Loving a Bad Boy (4 page)

His chest expanded as he tried to breathe
through the moisture-laden air. A cough erupted from his chest. The
barking sound surprised him. He didn’t have a cold and hadn’t so
much as sneezed since leaving Detroit, let alone coughed. Uncertain
what this new development meant, he cleared his throat, determined
to shake off anything that’d slow him down. One year. He had made
an agreement to work here for twelve months. He’d put up with the
heat, fulfill his commitment, and get the hell out of this
sauna.

He slanted a glance behind him at the faces
of his men. They weren’t faring well with the change in atmosphere
either. Tex, his lead man, merely stared ahead, his dark face stoic
as though he was headed toward purgatory or something similar. The
man was usually cool as a ballpark beer, but the humidity had a way
of wilting the staunchest plant. Pete and Miguel brought up the
rear, and already their faces were flushed, rivulets of sweat
staining their shirts. Pete’s unbuttoned collar was soaked. Julio
was unsure the band would close around the shorter man’s thick neck
anyway. Sunglasses on top of his head, Julio squinted to see
outside the opened door.

“
What’s taking so long?”
Pete asked, his voice waspish. He was always more impatient than
the other two. Fortunately, he was good at following
instructions.

Julio pointed at the men walking around
beneath the plane. “Something about the stairs, they’ll have it
fixed in a few.” He forced back a grimace, and refused to tug on
his collar for relief from the unrelenting heat.

The mechanic waved at him,
declaring the previously malfunctioning stairs to now be safe.
Adjusting his lightweight jacket, Julio returned his gaze to the
tarmac, where drivers stood next to two long dark cars waiting
patiently for him and his entourage.
How
the hell could anyone stand outside in this heat and
humidity?
Suddenly, his world zeroed down
to one thing, getting out of the blistering heat and into the
shelter of that car. He pushed down his sunglasses and descended
the steps at a sedate pace. A quick brush against his waist
adjusted his revolver into a more comfortable spot. Once at the
bottom of the stairs, he moved purposely toward the
limo.

After sliding into the cool interior of the
first sedan, Julio exchanged nods with Roberto Benez, his mother’s
first cousin and head of the munitions operations for the Cartel.
It had been over fifteen years since he’d last seen Roberto at a
family function. The older man had aged well. Tiny lines bracketed
his mouth, disappearing into the close-cut beard which graced his
face. His skin had a goldish-brown undertone, no doubt a gift from
the Florida skies. Thick salt and pepper hair, which looked
shellacked in place, was combed back from a high forehead. The
pewter gray suit he wore had a light sheen to it. Distracted by the
loud pink shirt beneath the gray jacket, Julio failed to hear
Roberto the first time he spoke.

"The trip, it was okay?" Roberto asked
again, his tone dropped low on the last word.

Julio stared at his image reflected in his
cousin's sunglasses; pleased he didn’t appear as washed out as he
felt. He took a moment to think how best to answer the seemingly
innocent question. Roberto had a reputation for using a person's
words against them. The man thought he was a master manipulator,
but often failed miserably. For the time being, Julio would play
the game.

"Fine."

“
Your mother? She is
well?”

A curl of warmth slid through him as he
thought of his mom. “Yes, she sends her regards.” He paused. “Her
husband sends his as well.” Julio added as a mild rebuke.

“
Yes, yes, that is good.
Roberto nodded as the car pulled away, and snapped open what looked
like a professional trade magazine. Since he had no idea what his
cousin was reading, and his cousin didn’t offer to share, he
decided to ask a question.

“
How is your family?” It
was a simple question, basically just good manners, no harm
intended. Yet his cousin tensed before answering.

“
Everyone is fine, thank
you for asking.” Roberto went back to his magazine, effectively
cutting off the conversation.

Julio allowed it to drop. There was nothing
to be gained by pursuing that line of questioning and he could care
less about his cousin’s family. He was here as a favor for his
godfather, nothing more. He’d not had many dealings with his
mother’s family, it was the way she'd wanted it when he was
younger, and he had never challenged her request.

