Inevitable (Colombian Cartel Book 3) Page 8

  She also took a couple of pictures of the woman driving the ‘soccer mom’ van. Photos of his wife and children would be all they would need to let the station owner know they were more than willing to take things to the next level. She could only imagine how the man would feel when he realized how close the cartel had gotten to his family.

  How ironic that they were having to break the law to go legit. Roxanne wasn’t naïve enough to believe there would be no more bloodshed. When an organization was going legit that’s when all hell broke loose. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but in the cartel life you never knew what that bitch karma might do. Roxanne hoped like hell it didn’t hit too close to home. No matter how many years she had under her belt in the cartel, the nagging fear was always in the back of her mind, wondering if they would reap what they had sown.

  It would be just like karma to wait until the Ramirez family finally went straight before she dealt a death blow. Roxanne wondered if her family was so close because they all shared the same unspoken fears; things that were too sacred to utter lest your words bring the nightmares to fruition.

  If gangsters had one thing in common, it was that they were all superstitious. For a family who annihilated their enemies without a second thought, they still dealt with fear in their own way. But their enemies weren’t what frightened them. No, it was fear of the unknown, of what the future held, that kept them up at night. But Roxanne believed, right down to the marrow of her bones, that if they all stood strong together they could weather any storm.

  Caden was surprised when Tony pulled up in front of an exotic animal refuge. Tony grinned at her as he cut the engine and turned toward her.

  “The cartel owns this place. We started it and we fund it. My family is full of devoted animal lovers. My aunt, Roxanne, was the one to come up with the idea. My hard ass uncle had it built for her, kind of like her own wildlife Taj Mahal. He is head over heels in love with that woman. After nearly three decades together, he’d still do anything to keep her happy.

  “When we love, Caden, it’s for life and we hold nothing back. It borders on obsession. And we don’t fuck around on our women like a lot of gangsters do. Our wives aren’t just our wives, they’re our best friends. They are our partners in crime—an integral part of what we do. I know my philosophy may appear sexist at first glance, but it’s really not. My family and I believe women have a sixth sense, and we use those powers of intuition to our advantage. The only weakness the Ramirez men have is our women, and even then, we possess them -- whether they want to be possessed or not. Our enemies would like nothing more than to get to us through our women, so we are protective in the extreme. You need to understand that once you’re on our radar, there’s no escaping. You’re prey whether you want to be or not. We don’t know anything but mad love. So, marry me.”

  “Tony. You’re asking me to marry you when we’re going to buy spiders to kill somebody.”

  “Damn straight, I am. There’s nothing normal about me. Why should I propose the way a normal man would? Give me your hand in marriage and I promise you, I’ll rope the moon to keep you happy. I won’t be weak, and I’ll likely be crazy as fuck along the way, but I’ll love you with an everlasting love.”

  “Oh, Tony. You are irre-fuckin-sistable. How could I say no to a man like you? I love you, but I desperately need to change my life. I want you to be part of that change, but I need to know you’re serious here. Will you take care of me? Will you make me yours? Will you make sure I never have to use my body to pay my bills again?”

  “Caden. Baby.” He grabbed her, pulling her more roughly than he intended into his body. “Yes, I will. I want nothing more than to protect you from men using you. Those other guys at The Club fell for Foxy, your stage persona, but that’s not me. I saw you, baby, right from the beginning. I want you – the real you. I want to protect you. I want to make you mine. You are my only weakness, but if it means I get to have you, I’ll be whatever I have to be.”

  “Then let me work with you,” Caden said earnestly. “Don’t keep secrets from me. Treat me as an equal and I’ll say yes. I won’t marry you today or tomorrow, but in the future…yes.”

  Tony pulled her into his arms and kissed the breath out of her. When he pulled away, his smile felt a little patronizing, but Caden shrugged it off and wasn’t going to let it ruin a beautiful moment. There was still a part of her that wasn’t willing to rush into marriage. She told herself that she had a choice, that Tony would accept any answer she gave him -- that she was safe from being forced into marriage. But deep down inside, she knew no Ramirez man would be put off when they wanted something badly enough.

