Page 118 of Cartel King

“Who the fuck do you think? Call them and let me go back to sleep.”

He must have slipped out of his room to discuss this with me because he would never talk about this in front of Sumiko.

Dillan and Pasha are both with their wives, and I’m still chasing down who kidnapped my sister instead of being in bed with the woman I’ll make my wife not soon enough.

“Enrique, is your sister all right?”

An ounce of humanity.

“I haven’t seen her yet, but no one’s told me she’s hurt.”

“Then take her home and deal with you know who in the morning.”

He must be back in his bedroom. A bed creaking confirms it.

“Goodnight, Pasha.”

“Night.”

There’s not a fucking chance in hell I’m waiting until morning to deal with Salvatore Mancinelli.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ellie

I force myself not to check my phone again. Not even to see the time. It has to be close to four a.m., and I’m exhausted. However, my mind won’t settle. I’m in Enrique’s bed alone, and this isn’t how I thought I’d spend my first night in it. Luciana and Margherita convinced me to come up here. They’re in the rooms I discovered they have whenever they spend the night here. Apparently, there are enough bedrooms for each of the five guys to have their own, plus ones for Margherita and her husband, Catalina and her husband, and Luciana.

Instead of looking at my phone, I’m staring out the window. It looks out over the driveway. The view would be prettier if the room were at the back of the house, but it’s more practical to see the front. I have the blinds open just enough to see the guards patrolling. I’ll see when the SUVs return.

I should try to sleep. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position. After the first few years, I got used to Tim being gone for unexpected lengths of time. With young children to run after, I needed my sleep. I don’t have that excuse anymore.

I grab my phone off the bedside table and pull up a streaming app. I scroll my choices and pick a show. I adjust the pillows as the opening scene begins. All I needed was something to distract me. Within fifteen minutes, my eyes grow heavy, and my phone just fell forward on me for a third time. I’ll let it keep playing, but I reach to put my device back on the table.

As I do, movement outside catches my attention. I prop myself on my elbow as an SUV appears just beyond the gate. My brow furrows as I wait for the gate to open, but it doesn’t. Instead, men with their rifles raised rush forward from the side of the house. I recognize the smoke grenade as it sails over the gate. Two more follow it. The circular drive becomes an unrecognizable cloud.

I’m out of bed and through the bedroom door without a second thought. I run to the opposite end of the hallway and pound on Luciana’s door then Margherita’s. Constantine follows, practically tripping over my heels.

“Get up! Someone’s here, and it’s not our men. Get up!”

When I hear movement in both rooms, I turn back toward Enrique’s. I’m about to go back inside when Luciana calls out to me.

“Could you see the hubcaps?”

I spin around and shake my head. “They weren’t through the gate when I went to tell you. Someone tossed smoke bombs.” I look toward the window. “Whoever it is breached the gate. You and Margherita need to get in the panic room.”

Margherita steps out of the bedroom with a high-power rifle she’s carrying with ease. This is a woman who’s used to the weapon. Luciana disappears for a moment before coming out with a shotgun.

I suspected these women have killed before, and their bearing now confirms it. Enrique is going to kill us if these strangers don’t because I know I won’t convince them to hide. The women hurry toward me as I rush back into his bedroom.

“Constantine, bed.”

The dog looks at me as though he’d disagree if he could speak, but he follows my command. I pull my rifle from my duffle bag and quickly assemble it. We stay clear of the windows, but Luciana gets close enough to see the SUV.

“I don’t recognize it.”

“There can’t be more men in it than there are patrolling.”

“There aren’t. It’s a suicide mission.”

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