Page 20 of Valentine's with the Cartel

Selecting a card with a particularly saccharine message and overly frilly design, I sealed it with a flourish and slipped it into my pocket before striding out once more towards the parlor.

The butler greeted me with a deferential bow as I entered, immediately setting about preparing a silver salver upon which to arrange the flowers and chocolate for presentation.

"See that these make it to my room within the hour," I instructed, nodding at the offerings. "And do send word when the masseur has finished setting up the oils."

The man bowed again and hastened to comply with my orders, scurrying off to fulfill them posthaste.

Satisfied that everything was in motion, I turned my steps towards the kitchens, knowing that the cooks would have prepared a special Valentine's dinner by now that I could share with my new husband. They were pretty good at doing things for me, even when I didn't explicitly say what they were.

As I made my way through the mansion's winding corridors, I reflected on the whirlwind of emotions and sensations that had overtaken me since our hasty wedding ceremony mere hours ago. To think that I would find myself in such a position—wedded and bound to an omega who challenged me at every turn, yet inspired me like none other ever had before.

It was a dizzying prospect, one that filled me with equal parts trepidation and exhilaration for the future ahead of us.

But for the time being, I had chocolate, flowers, and a card to present to my darling Anan as a token of my affection on this most romantic of nights.

However, there was something else that needed to be done before going back. It couldn't be delayed.

The moment I stepped foot into my study, my phone immediately began buzzing with incoming messages and missed calls. I groaned. Shouldn't have brought my phone with me, I thought immediately. I didn't want to be bothered by cartel shit.

It was Diego, though, my second-in-command. It was probably important, so I couldn't ignore it.

I answered, putting the device to my ear as I slumped down into my leather chair behind the massive oak desk that dominated the room. "What is it?"

Diego's voice on the other end of the line was tight with tension. "Boss, we have another problem with the missing fentanyl shipment."

My jaw clenched at his words, a surge of anger flooding through me. I knew I'd have to deal with another issue regarding the missing shipment, but I didn't think it would be now.

"What have you found out?" I demanded, my hand already curling into a fist atop the desk as I waited for Diego's response.

"We traced the shipment to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city," he explained. "And we have more reason to believe that one of the other cartels may be involved somehow." Of course they were. This was war between us and them. We were always at each other's throats.

I stood abruptly from my chair, striding to the window as I gazed out at the darkened city skyline. "Assemble a team and meet me there in thirty minutes," I barked into the phone without hesitation. Anan was going to have to wait, I thought with a feeling of disappointment in myself. "It's time we send a clear message that this kind of betrayal will not be tolerated."

Diego acknowledged the order before ending the call, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I stared out at the glittering lights below.

Turning from the window, I strode to another safe and input the code to open it. Inside was my arsenal—a variety of weapons ranging from handguns to submachine guns. I selected an automatic rifle along with several spare magazines before closing it again and securing it under my arm. I was ready.

Checking my watch, I saw that I had just enough time to meet with Diego and take care of this threat before returning to Anan and our Valentine's celebration. The thought of my omega waiting for me in our bedroom made my heart clench. I couldn't believe that my cartel life was getting in the way of my happiness.

Minutes later, I was roaring down the highway towards the designated warehouse, Diego and the assembled strike team following behind in separate vehicles. As we pulled up outside the derelict structure, I could see that it had been abandoned for years, its windows boarded up and graffiti spray-painted across its brick exterior. Nothing surprising there.

Emerging from our vehicles with weapons at the ready, we advanced as a unit towards the main entrance, breaching the rusted metal doors with explosive charges to gain entry. As we poured inside, I immediately saw the scene of chaos that awaited us—the remnants of the stolen shipment strewn across the concrete floor along with broken crates and packaging material.

And there, in the center of it all, was the man himself—a member of the rival cartel who had orchestrated this whole scheme from the beginning. He was on his knees, hands bound behind him, a gag shoved roughly between his teeth. A clear message from Diego that he was to be interrogated first before anything else. He'd read my mind.

As I approached with my gun trained on him, I saw the hatred and defiance shining in the man's eyes even as fear coiled in the depths. Good. He would not go easily, which made this all the more entertaining for me.

"How much did they pay you for this?" I snarled as I jabbed the barrel of my gun against his forehead hard enough to draw blood. "To betray your own kind and sell us out? You must have been pretty desperate."

After removing his gag so he could answer me, the man spat at my feet, an impotent gesture that made me want to put a bullet through him right then and there. But not yet.

I signaled to my men, who quickly hauled the traitor up off the ground and shoved him against the nearest wall, pinning his arms above his head as I stepped forward.

"Now you listen here," I growled, jabbing two fingers under his chin to force his gaze to meet mine. "You're going to tell me everything you know about this operation and who your contacts were in my organization. And if I don't like the answers you give me..."

I trailed off, letting the unspoken threat hang heavy in the air between us. The man blanched at the implied violence in my words. Finally, he was showing me the reaction I wanted to see.

"You don't understand," he gasped out. "They made me do it! They threatened my family!"

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