Within the past year, her attitude toward
her kin had changed. No doubt it was due to his involvement with
the Cartel, but she wanted him to know more about her deceased
father. Of course, his mother’s take on her father as a loving,
kind man was not the same as those who'd worked beneath Benito
Cardenas, former Cartel boss, especially those who'd crossed
him.

Francisco, his godfather, had all but
adopted him the past three years. They’d spent months training,
learning Cartel protocol and the layout of the organization. It had
been a crash course with a man who firmly believed that Julio was
destined to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. According to all
accounts, Julio’s Patron had been the most dangerous and luckiest
Cartel boss in fifty years, depending on who was reminiscing. There
were all kinds of tales floating around about Benito’s infamous
exploits in dealing with rivals. He had taken large risks, which
had paid off handsomely and sent him into superstar status within
the Cartel.

Francisco was banking that those attributes
had been passed down to him. Julio wasn’t so sure and had made his
opinion known. But the old time crime leaders were a superstitious
lot. Nothing he said made any difference. With each success he
racked up, the more determined his godfather became to see him
ascend in the ranks.

Hence his Miami assignment. Tugging at the
collar around his neck, he blocked the conflicting thoughts
bombarding him, and looked out the window.

Within moments they hit the interstate and
headed south. Since his host remained quiet, Julio followed suit.
There was little to see other than large industrial concrete
buildings. The car soon exited the highway onto a two-lane feeder
road.

Vibrations in his inner pocket signaled an
incoming call. Julio pulled out his cell and read the text. As he
re-read the words from Francisco, he sighed. No one trusted anyone;
everyone wanted information on everyone else. Circles nested within
circles. Julio deleted the message and replaced the device in his
pocket.

He was no spy, and only a halfway decent
enforcer, much to his mentor’s dismay. There was too much of his
stepfather in him to embrace violence for violence sake.

"Is all well?"

Julio glanced at the curious expression on
Roberto’s face and nodded without speaking. There was no need to
alert his cousin that Francisco was investigating him for matters
of which he was completely unaware. It’d all come out later. Julio
relaxed against the leather seat cushions, wondering what had
happened to his enthusiasm. There was a time when starting a new
assignment would have him excited to the nth degree. Whether it was
the heat or thinking about his mother and her feelings for Roberto,
the potential fall-out from this job, he was unsure. He was simply
ready for it to be over, and he’d just arrived.

The car slowed and then stopped before a
large gate.

The driver pressed the intercom button and
announced, “Mr. Roberto and guest.”

The gate slid open, allowing the car to
enter. Glancing behind them Julio noticed the second car going
through the same security measure. Pleased with the level of
security so far, he stared ahead. The sleek vehicle rounded a bend,
allowing him a peek at the two-story white mansion standing in the
midst of a cleared field. There were gardens, and perhaps an
orchard, he couldn’t be sure, in the distance. But there was
nothing near the house. No place for an assassin to hide or use to
escape. It made the house look cold with a monastery feel, but that
was the trade-off for safety. After the car came to a complete
stop, the driver exited and then opened their door for them.
Roberto stepped out first, followed by Julio.

"Welcome to my home," Roberto said formally
as he waved toward the whitewashed brick building.

“
Gracias.” Julio nodded
just as formally since Roberto was sticking to high protocols. For
some reason, he’d thought since they were blood-related, they could
forgo all the posturing. The front door opened. A dark-tanned man
with a shock of white hair wearing a white jacket stood next to it.
There was a dark haired, petite woman standing just inside the
doorway, waiting for them with a welcoming smile.

Roberto glanced up. His face softened as a
smile broke out across his face as he spoke. "Please have your men
enter and refresh themselves." He nodded to the man who'd walked
down the steps with his hands clasped in front. "Grimes will make
sure they are taken care of."

Julio looked at the car parked behind him as
Tex, Miguel and Pete exited the car. "I would prefer if my man
walked with me, I have a few things to discuss with him. Have
Grimes see to the other two men."

