Page 51 of Cartel Viper (The Cartel Brotherhood #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Javier

“ Hermano , it could be worse. We could be over on that side.”

Jorge jerks his chin toward the oncoming traffic.

It’s the end of rush hour, and there are far more people coming on to Long Island than leaving it.

So at least we’re on the reverse side of traffic.

But it still doesn’t feel like we’re moving nearly fast enough.

Even though Tía Elle lived not far from where she and Tío Enrique now live, it’s still over an hour’s drive from Long Island to that neighborhood in northern New Jersey when there isn’t traffic.

We’re nearly at two hours since we left the bodega.

I’m waiting for Joaquin to give me more information. He’s had me on hold without any shitty elevator music to distract me.

“Joaquin, come on. Is there nothing else you can find?”

“I’m digging, but I can’t make the internet move faster than the internet’s going to move.

I found banking records. I can see who’s paying them.

From the leapfrogging I did, it looks like the Tremblays have done some deals with them recently.

My guess is the Canadians are only doing it as a favor for Shane, and some of that money will make its way to the O’Rourkes rather than staying with the O’Sheehans.

I can see money going out. My guess would be for the shipment they just got last week from their brethren in Ireland. ”

They must be smuggling more whiskey than we realized. Booze or guns is what usually comes in through the Irish. Not exactly the most original.

“What about who just attacked them? Can you get into any of the CCTV’s feeds?”

“There aren’t any around them. It’s a residential area.”

It’s not like I ever want us to be captured on a recording, but there are times when it would be great if the tri-state area was covered in cameras like half of Europe. Since we tap into all the city’s surveillance cameras, having more would be useful.

“I need confirmation it’s Drew who went after them and not somebody connected to Tía Elle and her old life.”

Jorge snorts. “It’s not like you have ever believed in coincidences.”

I glare at my younger brother.

Even though I’m sitting next to him, I can see him frown and roll his eyes as he speaks. “What part of any of this makes you think it’s a coincidence? Sure, somebody could come out of the woodwork after Tía Elle, but it seems pretty unlikely when you consider what’s going on right now with Maddy.”

None of us want to say wishful thinking since none of us would ever want something to befall our aunt. But lord knows we wouldn’t be surprised if a ghost from her past life came back to haunt her—there’s enough of those.

“Our guys gave me the plates already, but as you’d expect, they’re coming back fake, so it’s taking me a moment. Javier, I know you need this yesterday, but I can only go as fast as I can go.”

That’s the second time he’s basically reminded me this situation isn’t entirely under our control.

No shit, Sherlock. But I can’t say that to my brother.

It won’t get us anywhere, and there’s no need to be mean when he’s already trying to help me.

We can only do what we can do. But I feel like climbing out of my skin as I wait to see Maddy.

There’s a beep on the call, and I look over at the screen on my dash. Jorge and I exchange a quick glance.

“Joaquin, I gotta call you back. It’s that fucking piece of shit.”

“O’Sheehan?”

“Yeah.”

“All right. Talk to you soon.”

What the fuck could this piece of crap have to say that isn’t just going to piss me off more? I hang up with my brother and click over to the new call. Before I can even say anything, he’s laughing hysterically.

“Not a good day for you, is it, amigo ? You’ve already lost one home. You’re about to lose a second, and she’ll be taking my cock up her ass before she falls asleep tonight sucking on it.”

I look over at Jorge, but he’s concentrating on the road as we merge onto a different highway.

If he’s saying we’re going to lose a second house, does he not know where Maddy actually is because Tía Elle doesn’t own that home anymore? It’s not ours to lose.

Does he think she’s at Tío Enrique and Tía Elle’s?

Does he think she’s at my place?

Where’s he targeting next?

“The shirt she was wearing earlier was much cuter than what she has now. Her bony ass barely fills out anything, but what she’s wearing now looks like shit on her. I’ve seen scarecrows with better bodies than hers. Those drawstring pants couldn’t be pulled tight enough since she has no ass.”

He’s goading me, but I refuse to take the bait.

I won’t respond at all, even though everything in me wants to scream she’s the most beautiful woman alive.

That if she was that unattractive, then he wouldn’t want to touch her.

But I know his comments are about control.

