Chapter 4
Chapter four
Estrella María Fuentes Barrera lit a candle, kneeled on the floor, and faced the small makeshift altar she’d fashioned in the corner of her bedroom where the tall candle and several holy cards lay on a handsewn lace cloth.
Bowing her head, she silently began her morning prayer litany.
A rosary made of bronze with crystals and blood-red rubies dangled from her fingers.
It had belonged to her mother, and it was the only tangible thing she had left from a woman who’d been so kind and loving. God, she missed her mom so much.
Since she couldn’t go to church any longer, Essie had to make do with what she had.
Her brother’s enemies had destroyed the compound they’d been living in and, most recently, her family’s mansion in Sinaloa, so they’d been forced to go underground.
The bunker she’d been living in for the past two months, built by her paranoid brother, felt like a prison.
And being stuck in a bedroom with no windows—located deep underground where she couldn’t even feel a breeze or hear birds sing—tested her senses and stretched her sanity to uncomfortable limits. All she thought about anymore was escape.
At least Tomás was safe. She’d convinced José to send their thirteen-year-old brother to school in Europe.
Essie could rest at night knowing her little brother was far from the warring Mexican cartels and their horrible influence.
She’d already lost her parents in a car bombing and one brother, Miguel, to a hail of bullets meant for José.
Losing sweet, innocent Tomás would break her.
Besides, she didn’t like the way José looked at Tomás. Like he was a threat who needed to be eliminated. Tomás wasn’t one of José’s many enemies, and her duty to protect him overrode all else. Even her own safety.
After praying for Tomás and then to her parents and Miguel, Essie sat back on her heels and wondered why she even bothered.
Her faith had taken a nosedive, and even though she still went through the motions like Mamá had taught her, she didn’t believe the way she used to.
Death and violence surrounded her. She barely recognized her older brother anymore.
He was so caught up in gaining more power and control, he’d become a bloodthirsty stranger.
Talking to José proved useless. He simply didn’t listen. Not to her, anyway. She often felt like a forgotten princess locked up in a tower. Or, in this case, a cartel princess locked up in a dungeon.
She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life living under her brother’s thumb, but her options were extremely limited. Basically, two possibilities: marriage or escape.
Since she was a thirty-two-year-old virgin with zero prospects, no dating history to speak of and a nonexistent social life, finding somebody to love felt impossible.
Marriage seemed out of the realm of possibility.
Although a part of her worried José might eventually want to be rid of her and force her to marry someone.
Or his paranoia that someone might use her against him might cause him to hide her away forever.
Her lack of experience with men and life in general resulted from living a very sheltered life since her parents died.
They hadn’t been a part of the cartel, and she’d had a wonderful childhood.
But now that it was just her and José, he kept her under lock and key.
As the sister of an infamous cartel leader, she’d spent the last eight years being guarded and shuffled away “somewhere safe.”
In other words, quarantined away from the rest of the world. And for a woman who wanted to experience life and live it to the fullest, she knew the time to make a decision was fast approaching. Maybe her best option would be to escape. Go over to Europe and live with Tomás.
But that opened up a whole new can of worms. Where would she get the money to fly there, much less secure a place to live? And when José discovered she ran away, he’d cut all funding to Tomás. Because punishing Tomás was the easiest way to punish her.
With a frustrated sigh, she stood up, pocketing her rosary, and blew out the flickering flame.
She was going to go stir crazy if she didn’t get out of there.
Lose her damn mind. Usually, she waited until dark to sneak out.
But fresh air and sunlight called to her, beckoning her out of the underground hole that was becoming increasingly claustrophobic and depressing.
During her wanderings, trying anything to slay the boredom and keep her mind from delving into dark spaces, she’d stumbled upon a door which connected to the old mine.
A few nights a week, she snuck through the door and tunnels, using them to get outside.
Lately, more than a few. Because the walls felt like they were closing in, threatening to suffocate her.
