Chapter 28
28
“ W ell done, darling.” Javier clinked his glass against Kathleen’s.
“If you want a job done, send a woman,” she said with a smug smile, taking a sip of champagne.
“True,” Javier said with a soft chuckle.
She went to sit on the burgundy sofa in his office at his compound, and he crossed the room and took a seat beside her. He loved his home and had worked closely with a designer to incorporate many of his own ideas, to create an escape from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas life.
The decor of leather and dark wood gave the room a cozy feeling. It was one of his favorite rooms in the palatial home he’d built with the money he made from organ harvesting, long before he took over his father’s businesses and became disgustingly rich—so rich he had been able to buy up the homes nearby so he could have the privacy he desired. He had torn most of them down but a few remained—nicer ones he considered keeping as guest quarters for when he had visitors.
Kathleen had helped him devise a plan to deal with his problems, which included getting rid of her husband. She had agreed he could be a liability based on a conversation they had moments before Javier rang.
Poor David didn’t know Javier and his wife had been having an affair for years. They were kindred spirits. He considered her his partner in crime. The Bonnie to his Clyde. Having Kathleen to confide in and bounce ideas off of made life easier. She was smart and, equally important, as cutthroat as he was. The sex wasn’t bad, either. Actually, the sex was phenomenal, and he looked forward to tearing the very proper looking suit off her luscious body later.
“How are things at the Pampered Princess?” she asked.
This was one of the qualities he loved about Kathleen. She always inquired about his businesses, genuinely cared about his success, and often offered ideas he could implement. She was the one who had suggested the expansion into other parts of the world, and what a brilliant idea it turned out to be. Not only were the clinics extremely successful, but having them mitigated the loss of Oasis de Vida in Tijuana.
“I talked to the general contractor about putting the more costly marble in the top floor suites. He said the change would cost another five hundred thousand in labor alone.”
“As if such a paltry amount matters. Who does he think you are?”
“Exactly. I told him I don’t care how much it costs, I want the marble in those rooms.”
“The guests who pay a premium for those suites will expect nothing less than the best.”
“Precisely what I told him.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss. Her temptingly red mouth was soft. Desire tightened his loins, and he flicked his tongue across her lips.
“I appreciate you handling Ms. Hughes for me tonight.”
“You’re welcome, my love. I knew she would trust me. Once we found out they had landed, all we had to do was wait for the opportunity to get them alone, away from the public. When she told me Mr. Sanchez wasn’t there, I was disappointed but couldn’t let such a minor issue stop us from the bigger picture—bringing them to heel. If he’s as smart as you think he is, he’ll find the number to the burner phone I called from and reach out. Then all you have to do is?—”
The ringing phone on the table caught their attention.
“Could that be Mr. Sanchez now?” she asked in a sing-song voice.
Javier put down his drink and picked up the phone. When he saw the number, he couldn’t hide his glee and showed her the screen. She arched an eyebrow with a smile.
Javier answered the phone on Speaker. “Hello?”
“Where is she?” the deep voice on the other end asked.
“Excuse me, who is this?”
Kathleen shook her head at him with amusement touching her lips, as if to say, You naughty boy .
“You know who this is,” Alejandro growled with barely contained fury.
“Ah yes, the great Alejandro Sanchez. The thorn in my side. You’re quite skilled. I’d love to have you come work for me.”
He knew the man would do no such thing, but he was having fun poking the bear.
“Where is she?” Alejandro asked again.
“Is that a no?” Javier experienced a ridiculous amount of pleasure from taunting him, and it was especially delicious because he had an audience. “Oh well, the offer will remain open for a few more days, to give you time to reconsider. Whatever you’re making at The Cordoba Agency, I’ll double it. Now, as for the ‘she’ in your question, I assume you’re talking about Ms. Hughes?”
He examined his nails. Time for another manicure. His standing appointment at the Celestial Palace salon should be coming up soon.
“Who else do you think I’d be calling about, you piece of shit? You need to stop playing games.”
“You need to stop meddling in my business.”
“Leave Camila alone, and deal with me.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t. Your girlfriend is equally annoying and has been working side by side with you.”
“Where is she, Reyes? I’m not asking you again.”
Smirking, Javier shot a glance at Kathleen, who put her glass to her lips.
“Where is she? Safe and sound, locked away in a quiet room.”
