“It was a mistake to think Tony Garcia would simply roll over and go quietly,” Hector offered. He was her right-hand man. “As you know, over the years he and his father have built a solid distribution network. It would be wise for us to keep as much of it intact as we can. As for the reason why you’re learning about it tonight, I myself just got word from our man in Florida.”
The Black Tosca, dressed in an elegant nightgown, rose from the chair she had occupied at the end of the table. She looked at Hector. Even seated, he looked tall. He was her opposite. She was petite, barely five feet, and he was only four inches shy of seven feet. Over the years, most probably because of her physical appearance, many men had made the mistake of underestimating her. In several cases, it had cost them their lives. What she lacked in physical stature, she made up for tenfold in wit, determination, and a healthy dose of brutality. And what she couldn’t do by herself, Hector did for her. Her cartel had its own intelligence division, and most of the intelligence assets in her network were sources she had developed personally. Some were former lovers she had blackmailed; others she had bought outright.
“Be that as it may, Vicente needs to be stopped. He knows too much about our operations. He’s a threat to all of us.” The Black Tosca looked around the table. “Don’t think for a minute that you’ll be safe if the Americans come after me. Because you’ll be next.”
They were all aware of the far-reaching hands of the American special forces and the DEA. The new American president didn’t care much about his relationship with Mexico. He didn’t mind rattling the cage, which made him a very dangerous man.
“Do you hear what I’m saying, Hector?”
“I’ve already seen to it. Don’t worry, Valentina, I won’t let him testify against you.” Her cousin’s voice was surprisingly shrill for such an imposing man. “Right after we’re done here, I’m flying to Miami to oversee the operation. There will be no mistakes.”
The Black Tosca nodded. When it came to human resources, Hector was her greatest asset. The rank and file respected him, and her enemies feared him. It was his ruthlessness and his efficiency at eliminating her enemies that had propelled him to her side, not their family bond.
“I want the whole Garcia family gone and their operations shut down, at least until we’ve replaced them with people loyal to us.”
“That might be difficult,” Hector said. “Tony Garcia is well protected.”
“Maybe, but his daughter isn’t. Do whatever it takes, Hector. I don’t care. Just get the job done.”
CHAPTER TEN
Pompano Beach, Florida
Cole Egan’s lungs were burning as he sprinted the last quarter mile to his house. Egan embraced the pain. Thanks to Ranger school and countless missions in shitholes all over the world, it was a feeling he recognized well.
He was drenched in sweat by the time he reached the front door. In the kitchen he grabbed a bottle of water from the pantry and an apple from the fridge. He started the coffee machine and made his way to the master bedroom. Katherine was still sound asleep. He was fascinated by the way the early morning sun shined off her white, soft-as-silk skin. He stood for several minutes, watching her sleep before he silently walked to the en suite to shave and shower.
Katherine Egan knew her husband was staring at her. She couldn’t even hear him breathe, but she felt his presence. It had always amazed her—and maybe scared her a bit too—how he could remain perfectly still for so long. A couple years ago, while catching a movie at the theater, she’d noticed that he hadn’t moved once during the entire film. When she’d confronted him about it, he’d told her he had fallen asleep, which she’d known wasn’t true.
They had met five years ago in Mexico City during a dental expo. Bonding over too many drinks in the lobby bar of the hotel hosting the conference, they had quickly gone from business contacts to lovers. She didn’t remember if it was the wine or his rugged good looks and amazing physique, but bringing a complete stranger to her hotel room had been the craziest thing she had ever done. On the second night, he had invited her to his lush bachelor pad in Mexico City. Sharing a bottle of Dom Pérignon on the large balcony with the mind-blowing views had been so romantic that she still got goosebumps thinking about it. On that night, it hadn’t been the wine that had gotten to her—it had been his thick mop of golden hair and his eyes, so deep and blue but also full of secrets. They had made love in his sumptuous bedroom, tenderly at first and then with full abandon. Exhausted but utterly fulfilled, they had fallen asleep tangled in each other’s arms.
Over the course of the conference, she’d learned that Cole had been in the army and had served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was now a distributor of high-tech dental equipment and owned, in addition to his bachelor pad in Mexico City, a beautiful and very expensive house in Pompano Beach right on Lake Santa Barbara. She had moved in with him a week after the conference and never looked back, though a part of her wondered where the money to buy the house had come from. Dental reps earned a good living, but certainly not enough to afford a house like that.