Tex walked toward him, his face set in stern
lines. They’d already agreed that he and Tex would hear the state
of affairs together to come up with some type of strategy. Over the
past year, he’d discovered Tex had a sharp mind and read people
with unerring accuracy.

Roberto nodded as all three men approached.
“Welcome. Anything you need to refresh yourselves, Grimes will see
to it.”

Grimes bowed and turned toward the house
with Pete and Miguel trailing behind. They all nodded to the female
as she walked toward Roberto and Julio.

Roberto reached out and took the woman’s
hands in his. “Allow me to introduce my daughter-in-law, Maria. She
has become indispensable around here; you may know her father,
Benito Maderas.”

“
Yes, I have met him and
his sons.” Julio nodded at the dark haired woman whose head barely
reached his shoulders. The beige colored dress was a size or two
too big and did nothing for her complexion. “I had no idea he had
such a lovely daughter,” he lied. She was too pale and thin for his
tastes. Her eyes and mouth appeared too big for her narrow face.
Her one redeeming factor was her hair. It was thick and
shiny.

“
Welcome to our home,” she
said, although the smile did not reach her eyes.

“
Thank you, Maria.” Julio
waved toward Tex and introduced him.

She smiled at them. “I
have a meal planned for later. I must excuse myself to make sure
everything is proper. There are snacks and drinks waiting. Please
let Grimes know if there is something else you would prefer.” She
kissed Roberto’s cheek and strolled off in the opposite
direction
.

Tex followed Julio inside the brightly
colored foyer. It took a moment for Julio’s eyes to adjust. The
window-sized, gilt-framed pieces of art added splashes of color to
the stark white walls and white furniture placed in random seating
groups in the large room to the right. White and gold polished tile
graced the floors. The echo of their footsteps preceded them. The
door on the left opened when they were an arm’s length away.

Roberto stopped and waved him inside.
“Please, come in. We can talk freely here.” He waited until Julio
and Tex entered the large airy room before dismissing the servant.
A young man with sandy blond hair and blue eyes sat in a seat near
the windows with legs crossed, arms dangling to the side, and his
lips curled cruelly with disdain. Somehow, the dislike emanating
from the younger man eased something inside Julio. It meant he
didn’t have to play nice, and that was always refreshing.

Julio sat in a chair
opposite the younger man, his fingers tapped on the arm of the
seat. Tex took the seat closer. Roberto walked further into the
room and sat on the loveseat. The four of them made an awkward,
imperfect square. Interestingly enough, no one sat close to the
other.
So much for family trust.
Roberto pointed to the young man seated in the
chair. “This is my son, Carlos. He assists me in the business. You
met his wife, Maria.” There was a wary hint of pride in his
voice.

Julio and Tex returned Carlos' nod.

Roberto clasped his hands between his legs,
and leaned forward. Earnest brown eyes zeroed in on Julio. “I am
glad you are here. There is much to be done and little time to
complete it.”

Julio’s eyes slid to Carlos, noticing his
clenched jaw. Although the rest of his body seemed relaxed. He
nodded in agreement with what Roberto said, although he suspected
the real problem sat in this room.

“
I have a
problem.”

“
You have a solution?”
Julio asked straight faced, mimicking his stepfather. Whenever
Julio would tell Gerald he had a problem, he was required to go
through every problem and come up with possible solutions. He found
the process worked well and used it religiously.

Roberto blinked and looked at his son before
returning his gaze to Julio.

“
No…no I don’t. I thought
that was why you’re here.”

Julio smiled and nodded. He enjoyed fucking
with people and something told him Roberto would be an easy mark.
“Continue.”

Roberto swallowed hard before speaking. “As
you probably know, a couple of shipments were lost to us. The ATF
has been breathing down our backs and the usual channels of
distribution are in disarray. That last shipment cost close to a
half-million dollars.” Roberto’s voice lowered as he stated the
dollar amount reverently.