Part 1
Chapter 1
Adam
I wish I had a countdown until I could kill these fuckers.
Killing has never been in my job description, but this group is especially on my last nerve. My mission has always been going after the artifacts and priceless pieces of history, but hell, the Cano Cartel has its hands way deeper. Everything seems to be covering up what Iactuallyneed. Without proof or recovering the artifacts, I’ll be here for far longer than the ten months I’ve already been.
A sigh leaves me as the men who work for Oscar Cano’s drug side of the business drone on and on about the ass they got last night at the strip club.
Going undercover used to be fun. Well, maybe not fun but exhilarating. It used to fuel my need for adrenaline and would help catch really shitty men at the same time. A win-win. Now? I miss my friends. I miss my family even though my four sisters are each a pain in the ass. I miss the freedom of doing whatever I want. Hell, I’m missing my only niece grow up.
“What about you, Chris? You get any ass last night? You left awfully quick,” Oscar Cano’s second-in-command, Nico, asks mewith a sneer. He doesn’t like me, never has, but his boss does, so he is forced to put up with me. I’ve been watching my back around him for the ten months I’ve been undercover—I think he’s the only one with ties to the artifact side of the cartel—and if I’m honest, it feels like the tension between us is about to snap.
Christopher Roth. A name I’m ready to put to rest. But the Cano Cartel is taking their sweet-ass time with this “huge shipment of something new” they’ve got coming in. I was supposed to be off the case three months ago when we first got word of said shipment. “We” being the U.S. Marshals team I work on. We expected the stolen artifacts to come a few weeks after I got word of it. Now, I’m twiddling my thumbs, watching Nico so he doesn’t stab me in the back and waiting for word that the shipment is physically at the dock. It was never supposed to be this complicated. I should already have these damn artifacts in hand, but no. It’s like Oscar has been biding his time, making sure he can trust me before fully pulling me into this side of the business. Not that I can truly blame him, but dammit, I’m so done with this shit.
“Nah, called it a night early,” I tell Nico.
“What are you, a fucking saint? I ain’t never heard of someone refusing some nice, juicy cunt like you do.”
“Just wasn’t feeling it. Damn, man. It’s not like you’re around me 24/7 and know if I’m having sex or not. Why are you so obsessed with my dick?” I can’t help but take up the opportunity to needle him.
His cronies giggle like schoolgirls before he shoots them a look. Yeah, it seems they are starting to come around to me.
“Man, shut the fuck up. I don’t even know why Oscar keeps you around. You ain’t done shit except run your mouth.”
“Are you questioning the way I run my business?” Oscar’s commanding voice echoes in the warehouse we were all called to meet at.
“Nah, just giving ol’ Chris here a hard time,” Nico says.
I barely refrain from rolling my eyes.
“Well, if you two are done gabbing, we’ve got a meeting to have.”
Nico and I bow our heads in apology.
Oscar continues. “You both need to be at Bella’s tonight. I have a small shipment coming through there, and I need to make sure it stays discreet. Nico, bring Chris into the fold.”
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes. Sure, we go to Bella’s a lot. It’s the strip club Oscar owns after all, but we’ve never had anything except money run through the club. The Cano Cartel deals in drugs and artifacts—a strange combination, but Oscar makes bank, so who’s to argue with his methods. The drugs distract from his high roller artifact business, or so I’ve pieced together. He’s been lying low for so damn long; me going undercover was our last-ditch effort to get some real evidence on him or recover a few high-priority items—hopefully both. But having Nico show me the ropes of this side of the business is exactly what I need to happen right now.
“And once we’re done with that, we can test drive the ladies, right?” Nico is damn near salivating.
He’s the first one I’m going to kill. Maybe strangle him so it takes longer. Deep cuts so he bleeds out?
I shake my head clear of those murderous ideas and refocus. Maybe I’ve been undercover too long if my thoughts are taking such a turn. I’m usually the awkward one in my everyday life, but for some reason, I can play a role like nobody’s business.
“No, and if I get word that any of you have ‘test driven’ any of them, you know the consequences.” Oscar’s tone leaves nothing in question even if his face is still eerily even. His policy has always been to not shit where you eat.
“I was just joking around, Boss.” Nico cowers, properly chastised.
Oscar stares at him, not saying anything.
I clear my throat, hoping this doesn’t backfire on me considering Oscar’s mood. This is the first time I’ve been brought into the fold of what I’m actually after. I need to take advantage because running drugs is getting old.
“Are we immediately transferring them here? Or are we delivering them somewhere else?” I ask, using every ounce of my training to disguise the disgust I feel even asking those questions.
“Once they are delivered, Nico will show you how we do things. Then they’ll get handed over to Chris. And you”—he directs his intense stare at me—“will deliver them to my apartment the next morning,” Oscar replies with his no-nonsense tone. His bespoke suit doesn’t belay the danger he exudes. A scar across his chin is the only mark on his otherwise aristocratic features.