“There better not be one strand of hair missing from her head.”
Who the hell did this guy think he was? Time to let him know who he was talking to.
Javier straightened his shoulders. “Are you threatening me? Do you have any fucking idea who I am? Let’s get one thing straight, Mr. Sanchez, I make the demands and I determine what happens next. If you want to see Ms. Hughes again, come get her. She’s at my compound, and I’m sure you know where it is. You have twenty-four hours to bring your ass here if you want to keep her alive.”
“You should have never taken her. You should let her go before I get there,” Alejandro said, his voice low and lethal.
Javier belted out a bark of laughter. “I have to say, you’re quite the comedian. You really don’t seem to understand who’s in charge. I can’t wait to put your head on a platter.”
“You have made a terrible mistake,” Alejandro said in a calm voice.
“Oh really?”
“Yes, because I’m coming for you. If I were you, I would kill myself before I get there.”
The line went dead.
Javier stared at the phone for a moment. The conviction in Alejandro’s voice sent a shiver through him. Slowly, he placed the device on the table and stood.
“What’s wrong? You’re not worried about him, are you? He’s one man.” Kathleen set down her glass.
“Of course I’m not worried.” Not entirely true, but he didn’t want her to see weakness in him.
She walked over and caressed his chest, which normally turned him on. Unfortunately, he was distracted by the conversation.
“Javier,” Kathleen said, “this is what we wanted, remember? Since we couldn’t kill them at her parents’ house, we lure him out here, and we kill them both here. It’s cleaner, with less chance of witnesses or leaving evidence behind. Our problems will disappear immediately, and I can go back to being the grieving widow, shocked at my husband’s illegal activities.”
“I’m not worried, as you pointed out, because he’s one man. But, I need to make sure we have enough manpower here to handle him when he comes. And we don’t know when he’s coming. Could be tomorrow. Could be two days from now.”
“He’ll come right away because he wants to save his girlfriend,” Kathleen pointed out.
“True, but there’s another issue. What if he calls the police?”
“They wouldn’t dare step foot on your property!”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But that cocky sonofabitch, Detective Slater is looking for an excuse to give me a hard time.”
“Chief Long would never allow it. He’s on your side, remember?”
By ‘on your side’ she meant in Javier’s pocket because he bribed him to avoid looking at his illegal activities.
Kathleen caressed the front of his pants. “Come to bed. Let me make you feel better.”
Javier caught her hand. “You go, and I’ll be up in a few minutes. I need to make a phone call.”
Her mouth downturned in disappointment, but she stepped away and walked toward the door. “Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t.”
Javier rubbed his stomach. He was pretty sure the burning meant his ulcer had returned, and it was all Camila Hughes and Alejandro Sanchez’s fault. He appreciated Kathleen’s confidence, but he had learned not to be overly confident, no matter who the opponent. Sometimes people surprised you, and from what he’d read of Alejandro Sanchez and the organization he worked for, he was one of those people who might surprise him.
Alejandro seemed fearless and indifferent to Javier’s power plays. Which meant he was capable of anything.
“We’ll see who’s the baddest,” Javier muttered.
Retrieving his other phone from the desk, he dialed the number for his head of security.
“Yes, Mr. Reyes?”
“For the next two days, I want to beef up security here at the compound and at the casino. Extra men, more gun power, twenty-four hour service.”
“Not a problem. Is there something we need to know about, sir—so we can properly assess the threat?”
Saying he was concerned about one man coming onto the property sounded silly. “These are precautionary measures. Nothing to worry about.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure you have the additional security you need.”
“Good.”
Security would take care of Alejandro, and then he would be rid of both him and Camila Hughes. Life could go back to normal, as Kathleen said.
Breathing easier, he tucked the phone in his pants and left the office, anxious to continue what Kathleen had tried to start.
Alejandro sat in the dark at the house after he hung up the phone with Javier Reyes. The next number he dialed was Cruz Cordoba, the head of The Cordoba Agency.
His plan was to rescue Camila and destroy Reyes, but he’d need help, which meant calling on the people he knew he could count on. They weren’t blood, but they were family nonetheless. They had been in the trenches together. The Plan B brotherhood was a small group—elite and dependable.
“Hello?” Cruz answered.
“Hey, Cruz, I’ve run into a problem in Las Vegas, and I need your help.”