  “You’re more than an equal, you’re the other half of me now and I can’t live without you. Stick with me, baby; together we can rule the world.”

  “You really believe that, don’t you?”

  “Damn straight, I do.”

  “Yes! I’ll marry you, you crazy fuckin’ Colombian gangster”—she rolled her eyes at him—“but not today or tomorrow. In. The. Future.”

  “A conditional yes,” he said quietly, scowling. “Well, it’s not a no, but I’m going to keep asking until you say yes and only yes.”

  It seemed to appease him for now, but for how long remained to be seen.

  Tony hopped out of the SUV and cocked a sardonic brow at her. “Are you ready to meet the ten most venomous animals known to man?”

  “Yeah. I’m just glad none of the ten most venomous creatures known to man are my worst fears.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, baby. I’ll figure that out. I trust you, but it’s better that I have the upper hand. I’m not letting you go anywhere. Like it or not, you belong to me and I will do anything to keep you.”

  “You’ve got me, okay?” she grinned, squeezing his hand. “Now, come on. You’ve got me curious about these spiders. I have to admit, your family buying a refuge for exotic animals is a surprise. How can you guys be so cold as far as cartel business is concerned, and yet so merciful when it comes to animals?”

  “I told you, humans are the most deceitful animals there are, they deserve to be tortured. At least you know where an animal is coming from. Humans are deceitful. They lie. Animals are true to their primal nature. Whether it’s as loving as man’s best friend or as lethal as a mountain lion, they remain true to who they are.”

  “Then let’s go see these primal creatures in all their glory.”

  He came around and opened her door for her, taking her hand in a firm grasp. “Let’s do it.”

  From the moment they entered the refuge, she was impressed. Everything was pristine. The animals weren’t kept in cages but in open environments that mimicked their natural habitats. She approached a glass enclosure for one of the larger habitats and stood mesmerized by a white Bengal tiger. Tony stood behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. The tiger watched them yet meandered around, at ease in the habitat that had been created for him.

  She looked up to see a man dressed in jeans and a faded T-shirt headed their way. His facial features were cut in sharp, severe angles, but his tousled dark brown hair and soft blue eyes gave him a laid back, relaxed look.

  “Don’t let his looks deceive you,” Tony murmured. “He’s one of the deadliest men in our organization. We call him King, because this is his jungle, and, yeah, he’s the king of it. It started out as a joke, but it stuck so we just kept calling him that.”

  “I see you’re filling her in on the history of my nickname,” King said as he ambled up to them. “You must be Caden,” he said, shooting Tony an approving look. “Welcome to my jungle. C’mon, let me show you around.”

  “What got you interested in doing this?” Caden asked.

  “He’s a fucking brainiac,” Tony laughed, answering for him. “He just looks like one of the cool kids. He’s been into studying exotic animals since we were kids in school. Back in the day, we also called him the Tarantula Whisperer. He’s just got a way with creatures of all kinds.”

 
“Very funny, man. Well, here, let me put my glasses on so I’ll look the part.” Caden was surprised to see he looked just as good with the black framed glasses on. She couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t have a ‘partner in crime’, as Tony had worded it.

  As if reading her mind, Tony said, “Now all we have to do is find him a woman.”

  “It’s going to take a certain kind of woman to put up with my line of work. I don’t know many girls who wouldn’t be freaked out by all the spiders and snakes here. Speaking of spiders and snakes, let’s head over here.”

  Caden squeezed Tony’s hand for some much-needed confidence. She wasn’t scared of spiders per se, but she wasn’t eager to get too close either. Their first stop was an aquarium that held a lone fish. He looked harmless enough.