She had to be careful, though. José and his men used the mine as their headquarters, meeting there to plan and carry out secret stuff he didn’t want her to find out about.
But Essie needed to look up at the sky. Feel the warm breeze on her skin. Admire the rugged mountains cresting the landscape. She couldn’t survive like this for much longer. Even earthworms came out of their holes after it rained.
Depending on the exact location, Tierra Caliente could be either very wet or very dry, but all of it was hot.
The bunker was located in a lusher area of the region, so she could look up through the tree canopy and see the endless stars at night.
So many beautiful constellations dotted the heavens, and she enjoyed learning their stories when she was allowed to use her laptop.
José didn’t like it, of course, and grumbled whenever she asked.
He was terrified someone would be able to hack in and get their location.
Mistrustful and neurotic described him to a T.
He believed everyone wanted him dead. She supposed he was right to worry.
The man did have enemies right and left.
How could he not with his dangerous lifestyle?
But while José craved power, Essie merely wanted peace.
Quietly opening her door, she listened for a moment then stepped into the hallway. The bunker was large and she could roam freely throughout the top two levels. However, José’s men’s living quarters comprised level three, and she avoided going down there.
Except when she had to sneak into the mine.
Being the only woman there made her uneasy, especially when her brother wasn’t around.
No one dared to interact with her overly much, but she didn’t miss the lingering looks some of the men cast her way.
Hungry looks. It made her skin crawl. When it came to the cartel lifestyle, she knew her brother was one car bombing away from her becoming fair game to whoever tried to take his place.
Essie crept down the stairs, on high alert.
She reached the bottom level of the bunker and heard some distant chatter coming from the men’s quarters down the hallway, but nothing too alarming.
Pulling in a deep breath, she hurried over to the door leading to the old mine.
She opened it and crossed the threshold, entering the dimly-lit tunnels.
Cool, damp air touched her skin and a mustiness tickled her nose.
Trekking forward on the now-familiar path to the surface, her senses on high alert, she suddenly paused.
Her brother’s voice floated to her. Two voices, actually.
Essie had always been curious—okay, nosy—and she tiptoed closer.
She could easily justify her eavesdropping by a keen sense of needing to be in the know.
José never confided in her. Just ordered her around.
And that meant telling her to pack up and move with zero notice because someone either tried to kill him again or decided to blow up their home.
She was tired of it.
This is my life.
She yearned for freedom and safety, wanting more than anything to escape José’s clutches and all the violence he embraced and thrived on creating.
“Can you trust them?” a voice asked.
“It’s the only option,” José stated firmly. “The Cardenas brothers are the only ones powerful enough to help me finally topple the Villarreals. By combining our assets, the Barrera Cartel will be born. We will crush anyone who tries to go up against us.”
“Have you told her yet?”
A prickle of dread raced down Essie’s spine. She had the horrible feeling they were talking about her. No doubt about it—she was the only “her” around.
And that didn’t bode well.
“She won’t be happy, but it’s the only way,” José said, tone dismissive. So cold it left her blood chilled. “Essie should’ve married years ago. I’m gifting her a husband. She should be grateful.”
What? Her nails curled into her palms, cutting into the flesh as her entire world bottomed out beneath her. José was planning to marry her off to a stranger. Without even consulting her. She couldn’t have heard right.
But sadly, she knew she had. Because isn’t this what I’ve always worried about and feared more than anything? In the back of her mind, she’d thought it could be a possibility but then convinced herself that her own flesh and blood would never cast her away with such callous indifference.
Now, the more she thought about it, the more she realized José wasn’t the man he used to be. He’d become so fixated on power and ruling the Mexican cartels, nothing else mattered. Including her consent.
“So which brother are you giving her to?”
“Eh, either. Both? I really don’t care.”
“They do have a reputation for sharing.”
Harsh laughter drifted over to her and her jaw dropped. That rat bastard. Yeah, she might say her daily prayers, but she still cussed when the occasion warranted. And this occasion definitely warranted.
