Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Reinaldo
T he cartel plane touched down at the small airport east of Kansas City, the same airport where we’d landed in the past. Since the alliance was first brokered, it seemed as if this was becoming a usual stop. That said, there was nothing usual about this trip. I was here for one reason: to get Jasmine. I wasn’t na?ve enough to assume my goal would be reached without a fight.
Diego and Felipe, the two guards I brought with me from Sacramento flanked me, one in the front and the other in the back, as we descended the stairs, stepping into the cool late-winter air.
It was nearly one in the afternoon. Peering over the tarmac, I saw the Missouri sky was filled with shades of gray. The whole world looked monochrome, trees waiting to bud and dormant grass waiting for the sun to bring it back to life. The scene was a stark contrast to Northern California. Even in the winter, our sky was blue and trees green.
The car Diego secured was waiting near the hangar. After a thorough check of the vehicle, Diego drove, and Felipe sat beside him in the front seat. I should have slept on the airplane. I didn’t. Instead, I did more research into the connection between Kostya Myshkin and Leah Renner.
The capo wouldn’t like my findings.
His amicability wasn’t my concern. Jasmine’s safety was.
The deal Dario thought he brokered with Myshkin was a sham. He needed to see that the bratva was double-crossing him before it was too late.
There was one place I knew without a doubt Jasmine would be safe—out on Bella. Mí padre’s floating mansion was as secure as Fort Knox, if not more so.
“Straight to the penthouse,” I said. “There’s no use being secretive.” I considered entering with guns blazing. However, I knew my lack of sleep wasn’t helping my judgment.
The phone in my pocket vibrated. Jano’s name was on the screen.
I answered, doubting this would be a productive conversation. “ Hola .”
“Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I was in the plane. Had my phone off.”
“Fuck, Rei. The compound in Culiacán was attacked. ”
His announcement rang in my ears.
The compound.
Our parent’s home.
“Mama and Padre ?” I asked.
“On Bella. Padre está lívido . He wants us all out on Bella immediately. He’s called for a counter strike on Herrera’s compound outside México City.”
“Tell me about the attack.”
“Gunmen took out most of the staff. There were explosions.”
I shook my head. “I’m not leaving Kansas City without Jasmine.”
“Fuck,” Jano barked. “You’re in Kansas City? I should be with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Like hell you don’t.” His voice was raised. “Our world is exploding, and you’re storming off to fucking Kansas.”
“It’s Missouri, asshole.” I watched the growingly familiar scenes pass by the car windows. “What would you do if you had reason to believe Mia was in danger?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer. “You’d burn the fucking world down—scorch it. Admit that I’m right.”
“Fuck you.”
“I didn’t tell you I was coming here because even if you wanted to be with me to hold my hand?—”
“To save you from blowing up the alliance.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Whatever. Even if you think you should be with me, I know you wouldn’t leave Mia, and I didn’t want to put you on the spot. Little Reinaldo is coming soon. You can’t miss the big day. ”
Jano and Mia had been tight-lipped on the gender and name of their upcoming bundle of joy. No matter how many times I brought it up, my brother didn’t take the bait.
“She’s still a month out. I’m getting her out to Bella. If I must have a fucking obstetrician on the superyacht, I will.” Jano sighed. “Listen.” His tone was calmer. “I spoke to Papá . He’s good with you marrying Jasmine with the capo’s approval. He said the capo won’t budge. Keeps saying she’s not a Luciano.”
My grip tightened on the phone. “I’m so fucking tired of hearing that. I don’t give a damn about her name or her past.” My thoughts went to the last time I was with her, in her bedroom. I told her she was mine. And then as time passed with no contact, I wondered if I should have said more. “Mia said you proposed.”
“I did. We’re married.”
“You were going to marry anyway.”
“I proposed.” Jano chuckled. “She said no.”
A scoff came from my lips, a bit of humor to take a chunk out of the palpable tension currently filling me with dread. “I want to marry her. But first, I want to be sure she’s safe from Myshkin. I don’t know why the capo brought Jasmine back to Kansas City with her mother there. She was safer in New York.”
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
“In New York, she had Piero,” my brother said. “With the capo, she has an army.”
“I don’t like it.” Something felt off. “There’s no place safer than Bella. I filled the capo in on some things I found connecting Jasmine’s mother with Myshkin. I’m on my way to the penthouse, and I’ll bring Jasmine back with me, with or without the capo’s approval.”
“If you deflower his princess before your wedding, that knife he threatened you with—yeah, he’ll use it.”
“I’d hate to make Cat a widow.”
“Fuck.” Jano let out a frustrated growl. “No knives. No guns.”
“No weapons,” I agreed. “Either she is his princess, or she isn’t. He can’t have it both ways.”
“Call me before you leave Kansas City.”
“ Sí jefe .”
My next call was to Dante. With each ring of the unanswered call, my nerves tightened to the point of snapping. The call went to his voicemail. “Fuck.”
In ten more minutes, we’d arrive at the parking garage. That was the first point of entry. I’d counted on Dante to get me into the capo’s home. If Dante wasn’t my answer, I had no alternative but to call the capo himself.
He answered right away. “Reinaldo, I’m sorry to hear about your father’s home.”
Yeah, I hadn’t really processed that. “Herrera is getting too bold.”
“I spoke to el Patr?n earlier. I don’t think there’s anything you and I need to discuss.”
My jaw clenched. “Did you review the information I sent you regarding Leah Renner and Myshkin?”
“I have.”
It was like pulling fucking teeth. No, I’d done that. This was more difficult. “And your conclusion? ”
“I’m speaking with Kostya this afternoon. I’ll know more then.”
“Where? In your office?”
“That’s not information I choose to share.”
“Send me a fucking passcode. I’m seven minutes from your building.”
His voice slowed in a threatening manner. “You wasted a trip. Go do your job in California.”
“Your alliance with Myshkin is a sham. It’s fucking fragile, and you’re the one getting played. If you want to keep the alliance with the Roríguez cartel, you’ll let me up that fucking elevator.”
“Aléjandro may have permission to speak for Jorge. That doesn’t transfer to you. You’re third, not second.”
“I’m coming up. Either I take out a few of your guards and make my way up or we communicate like men. Send me the damn passcode.” I hit the red button as my vision seeped with bright fire-engine-red rage. “Asshole.”
Willing my heart not to beat out of my chest, I checked my gun and secured my knives as I waited. It took nearly five minutes, but finally the text message arrived.
I let out a long breath. “We have the passcode.”
My next move was a text message to Jasmine.
“I’m on my way to the penthouse. You’re leaving with me.”