  “This little guy right here”—King tapped the side of the tank and the fish immediately puffed up—“is a puffer fish. Some people consider them a delicacy. Personally, I refuse to eat something that’s going to kill me if it isn’t cooked right. I might know all there is to know about puffer fish, but I don’t know jack about whether the chef knows what he’s doing or not. But, hey, to each his own.”

  “I have to agree with you,” Tony said, eying the fish warily, like he wasn’t convinced it couldn’t get out of the sealed tank.

  They moved along, getting impromptu lessons on poisonous dart frogs, black widow spiders, and deadly snakes. “Your boy, Santiago, likes snakes; fancies himself a collector.”

  “That’s one reason his own cartel is looking for him. When he disappeared, he left all those lovely snakes behind looking for their daddy,” Tony said with a shudder.

  “I can see how that wouldn’t go over well with his men. Now, these little babies?” He pointed toward the collection of spiders. “Our boy is terrified of these. I got something to show you, Tony. Made it myself.” He leaned down and grabbed something from a cabinet beneath the terrarium. When he straightened, he was holding a plastic box with an opening at the top. It was an odd-looking contraption and Caden was eager to hear King’s explanation.

  Tony grabbed it, testing its weight. He studied the craftsmanship, not overlooking any detail. “Plexiglass?”

  “Yep. You wouldn’t want that bad boy breaking and those spiders getting loose. You stick that bastard’s head in this, open the divider, and let those spiders feed on his face and do their job. When they’re done, they’ll move back into the reservoir area and you can seal it back up. Don’t wait too long, though, because his head’s gonna probably swell up and that can get tricky. Then just slide his head out, burn his body, and bring my babies back home in one piece and your job is done. By the way…make sure you count them. This should hold ‘em, but they’re sneaky little suckers and they can get in or out of just about anything. I’m convinced they have cognitive abilities.”

  “What do I do if one gets out?” Tony asked with a scowl.

  “Kiss your ass goodbye.”

  As they were leaving, they passed a terrarium full of cockroaches. Caden jerked her hand free and ran outside around a corner. Tony followed her and when he saw her throwing up, he pulled her hair out of the way. Well, now I know what you’re terrified of. He would wait until later to question her about why she was terrified of something that wasn’t even poisonous.

  “I’m sorry, I need to go to the bathroom.”

  Tony walked her over and waited outside the door for her.

  “That’s a first. I’ve never seen a girl get sick over roaches.” King approached, shaking his head like he just didn’t get it.

  Tony frowned, thinking out loud. “Yeah, there’s something going on there. I’ll find out what it is.”

  “Like I said…it’s a first for me.”

  “Yeah, me too, man.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  William Briggs sat at his desk in the television station, feeling superior and pleased with himself. This wasn’t unusual. It was his natural state. He had done well for himself. He was proud of what he had accomplished in his fifty-three years of living.

  He’d learned a long time ago that television would open doors for him that would take his career to red carpet status. After spending years rubbing elbows with all the right people, he had no intentions of selling out to those thugs. Selling his station to that sort of people as he went into early retirement would ruin the reputation he’d work so hard to build. Hell, no.

  A knock on the door brought him out of his daydream.

  “Yes, come in, Patrice.”

  “Here’s today’s mail, Mr. B.,” she said crisply, smiling the plastic smile that she wore faithfully for her boss and the public.

  “Thank you,” he replied curtly, giving her a nod that served as a silent command to leave. “And close the door, please.”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered smoothly, keeping her counterfeit smile neatly in place. She turned and walked toward the door.

  He flipped through the mail with the casual air of a man who had been at his job for years. It wasn’t until he came to a large manila envelope that he paused, frowning. He turned it over, inspecting it.

  “What’s the story on this one?” he asked with a frown.

  “Oh, well,” she said, turning around and placing her hand on the door jamb. “I came back to my desk after my break and it was on top of the stack of today’s mail. It must have come from the mail room.” With that, she sashayed out of his office to answer an incoming call at her desk.

