Page 66 of Cartel Viper
“Drew got injured badly enough to need a hospital about eighteen months ago. A GSW to the chest. It was only a couple inches above and to the right of his heart. It was way more serious than I could deal with, but he wound up at my hospital. I was worried about a bunch of things, but I also wanted to know how serious it was to estimate how long they’d keep him admitted. Once I got into his records, I did some scrolling. I know I shouldn’t have, but at that point, what was another law broken?” I shrug. “I found out a shit ton about his past, including some psychiatric records that included info from when he was a teenager. None of it truly shocked me. It confirmed what I suspected. He has borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Basically, he’s a psychopath—even if that isn’t really the popular clinical term anymore. Discovering that made running away even more terrifying until I hit my limits and risked it. Now look at what I’ve done.”
“You didnotdo this, Maddy.”
I ignore him rather than argue.
“I put nothing past him, Javi. Jacob’s not as maniacal as Drew, but they’re cut from the same cloth. When you go down there to interrogate him, his mother and sister are sensitive topics. She walked out on his dad and left Jacob and his sister with a mobster to raise them. He’s super protective of his sister, even though she’s three years older than him. She hates him because he suffocates her. But his real trigger is his dog. LikeJohn Wicktriggered. He’ll lose his shit if you threaten the dog, but he’s not as resourceful as the movie character. He’ll cave eventually if he thinks it’ll protect the animal. Jacob would shoot his grandmother if he thought it would get him ahead in life, but he’s a pile of mush with the dog. Only creature alive that loves him unconditionally.”
“What’s the dog’s name?”
“Yeller.”
“As inOld Yeller?”
“Yeah. He was a stray the Humane Society was trying to catch because he was rummaging through trash and stealing food. Jacob found him and was going to do Lord knows what—since it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t abuse animals as a kid. It was obvious the dog’s been in fights before because it snarled at one on the other side of the street while Jacob tried to corner him. The other dog broke free from the woman walking him and charged. Yeller jumped in front of Jacob when the dog ran toward Jacob. He said it was like the dog in the book protecting the boy from the bear. The dog isn’t much to look at, but he’s loyal to Jacob.”
Javi looks over my shoulder and out the window. I can’t imagine what he’s thinking after that story.
“Is there anything else?”
“He’s been fucking his boss for the past six months, and she’s pregnant. He didn’t know I pick up extra hours at an OBGYNs’ office, and he went with her for her first ultrasound. Neither seemed thrilled to be there. It wasn’t a joyous occasion.”
Javi watches me, and his eyes narrow.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
I hesitate because I know he won’t outwardly lose his shit, and I’m certain he’ll still be rational when he does whatever he’s going to do to Drew, but he’ll be irate.
He spins me toward the billiard table and presses me to lean forward. He reaches around me to unfasten my pants and pushes them down faster than I can react. His hand lands across my ass, and it hurts more than I expected. After the earlier punishment, it burns like the fire of a thousand suns. I anticipate the next one and squeeze my eyes shut, but he does nothing.
“If I spank you again, I’ll harm you. That’s not the goal. You want domestic discipline, Maddy, so I’ll punish you when you keep things from me that affect your safety. Whatever you don’t want to say must be something you believe will push me around the bend. Tell me now, or your punishment will continue. I haven’t decided how, but it won’t be over yet.”
He eases me to stand before him. I see fear in his gaze, and I know it’s because he wants me to know he’s more than just worried about me.
“I’m pretty sure he’s the reason a deal blew up. I nearly got caught by the local police when a brawl broke out at a Buffalo nightclub. I was supposed to collect payment for product another guy delivered that night. The fight was massive, and I couldn’t get out of the corner where I was talking to the owner. The guy sheltered me, then got me out the back. One of his bouncers led me to my car and made sure the police thought I was just passing by. I tried to tell Drew my suspicions, but he?—”
I don’t need to finish for Javi to guess. He wraps his arms around me, and I lean against him. That was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. Men got stabbed and shot right in front of me. I thought I would die when a guy charged the owner, who shot him through the forehead. I feared he’d turn his gun on me and blame me. Instead, he rescued me. He saw a bruise and guessed what Drew was like. He watched a man beat his mom to death when he was six. That was all the explanation he gave me.
“We have to go down there, Javi.”
“Let me hold you for a moment longer. I know which fight you’re talking about. I had no idea you were there collecting for Drew. I’m certain Dillan didn’t because he never would’ve sent men to collect from the owner. I saw photos of what the place looked like after. Just let me hold you.”
He repeats himself, and I hear his heart racing. I tried to downplay it, but if he saw the aftermath …
“I think Jacob is the one who told Dillan that Drew was creeping into the O’Rourkes’ territory, knowing I would be there that night. Jacob distracted the DEA, supposedly to keep them away from Drew. I believe he did it because he wanted the O’Rourkes to attack. He prayed I’d either get caught in the crossfire or rot in jail until a trial with evidence he probably would’ve strategically placed at the scene.”
I run my hands up and down Javi’s back, and I feel the tension ease from his body as he exhales.
“That’s it, Daddy. That’s all I can think of right now.”
“I’m going to bring you outside with me, but I want you in the circle my brothers and I will form. If you need to tell me something, tap my shoulder.”
“I understand. I won’t distract you.”
He gazes into my eyes, and there’s something there I can’t describe. No man has ever looked at me this way. There’s warmth that makes me feel precious.
“You are not a distraction,chiquita.No one could make me more focused than you. I will end this threat to you, and it starts now.”
He lets his arms drop, and I pull up my pants. He slides his hand into mine. He’s cautious as he leads me downstairs, scouting our path to ensure no one lies in wait. We head outside, and immediately, Jorge and Joaquin help Javi surround me. If they get any closer, they’ll step on me. But it keeps me virtually invisible except for my legs.
