Your sanctuary’s completely compromised.”

Maddy sounds near tears as I turn toward her. Shame practically vibrates from her. I’d be furious because she’s right, but she doesn’t need to think I blame her.

“It’s just a house.”

The look she shoots me screams she doesn’t believe me. I stay quiet since more platitudes won’t solve this or make her feel better. Joaquin moves next to me before he speaks. I already know he’s thinking the same thing Jorge and I are.

“We need to leave.”

“How?” Maddy looks at all of us before staring out the window.

“Remember the Zodiac I told you about?”

“Won’t that keep us exposed?”

I point out the window toward the left. She can’t see much, but at least she knows which direction I’m talking about.

“See how the island curves toward that cliff? The cove will shelter us until we can get to the cave in that cliff. From there, we have a way out.”

She watches me rather than looks out the window.

She nods, and I know she trusts me implicitly.

There’s no time for that to warm my heart, but it would if we weren’t on the verge of dying.

Joaquin shuts the French doors as Jorge rushes to the security panel.

He enters a code, and metal panels slide down the outside of the window and doors.

They seal every entryway, making the mansion into a fortress.

This is why we have the fully stocked pantry.

In case we go into lockdown. Our uncles and cousins will get the alert, so it surprises neither my brothers nor me when our phones all ring.

Tío Luis calls Jorge while Pablo calls Joaquin, and Tío Enrique calls me.

None of us notice we default to Spanish until Maddy wraps her arms around her waist and appears entirely lost. Without being fluent, there’s no way she can keep up with our rapid conversations. We’re speaking in code, anyway.

I slide my arm around her waist and hurry her toward the door leading to the foyer. Her fingers slip into the waistband of my shorts as though it tethers her to me. It’s as reassuring to me as it is to her.

“Come on, chiquita . We need to get to the basement.”

I hear my tío ’s sharp inhale, and I realize he could still hear me even though I whispered.

“Should a priest meet you here?”

“Give me the chance to propose first.”

I glance down at Maddy unsure if she understood that since it was only a sentence. She doesn’t appear to since she’s focused on keeping up as three men with far longer legs than hers run as we form a circle around her again.

“Fine. Call me when you get there.”

He won’t say the car we have hidden on the mainland just in case someone’s gotten through our jammers and tapped the call or bugged the house.

My brothers and I hang up our calls as we reach the basement door.

Jorge leads with Maddy and me in the middle.

Joaquin secures the door and follows us down.

“This way. Keep holding onto me.”

I felt Maddy freeze when we took the last step because it’s pitch black.

While he was still alive, our father drilled it in Jorge, Joaquin, and me how to navigate the basement in the dark.

We know how many steps it takes to get to the backup generator, the armory, and the tunnel leading out to the water.

I hear the door to the armory open with a quiet whoosh.

Joaquin’ll grab an arsenal. Jorge hands Maddy and me lifejackets when we reach the hidden pocket door to the tunnel.

They’re stored outside the tunnel, so anyone donning them has time to do it while running toward the sea gate.

Like the armory, this door requires a code and biometrics.

“You won’t get separated from me this way or bump into the walls.”

I scoop Maddy over my shoulder, and she once again grips my shorts’ waistband. We make our way along the tunnel until we meet bright sunlight. Joaquin has better vision than anyone I’ve ever met. He peers through the metal gate that looks like it guards a prison cell.

“We need to wait. I see two of them. They likely have infrared, so they’ll see us once it’s dark, but it’ll be easier to hide in the shadows.”

“That’s at least five hours. We can’t wait that long.” I look at Maddy, who I set on her feet, so we can both don our lifejackets.

“I’m all right.”

It’s cold and damp down here, and neither she nor I are wearing enough layers.

But I worry about her since she’s still underweight.

Maybe it’s an old wives’ tale, but I don’t want her getting sick.

Jorge must think the same thing because he passes her his suit coat.

We all slide down to the floor, but I lift her onto my lap.

Her eyes widen as she tries to look at my brothers.

I wrap the jacket around her and ease her head against my shoulder.

Her arms wrap around me as she huddles for warmth. She’s already chilled.

“We can wait until the sun moves. It’ll put the cove and cliffs in the shadow. We don’t have to wait until dark. We just have to keep our movement to a minimum on the boat.” Jorge offers the compromises, and the rest of us nod.

“Rest, chica . I don’t think you’ve slept well in ages.”

“I haven’t.”

I stroke up and down her back and over her ass until she relaxes.

I tilt my head back to lean against the wall reinforced with concrete.

It’s smooth against my shoulders, so I force myself to take my own advice.

I shut my eyes and listen to the ocean. We know from experience that Joaquin takes the first shift for lookout, then me, then Jorge.

We never intended to go by age; we just always have.

“Maddy?”

“I’m awake.”

“It’s my watch. I need to move closer to the gate.”

It’s been an hour, so I need to take my turn.

“It’s fine. Stay there.” Jorge nudges his chin toward Maddy as he stands.

“Jorge—”

“Madeline, don’t worry. He’ll make it up to me.”

“I’m not giving you my Porsche.”

“You have two. Mamá says you need to learn to share.”

“You can have last year’s Lego set.”

“You must really love me.”

Maddy looks up at me and grins. She knows I’ve always liked fast cars, but giving up any of my Lego sets is the ultimate sign of devotion to my brother. I just have to remind him he’s the little brother, so I’ll only give him one I’ve already assembled.

Jorge exchanges places with Joaquin, and I keep my arms around Maddy.

Having her in my lap calms me. I can physically shield her if need be, but having her close reassures me she’s unharmed despite the attack.

With the suit coat around her, no one can see her hand slip under my shirt.

She grazes her nails up my abs before resting her palm on my heart.

She kisses behind my ear before she whispers.

“Daddy, your mind might be a little relaxed, but your body’s still tense. I feel completely safe here. I’m not scared anymore. If you won’t let me blame myself for what’s happening, then I won’t let you do the same. Your legs are like steel plates under my sore ass.”

I gaze down at her in the dim light, and I inhale as I make my body soften as much as it can.

“Mmm. Still rock hard.”