  He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something ominous about the envelope. No postmark, no return address. Never a good sign. He braced himself for bad news as he slid his engraved letter opener under the fold.

  Nothing could have prepared him for the photos that scattered across his desk. His face flushed and his heartrate shifted into overdrive. They had found his kids at school, followed his wife to the nail salon, and he’d bet they knew where he lived, too.

  Fucking Colombian thugs.

  He hadn’t expected them to make a move this quickly. That rumor about the Ramirez brothers going straight was just that: a rumor. A myth. Once a criminal, always a criminal. By simply sticking to his principles, he had made enemies of two of the most dangerous men in the city.

  Part of him wanted to fold and give the bastards what they wanted. The other part of him wanted to stand up and fight for what was right. What was this need for him to stand up for morality? More importantly, was he willing to sacrifice his family to make a point? He leaned back in his office chair, the leather creaking as he scrubbed his hands over his face and he pondered his choices. These weren’t just street thugs he was up against. These were professionals with all the right connections. At least he knew better than to ask for help from any of the other unsavory elements in the city, like the Russians. All those assholes are in cahoots. Glazov would just force him to sell the station to him so he could set up a diamond jewelry home shopping channel.

  God, he needed a drink. It had to be five o’clock somewhere. He grabbed his suit coat off the hook on the back of his door and lumbered off toward the elevator, calling back over his shoulder, “I’m gone for the day, Patrice. I’ve got some school thing with my kids. Don’t disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered, with her overly bright smile fixed perfectly on her overly made up face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You want to tell me what that was all about?” Tony wasn’t going to let her get out of this without a truthful explanation.

  Caden held the pillow tight to her chest, her legs curled up under her on the bed. If she could ball herself up and disappear, she would. Those roaches had brought back heinous memories she thought she had buried years ago. Then again, maybe finally telling someone would get it off her chest and, more importantly, out of her psyche.

  “You really want to know? Fine,” she said on a deep breath. “If you marry me--”

  “When.”

  “Right. Well, you’re marrying into one hell of a family
, Tony. I hope you’re ready.”

  He sat down next to her on the bed and pulled her close, rubbing her back and ready to listen to whatever she wanted to tell him.

  “My mother was a drunk—brought a different guy home every night. We lived in low-income housing so the cockroaches were just a disgusting fact of life. I remember one night when I was about ten years old, I woke up and one of the bastards she brought home was standing over my bed. I didn’t know much about anything, but I knew he was up to no good. He tried to touch me, so I kicked him as hard as I could and ran into the kitchen. So far so good, right? Well, when I turned on the light, the garbage can was covered with roaches. I mean, you couldn’t even see the can, Tony. It was awful.

  “I guess my screaming woke my mother from her drunken stupor. I think it was the way she reacted that shocked me the most. That bastard was going to attack me and she was screaming that it was my fault—that I was after her boyfriend. What mother does that to a ten-year-old?” Caden looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. “Things got ugly after that. My house was just a house from then on, not a home. I started to, um, develop, and my mom saw me as some kind of competition. A threat, I guess.” She blinked back tears. “I mean, how ridiculous, right? Anyway, I left when I was thirteen and never looked back.”

  “Oh, baby…” Tony murmured into her hair, wishing he could find the fucker who had tried to molest her. He wouldn’t mind finding her mother, either. He wondered if they liked spiders.

  “I barely survived on the streets,” she went on, lost in her own thoughts for a moment before her voice became stronger and clearer. “Then I met Diego. He gave me a place to stay and took care of me. He treated me with respect; he started out in the ‘friend zone’ and was happy to stay there. He was like the protective, big brother I’d never had. He wouldn’t let me strip or waitress until I was twenty-one. After that, he said I was a grown-ass woman and it was my decision, but he didn’t want me working for anybody else. He knew how guys like Santiago treated their women. I think he was probably scared one of his enemies might come after me to get to him.