Page 98 of Cartel King

“I do. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is my own, and that pussy belongs to me.”

She laughs, and it lightens the mood. I’m mostly serious. I say it with a smile, and it calms her.

“Can we go in my car? I’m assuming someone dropped you off because I didn’t see headlights pull into the driveway.”

“Yes, I had the guys drop me off here rather than at my house. We can go in your car, and my men can surround us.”

“All right.” She hesitates before she agrees to that.

“Ellie, I understand how nervous you are, but without knowing who sent the photos, there’s no way I’m taking you anywhere without additional guards. We can ride in your car, just the two of us, but I want other guards to accompany us.”

“I get it, Enrique, and normally that would make me feel better. I’m just on edge now, and I suppose pretty paranoid.”

I pull her into my arms, and even though she leans into me, I still feel the tension in her body as much as she tries to relax.

“You’re not paranoid. You’re responsible and cautious. I’m trying to be the same way. We’ll both feel better once we’re home and tucked away in our bed.”

I don’t realize what I’m saying until it hangs in the air surrounding us. I wait for her to tense all over again or jerk away; instead, she sighs. I guess she approves of the idea that we could share a place. I want her to feel at ease in my house and think of it as our home.

I’m not married to the house I live in, but it’s more secure than here. If we were ever to buy a new home together, it would have to be in a neighborhood similar to my current one where it’s gated, and my property could be too. There aren’t too many neighborhoods like that available here. Not even my brother’s neighborhood has gated properties.

However, there’re still a few houses available in the same neighborhood the Mancinellis, O’Rourkes, and Kutsenkos took over in Queens. It’s syndicate Switzerland where nobody violates the sanctity of people’s homes, at least not too badly since there could be women and children around.

“Enrique?”

“Yes, just thinking,chiquita. Let’s get everything loaded into your car, and we can head out.”

“All right, would you prefer to drive?”

“It would probably be easier if I did.”

She hands me the keys from the hook by the door. It’s a key-shaped wood board with hooks. I think it’s probably something one of her boys made while they were in middle school if they had woodshop. She grins at me and shakes her head.

“None of my sons made that. I did in seventh grade shop.”

It’s as though she could hear my thoughts.

“Wait, it’s yours? How old is it?”

“Old enough, but it still works. Waste not want not.”

“I think it’s rather sweet you still have something from your childhood you made.”

I kiss her cheek as I hold the garage door open for her. She calls Constantine and snaps his leash on before leading him out to the SUV. I grab the bed and all of his other accoutrements and put everything in the trunk. Neither of us opens the garage door until we’re in the car with our seatbelts on. I click the button on the visor, and the door opens.

There are two cars in the driveway right now, which surprises me. There was only one when I arrived. Luckily, she’s parked in the third garage, so there’s room for me to reverse out of the single and onto the driveway. When I pull even with Matías, I wind down the window.

“Who’s that?”

“Andrés.”

“He and Carlos aren’t on the rotation tonight.

“That’s what I told him, but he still insisted on showing up.”

“All right. Have him lead, and you follow. I’m taking Elodie to my house. Have the others stay here to keep an eye on the place. I want somebody positioned in the backyard as well. Let the guys know. We’ll wait for you on the street.”

I wind up the window and sense Ellie’s unease about that exchange. I want to assure her, but I don’t like unexpected arrivals.

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