“I’m tired of her nagging,” José continued. “She doesn’t appreciate what I’m doing.”
What’s to appreciate? Forcing us to live underground? Creating powerful enemies who are trying to kill us and destroy everything I love? She’d lost everything when the Sinaloa mansion had burned to the ground. Pictures, mementos, family heirlooms. Things that couldn’t be replaced.
“Essie needs to learn respect, and maybe a husband, or two, can teach her.” They laughed again, moving away, and her flesh crawled.
If José thought she’d just bow down and marry one of the brutal Cardenas brothers, he’d lost his mind.
Manuel and Joaquín Cardenas had reputations that would give anyone nightmares.
Then again, so did her brother. Uniting him and the Cardenas would result in nothing but more bloodshed, death and destruction.
And she refused to be a part of it.
Time to put her escape plan into high gear.
But it wasn’t that easy. She could pack some necessities, including the money she’d saved up over the years, and head to the surface.
But they were sitting right in the middle of Tierra Caliente—a region known for its punishing heat and brutal cartels.
A woman on her own with no protection or weapons was a terrifying thing to consider.
She also wasn’t sure which way to go or how she’d traverse the harsh landscape alone.
There was also Tomás to consider. If she ran away, would José hurt their little brother?
Tears burned her eyes, but she blinked them away. Now wasn’t the time to cry. Time was too precious to waste on tears. She needed to act. Immediately. Think, Essie.
She needed at least a couple of weapons, money, food and clothing. Most of all, she needed protection. A strong escort, preferably one who inspired fear. But who?
Her heart sped up as an option occurred to her.
A very, very dangerous option, but at this point, she didn’t have many choices.
Biting her lip, she remembered the big man with the bright blue eyes.
It had taken six guards to drag him through the tunnels and toss him into a cell.
Six. That’s the kind of ferocious beast she needed on her side.
But would he take the bait? Aid her escape?
Why wouldn’t he?
The not-so-pleasant alternative would be dying down in that hellhole.
If he was even still alive. The last time she saw him, while sneaking through the tunnels, he’d been bruised and bloodied. But he’d been doling out some serious wrath on José’s men, throwing a barrage of well-aimed punches.
She debated in her head for less than a minute, then turned away from the tunnel that would lead her above ground.
Instead, she took the one that would lead her deeper into the mine where the cells were located.
If he promised to help her, she’d release the prisoner.
It would be mutually beneficial. Together, they could travel to the closest city or town and then go their separate ways.
The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. Because there was no way she’d let José marry her off to one of the vicious Cardenas brothers. As soon as she reached a town, she could contact Tomás and tell him she was coming for him. She’d figure out the details later.
Essie continued down the rocky path illuminated every so often by a hanging light.
Pushing her fears aside, she kept walking until she saw the rocky opening at the end of the tunnel and the outline of bars.
She’d explored most of the tunnels in use and she knew there were three cells. But only one was currently occupied.
Pulling in a deep, steadying breath, she stepped out of the gloom.
The dark, hulking shadow lying on the cot in the cell stiffened, immediately sensing her presence.
Very slowly, he rolled into a sitting position to face her.
The light angled through the bars, spotlighting his brilliant blue eyes, but kept the rest of him in shadows.
Swallowing down her nerves, Essie walked straight up to the cell.
Heart in her throat and pounding out a rapid staccato, she locked in on those arresting eyes. Intense, vibrant, royal blue. They reminded her of the deepest part of the ocean where the deadliest predators roamed.
“I want to make a deal with you,” she stated. Clear and bold, no trace of the fear which held her hostage.
In between blinks, he popped up and reached the bars.
So damn fast, she took an unsteady step backward.
“Who the hell are you?” he growled, sounding like a beast who hadn’t used his voice in a very long time.
Its deep raspiness and the beard covering his face reminded her how long he’d been locked away down there. Over a month.
The man was damn intimidating.
Exactly what she needed.
“I’m the woman who can set you free.”