I’m strangely calm. If there were a problem, Jamie wouldn’t be standing around, talking to the strangers he’s brought back here under the cover of night. He’d be kicking the crap out of them and I’d be over there with him, doing the same. I hear Spanish passing back and forth—must be some of Julio’s men. I’ll wait for Jamie to call me over before I intrude. These things can be tricky. Political. Perez’s men have no love for me, the same way they have no love for Jamie. Better they deal with just the one of us for the moment. I rest my shoulder against the doorjamb, biding my time.
Across the courtyard on the other side of the compound, the barn looms, a grey-black shadow, shot through with white where the woodwork has been painted around the yawning entrance and the window frames on the upper level. Underneath there, through that rusted hatch, Maria Rosa is probably prowling like an animal, pacing back and forth, plotting and scheming like she usually does.
I haven’t seen her since I jerked off in the hallway. Carnie’s been begrudgingly taking her the meals that are prepared for her, and when I asked him, he said she hasn’t hit on him once. He seemed almost disappointed by the fact. After what Rebel said took place in Vegas, poor bastard likely thought she’d be into him or something. She said it herself, though: she thinks Carnie’s a little boy. She used him to put on a show for Rebel and the guy never realized it.
I wonder what she’d do for me—what kind of messed up, fucked up, kinky bullshit she’d instigate if she knew I’d be willing to sit and watch it. The thing about Maria Rosa is that she’s intriguing. I want to know how she works. I want to know what drives her. When you know what drives a man, or in this case a woman, you discovered their undoing. It’s easy to defeat your enemies if you know what they desire more than anything else in the world. You simply take that from them—the ability to ever obtain their desires—and you remove their reason for living. I want to know her deepest, darkest fantasy, and in turn I want to use it against her, to destroy her. It only seems fair for the abuse I suffered at her hand in Columbia, and it only seems fair for the men, women and two kids that lost their lives that day in the grocery store in LA.
‘”Cade? Cade, meet Andreas Medina. Andreas is Julio Perez’s second in command.”
I look away from the barn, back to where Rebel and his guests were a moment ago, only they’re not there anymore. They’re standing right in front of me, as is Sophia. Five of them in total. Two Widow Makers, and three of Julio’s men. Sophia looks exhausted, like she’s dead on her feet. I’m betting that was her longest ride yet. Must have wiped her out. Standing beside Jamie, a skinny Mexican with a haunted looking face and deeply sunken eyeballs grimaces at me. No smile.
“You’re the one who declared war,” he says, looking me up and down. He obviously doesn’t think it was a good idea. “Ballsy,” he says. “I got no idea how you thought you were gonna win, but still…”
“Oh, we’re gonna win. You wouldn’t fucking be here if your boss didn’t think so too.”
Andreas bares his teeth. “My boss and I have differing opinions sometimes. I’m sure you and Rebel don’t always see eye to eye.”
Sophia places a hand on my shoulder, giving me a tired smile. “You’d be surprised,” she says, as she walks past me into the clubhouse. Jamie seems to be happy and content, but I can sense the tension on him. I know he’s got a lot to tell me, but he can’t exactly spill everything now. It’ll have to wait until later.
“What’s the plan?” I ask. “Are Andreas and his friends staying in the compound?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna set them up in the clubhouse. Julio’s going to be arriving in the morning. Maybe our other guest should watch a movie instead of taking a walk this evening?”
He’s talking about Maria Rosa, of course. Now’s around about the time that I’d have to restrain her and walk her around the back of the compound, let her climb up the hill towards Rebel’s place three or four times before taking her back down into the basement, but then again I haven’t had the pleasure of that duty recently.
Jamie ushers the men into the building behind me, following Perez’s men inside last. As he passes me, he whispers in a low voice, “They can’t know about her, man. They can’t even suspect. Keep everyone away from the barn while they’re here, yeah?”
“Sure thing.”
“And their Humvee? There are some in the trunk. Can you take them down into the armory? Be fucking careful, Cade. Seriously.” He looks worried for some reason. Jamie’s never worried. Whatever is in those boxes must be dangerous shit.
“Should I come up to the cabin when I’m done?” I ask.
Jamie nods. “We have a lot to talk about.”
******