Page 101 of Drawn Blue Lines

As soon as I stepped out of the car, a thick foreboding hung heavy in the air, and the quiet hum of destiny whispered in my ear. That’s when I felt it. That’s when I knew.

He’d been waiting for me.

I didn’t bother to knock. There was no use. I pushed the latch down and opened the door, knowing it wouldn’t be locked. A dank, musty smell hit me as soon as I walked in, a metallic rust that only lingered with the stain of blood. As much as it turned my stomach, I ignored it, keeping a blank face as the heavy door slammed behind me.

My eyes fought to adjust to the dim overhead lighting, scanning for hidden Muñoz soldiers, but there were none. Only a folding table with a metal chair and the bright glowing end of a lit cigar.

“Ignacio Vergara.” The words slithered past my lips.

He removed the cigar from his mouth, his voice echoing off the bare walls. “Marisol Muñoz.”

“It’s Adriana Carrera.” I squared my shoulders. “You’re a hard man to track down.”

His lips parted in a sadistic smile. “Invisibility is a learned skill. I’m good at it.”

“Well, I found you, so obviously, not that good.” Clasping my hands behind my back, I walked a strategic line parallel to the table. “Plus, I know who you are now, so I suppose the only question I have left is to ask what the hell you think you’re doing.”

“I told you before. I’m taking what’s owed to me.”

I paused and lifted an eyebrow. “Am I supposed to know what that means?”

I knew exactly what he meant, so I was shocked when abrasive belligerence came out of nowhere. I didn’t fear his aggression. I wanted it.

We locked eyes. “The Muñoz name,” he growled.

“See, that’s where you’re wrong.” Turning toward the middle of the table, I placed both palms down and leaned forward. “The Muñoz name died with Manuel. You’re not a Muñoz, Ignacio. You’re just Pablo’s bastard son, and Esteban’s little bitch.”

I barely saw him lift the back of his hand before my head snapped over my shoulder. “I would be careful what I said if I were you.”

I should’ve walked away. I should’ve run out that door, got in the car, and never looked back. But I was done running, and I refused to spend the time I had left looking over my shoulder. So even though every bone in my face ached, I faced him.

“Was being accepted by a brother who hated you worth killing two innocent women? Destroying a family? Ruining a child?”

“You know nothing.”

“I know he lied to you. Esteban used you to satisfy his vindictive jealousy then sold you out. He never had any intention of giving you a rank. That would’ve forced him to acknowledge his family’s dirty little secret.”

Ignacio raised his hand again, and damn it, I flinched. A sick smile broke across his face as he traced my face with the back of his hand. “Little Marisol. Never fear the knife to your throat as much as the one in your back.”

I knocked his arm away. “I didn’t escape before. You let me go.”

He laughed. “Why chase a rat when you can set the kitten free and wait for her to drop it at your feet?” Pulling the cigar back to his mouth, he took a long puff, blowing out the smoke in a cloudy haze. “You think this is about you? Puta, you’re nothing but my puppet. I barely did any work. I just stole a few Carrera shipments and put your name out there. You and your new boyfriend, Brody did the rest.” The orange end of his cigar zigzagged as he pointed it at me. “Gotta admit, that one took me by surprise.”

“You set me up.”

Tucking one hand in the pocket of his dirty black pants, he rounded the desk with a confident swagger. “I simply put cheese on a plate. You’re the one who gobbled it up and got your fucking neck snapped. You did exactly what I thought you’d do, which was to try to save your ass by selling mine out.” We stood face-to-face, the low laugh he let out slithering down my spine. “You thought you were so smart, getting revenge on Brody Harcourt and shutting me down, all while using that new name to work your way into the Carrera family. What you didn’t count on is that was exactly what I wanted you to do.”

“You think you can take him down from the inside?”

“No, but you can.”

“Fuck you!” I exploded, but my outburst only seemed to amuse him.

“How do you think Valentin Carrera and Brody Harcourt would react if they knew that you were behind all this from the beginning?

I clenched my arms by my side so as not to take a swing at him. “They wouldn’t believe you.”

“No, puta, they wouldn’t believe you,” he sneered. “Not when they find out you were engaged to my son.” His words sank low and hard in my stomach. “Not when they find out you gave him El Palacio to launder all Muñoz money. Not when they find out you lured Harcourt to his club and tried to get him killed.”

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