Page 47 of Kade

“See, that was easy. If you do as you’re told, things won’t be difficult for you.” Mandy smiled sweetly and sent off a text. “I’m sure you’re happy to finally get to meet your little boy.”

Angel made no move to continue the conversation. She wanted to punch the perky cheerleader girl in the face and then bash it into the glass. The girl only shrugged when Angel didn’t speak and buried her nose in her phone. The sound of Candy Crush emitted from it. Of course she’d be playing Candy Crush. It was just the type of game she imagined perky cheerleaders played.

They drove in silence for an hour, and then pulled off onto a dirt road, where a Lincoln Town Car waited.

“Here is where we part ways.” Mandy smiled her perky cheerleader smile. “Good luck to you.”

The door opened, and the taller of the two guards gestured for her to get out. She did so with trepidation. Mandy waved at her, and she turned her back, cringing when the loud crack of the gunshot sounded. She should have guessed Mandy wouldn’t be spared. The cartel left no witnesses behind they couldn’t trust.

Her “escort” opened the door, and she got inside, her attention focused on the man sitting beside her. Tomás Rivera. He smiled, the coldness chilling her soul. She knew who he was. Everyone had known his reputation even before he took over the cartel. He had no conscience, no empathy. He killed for the sheer pleasure of it.

Tomás was not handsome or even remotely cute. He was an ugly son of a bitch whose facial features only added to his reputation of being the most vicious man any cartel had ever known.

“SeñoraKincaid.” His voice was mild, but she detected a bite to it. He was trying for pleasant but couldn’t quite pull it off. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Mr. Rivera, I’m sorry I can’t say the same of you.”

He chuckled. “Finally, someone who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.”

“Why not?” Angel kept her shaking on the inside. “I’m guessing your plan is to send pieces of me to my husband. Nothing I do or say will change that, so I will speak my mind.”

“Touché, my beauty.” He rubbed his chin. “Mateo has your eyes.”

“Is he…well?” She didn’t want to say whole for fear he’d tell her he’d already begun to butcher the child.

“Of course. Mateo is very fond of his Uncle Tomás. Why would I harm the child?”

“To get back at Kade.” She kept her words very matter-of-fact. “He killed your brother, so why wouldn’t you kill his son?”

“I did take his son from him, that is true.” Tomás shifted so he could better look at Angel. “The plan was to wait until the boy had been fully initiated into the organization as one of our trusted enforcers before we brought Kade’s attention to him, but you forced our hand.”

“I forced your hand?”

“Sí, my beauty. You saw him. There is no denying he’s his father’s son. And I was right, wasn’t I? Kade looked into the boy and discovered who he was. The warrant to test his DNA was proof of that. I was surprised by that little ambush. I assumed your husband would try to take the boy on his own, not enlist the police force to do it.”

“Too many questions if he did it that way.” Angel settled herself against the car seat, preparing herself for anything this man might do to her, including rape. She’d lived through that once, and she could do it again for Matthew if she had to.

“He always was a smart man, your husband.” Tomás’s Mexican accent wasn’t nearly as thick as it should have been. He’d been stateside too long and had picked up the Americans’ distinct lack of an accent so many had.

“Where is my son?” Angel couldn’t stand it one second longer. She needed to know where he was. The question had been on the tip of her tongue the moment she’d seen who waited for her in the car.

“He’s perfectly safe, I assure you. He’s been given the best of care and is a healthy little boy. We all feared he wouldn’t survive those first few weeks, but I think he gets his stubbornness from you. He held on and fought for his life. You wouldn’t even know how sick he was when he was born. I am sorry you weren’t there for him. I did debate collecting you as well. Children do need their mothers, but you had already left Miami. I took it as a sign and let you go. He’s none the worse for wear, growing up without a mother’s touch.”

Angel wouldn’t go that far. She’d seen Matthew, seen the empty, dead look in his eyes. He was by far the worse for wear.

“You’ll see him soon enough. We’re going there now, actually.” The driver started the car on that cue and continued down the dirt road. “I’ve told him I’m bringing him a surprise. He’s very excited.”

What game was this man playing? Did he plan on butchering her little boy in front of her?

He laughed. “What do you think I’m planning? You look ill.”

“I know your reputation.” She couldn’t hide the quiver in her voice this time, thinking of what he had planned.

“But as I said, I am fond of Mateo. I’ve taken him into my home, loved him, and made sure he was well taken care of. Do you think I would really harm a child I’ve grown to love?”

“If it suited your end game, yes.”

“You are refreshing, my beauty.” He grinned, and this time there was no humor in it. “You are right. I would slit the boy’s throat if I had to. I’m hoping that’s not the case, though. As long as your husband comes to me willingly, I will not harm your child more than I have to.”

---