Page 50 of Cartel King

Perhaps she flew into a private airfield. Maybe she had to drive back several hours, and this is when she got in. I have so many questions and not nearly enough answers. I text Carlos back.

What’s her number?

He sends it to me immediately. I don’t hesitate before I tap the numbers in and hit call. It rings four times before I’m certain she sends it to voicemail. She doesn’t know my number. I tap out a text to her instead.

That was me, chiquita. I’m going to call back. Answer me. Carlos already told me you’re home.

I give the text a moment to go through before I hit the call button to redial.

“Enrique?”

“Sí, chiquita.It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Oh, Enrique, it’s so good to hear yours, too. I—I—Fuck it.I missed you, Enrique.”

“Was that so hard to admit, little one? I missed you, too.”

“I don’t want to sound clingy or anything.”

“You don’t. I’m glad to hear that’s how you feel because it’s the same way I do. I missed you, and I can’t wait to see you. I heard Constantine misses me too.”

She chuckles, and the sound goes straight to my cock.

“I didn’t think you’d be awake right now. I hope having Carlos text you didn’t disturb you.”

“No, I’m still up.”

If only she knew how literal that was.

“Are you—” She pauses for a moment. “—up for a visit?”

Is she inviting me over to fuck?

“If you want me to come over, I can be there in five minutes, little one.”

“I don’t want to drag you out of your house in the middle of the night. I don’t want to be an imposition.”

“Ellie, you know you’re not an imposition, and if you believed I’d say no, you wouldn’t have asked. You know I want to see you. If you hadn’t just arrived home, and if it didn’t matter to me about you being out again in the middle of the night, I would have suggested you come here. But I’m happy to meet you at your place.”

“All right, I’ll be ready for you.”

I wonder what that means. I only have five minutes until I find out. I turn around and head back into my garage. I ensure the car’s locked before I hit the button to open the garage door. The moment it’s up high enough I don’t fear I could poison myself if it jams or something goes wrong with my ignition, I turn the car on. It feels like the door taunts me and is moving even slower than usual, but it’s only a few seconds before I’m backing out. The men who patrol my property barely notice since I come and go at all hours of the day, any day of the week. The guy at my gate nods as he opens it.

It’s the same as I leave the neighborhood. The guards who work there are all mine. They work for the community’s property manager ostensibly, but really I employ them. When I arrive at Ellie’s community gate, I don’t recognize the person working there. That immediately makes me uneasy. It’s not my men who work here, but I know almost all of them.

I’ve met them all from running through the neighborhood and most have worked here since I built the community.

“Good evening, sir. Which home are you headed to?”

I stare at him for just a moment before I give Ellie’s address.

“Oh yes, Ms. McCann just called to say she’s expecting you.”

The guy says nothing else even though I feel suspicious about him.

Something’s off.

As I approach Ellie’s house, I notice the car that was parked on the street for weeks is gone. I got an update while I was away that it left and didn’t come back. My men tried to get photos the few times anyone went near it, but it was always far too dark. I ordered it followed, but the trackers stuck to the vehicle disappeared, and the drivers know how to lose my men.

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