I sank down on the bed, trying to relax for the first time that day. I picked up the house phone to call down and tell the staff I was ready to be served dinner.
My cellphone rang, interrupting me. The ringtone let me know it was my business phone; I hurried to answer it.
“Alejandro, señor,” the voice on the other end spoke.
“¿Qué pasa?” I answered in Spanish.
“It’s Diego.”
“I know,” I went on. Diego oversaw deals to the States and didn’t speak English. He’d been a family friend for decades. I trusted him to have my back but not to make the best decisions. He was good at following directions, at least. “Why are you calling me?” I tried to stay calm.
“We have a slight problem.”
My heart spiked at the word “problem.” I closed my eyes in a long blink. “What is it?”
“Well…it started with that officer.”
My blood boiled. Diego and his crew were in Indianapolis, Indiana, delivering a large shipment of cocaine. We knew the cops and even the Feds were watching us. They were always watching, had been for years. But we’d covered our asses. They had nothing concrete. I felt untouchable.
Until one of Diego’s guys got cocky and got himself busted. The guy panicked and shot a cop…Detective Morgan was the name, I think. Shot but didn’t kill him.
Fucking idiots.
Now the IPD as well as the DEA were hot on our asses and knew about our involvement in that area. I’d told my guys to finish the job and get out of there.
“Get to the point, Diego,” I grumbled.
“That officer has a sister,” he said and paused.
“So?”
“She’s a cop too.”
“And?” I demanded, needing to know why this warranted a phone call.
“She tried to bust us. But we got her. Don’t worry, Boss.”
I blinked. “Got her?”
“Yes. She’s with us.”
I wanted to slam my head into the wall. “Did you shoot another cop?”
“No. I knew better than that, sir. We took her.”
I wanted to slam my face into the wall. “You kidnapped an officer. Where the fuck are you?”
“The warehouse, señor.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said through clenched teeth. I hung up the phone and got dressed, grabbing a pair of dark jeans and a black long sleeve t-shirt. I tucked a gun into the back of my pants. I hurried down the stairs and pulled the keys to my Porsche on the way into the five-car garage.
I sank into the driver’s seat. The car was new. It smelled like rich leather. But even the new car scent did little to calm me. I was mad. So fucking mad. I wanted to hit Diego, never mind him being a friend, for doing something so fucking dumb.
Shooting a cop was one thing.
Kidnapping and smuggling one across international borders was another. I couldn’t let her go. I’d have to kill her.
Chapter 7
The sun was gone, replaced by a half moon that slipped behind a blanket of thick, gray clouds. The breeze had picked up, and the night air carried the sweet scent of rain.
I drove through the gates of the warehouse, waving to my paid guards as I sped by. They were heavily armed and on the top of their game. I slammed on the brakes, almost forgetting to turn off the car before I got out.
I jammed the keys into my pocket and went around to the door. It was double layers of steel and required an electronic key and a fingerprint scan to get in.
The warehouse was set up to look like just that: a warehouse. It was full of stuff I didn’t know how to use, rusty machinery and tools. Things were run every now and then to keep up the ruse.
The real business took place in the basement. There were more armed guards by the stairwell, which was hidden behind a false wall. I punched in a code and put my eye to a scanner.
I jogged down the stairs, passing another set of guards. They all gave me a curt nod, one of respect, as I passed.
“Diego,” I called. Three men shuffled boxes around, weighing drugs before packing them. I strode right past, earning stares and wide eyes. It wasn’t everyday the boss came to work.
I found Diego and his right hand man, Carl, speaking in fast, quiet voices outside a closet.
“¿Dónde está la chica?” I demanded.
Diego used his thumb to point behind him. “Ella está ahí, senor.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you leave her?”
Diego’s face paled. “She knew how we were. Saw an exchange. She’d trace us.”
I clenched my teeth and shook my head. “So your genius idea was to bring her here?” I waved my hand in the air. There was no point in questioning Diego. It was already done. Now I had to clean up the mess.