If he were to get near her, anything he did would also be about control and not just lust.

It’s disconcerting as fuck for him to know the type of pants Maddy’s wearing. To see there are drawstring means someone got awfully close. It makes me wonder if he had more drones. It almost reminds me of the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz .

“You’re wondering how I know so much. You’re wondering how I got so close to her.”

It’s not like I think he reads my mind the same way Maddy does. These are obvious things anybody would wonder in this situation.

“She may have hidden from me for a while, but now that I’ve found her, I won’t let her go. There’s nowhere she can eat or sleep, even breathe without me seeing her. She’s been mine, and she still is mine.”

He’s still prodding me, but I bite my tongue, hoping the more I let him speak, the better the chance is he reveals something we can use. Even though Jorge’s focused on the road, I know he’s listening just as keenly as I am. There has to be something he lets slip.

“You might have enjoyed her tight little cunt for a couple of days, but I’ve been fucking her for four years.

And I’ll be fucking her until I decide to squeeze the life out of her.

You’re a kinky fucker, so I bet you’ve already wrapped your hands around her throat.

I’ll do the same, except one of these times I won’t let go.

She betrayed me, and there’s no going back.

How you could want a bitch like her is beyond me.

If she’s willing to tell my secrets, then she’d tell yours too. ”

“You believe I already know things about you and your family. If that’s the case, then antagonizing me isn’t a good idea. I could just use what she’s told me against you.”

He practically cackles. “Who traded who? Was it sex for secrets or secrets for sex? My bet is she was ready to jump your bones the moment she saw you. She’s always been a slut. Did you know she likes being watched?”

My right hand curls into a fist where it rests on the door’s armrest. I don’t know all of Maddy’s sexual past, and I don’t want to.

I definitely don’t want to discuss mine with her, but I couldn’t care less how many guys she’s been with.

And the idea of being watched isn’t something foreign to me.

I’m not thrilled at the idea of anyone seeing her naked, but if that’s something she’s into, we can discuss it.

Those thoughts aren’t ones I would share with anyone—not even my brothers or cousins who are my best friends.

I continue to wait out Drew to see if he tells me anything more useful.

“I can see Elodie. She knows we’re here now. One of my guys must have tripped a sensor somewhere. I’ve heard she shoots better than anyone in your family.”

“My aunt shoots better than anyone I’ve ever met. If she’s looking out the window, then she already has her eye on her targets.”

“That may be, but there are a lot more of my men than there are her. All it will take is one bullet through that window, then we’ll be in the house.”

I know there’s no way my aunt has left herself exposed to be shot through the window. Maybe she wanted them to see motion in whatever room she’s in, but she definitely hasn’t allowed herself to become a target.

“It’s a good thing her dog isn’t here, otherwise, one of my guys would have already shot the beast. Fucking Cujo.”

Constantine is the furthest thing from that rabid dog in the movie. He’s a total gentle giant, but I wouldn’t test him by getting too close to my tía .

“She may have taken the time to unlock the gate, but we had no reason to. Our men are already up and over. I can see them in the living room. We took out the guards following them already. Now there’s no one to protect those two bitches.

It’s just a matter of time before we get into the basement.

I’m sure that’s where Elodie has the cunt. ”

He could be making up this play-by-play because he’s given me nothing specific.

Or these are things that could be happening in real time.

I have no way of knowing, especially not when he described Maddy’s outfit.

He’s still rambling as I notice lights flashing in the side-view mirror.

I shift my gaze from straight ahead to looking at the cops approaching us.

I hit the mute button, letting Drew continue to ramble.

“Fucking hell, this is the last thing we need.”

“I’m doing the best I can, but I’m doing thirty over the speed limit and weaving through traffic.”

“I know I’m not blaming you, but of all our fucking luck.”

“Jav, they won’t follow us into Jersey. Once we cross over, you know I can lose them on the side streets before they can radio in for a squad car to follow us.”

I keep switching my gaze between looking out the windshield and peering in the side-view mirror, then glancing at my phone. I’m texting Pablo to get men over to Elle’s house.

Me

Elle’s house is under attack. Get men from tío’s over there.

Pablo

We know. We got the alert. Men are already headed over there.

Me

How far out are they?

Pablo

Less than a minute.

Me