Ignacio sighed. “You haven’t spent much time with me in the last ten years, but the cartels have changed. Sometimes their crimes and viciousness shock the hell out of me, and I thought I’d seen everything. I hate to tell you this, but I know how Juan thinks, and he believes Hattie and Anna are disposable.”
Rage and fear collided in my chest. My hands shook. I stuffed them into my pockets as I walked to the window to get my emotions under control. I needed to be composed and clearheaded. Knee jerk reactions wouldn’t save Hattie.
I leaned my forehead against the window. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky and the trees were stagnant, almost frozen in time. Cars packed the two-lane street. Horns honked, and music spilled from their open windows. People strolled along the sidewalk, talking, laughing, joking, and living their lives as if they didn’t have a care in the world. In comparison to me, they probably didn’t. As much as I hated everything about my life, I would spend a hundred lifetimes in hell to give Hattie and our baby the life they deserved. And if living in misery guarantied her happiness, I would do it without regret for the rest of my days.
“I know things have changed since the last time I dabbled in cartel business with you and Rever, but I won’t abandon her.” I spun around. “It’s my fault she’s in Mexico. I left her unprotected while I helped Rever. I should’ve brought her to the Vargas compound until it was time to catch our flight, but I didn’t think the Alvarez Cartel knew about her. I thought they’d be focused on Rever and Anna, not Hattie or me.” I tugged on the cuffs of my shirt. My gut burned like I’d drank too many shots of Tequila on an empty stomach. “I didn’t fucking think.”
“You’re right. You didn’t think.” Ignacio angled his chin to the side. “Juan Alvarez isn’t an amateur. Not by a long shot. He has informants too.”
“Who the hell would tell that two-bit piece of shit anything? He’s got two fucking shipping routes. He’s not powerful. He doesn’t have much influence beyond a couple of small towns in your territory.”
“Loyalties shift and bend every day. Juan’s smart. He’s been in this business for over a decade. You have to assume your enemy knows everything you know or you’ll be caught with your pants down.”
“Nobody knew Hattie was with me except you, Emanuel, and Rever.”
“Exactly. Rever probably told a couple of friends and Anna Alvarez.” His face scrunched up when he said Anna’s name. “That’s as good as telling the whole goddamn world. You might as well have left a note with Hattie’s picture and location on the church steps when you and Rever took her.”
“What’s wrong with telling Anna? She’s not going to tell her family anything. She wanted to get the hell away from them.”
Ignacio raised one eyebrow. “I don’t believe that for one second. Anyone with the last name of Alvarez cannot be trusted. If you had consulted me, I would’ve told you to let her rot in hell. I don’t know for sure, but I’d bet my half of my fortune that Anna’s jerking Rever around. She won’t marry him. Hell, I bet she can barely tolerate him.”
My brows flattened. “How can you talk about her like that? She’s carrying your grandchild.” His words didn’t jive with the father I knew. Family meant everything to Ignacio, and Anna would be part of his family any day now. Rever planned to marry her as soon as possible.
He snorted. “I’ll believe it when I have the paternity test in my hands. From the little I know about Anna Alvarez, that kid she’s carrying could belong to a half dozen men.”
I shifted on my feet. “Rever was pretty confident it was his.”
“Because Rever is a dumbass. He spent the majority of the last three or four months in prison or with you. The timing doesn’t add up.”
“He came back to Mexico for a while,” I argued, even though I was starting to believe Ignacio had a point. This whole thing could’ve been a set-up and the Alvarez Cartel played Rever or Rever played me. The thought caused my stomach to knot with anger.
“It’s possible. I know,” Ignacio agreed, nodding his head. “Rever could be the father if she’s pregnant, but like I said, Anna Alvarez isn’t a blushing virgin by anyone’s account and she’s not above lying either. This could be one more game in the war between our cartels.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “So what do you think I should do?”
“Don’t involve Rever in any of your plans. He can’t be trusted right now. His relationship with Anna is clouding his judgment.”