Sitting opposite the head of the Diablo Cartel, I can see why they appointed a woman. People think she’s weak, but Camilla Sanchez is as cold and ruthless as they come. She looks like a goddess, but when she smiles, she looks like an alligator contemplating its next meal. Giving Camilla his best smile and openly ogling her body, Scout looks at her as if she’s his next conquest. Occasionally, Camila glances at him, distaste plastered across her beautiful features.
“I hate to repeat myself,” she throws her silky black hair over her shoulder, “but you were short on the last shipment. Again.”
We’re in her office inside an old warehouse on the outskirts of town. It’s one of those places near the glades where men in boats can easily take bodies out and feed them to the gators. Camilla often meets us in town, but today she’s making a point.
Leaning forward, I tap my finger on the rough, wooden surface of the table, scarred with deep gashes, I assume were created by an axe or a machete. Probably both.
“Then it was short when we got it.”
Camilla draws in a deep breath and shakes her head, her ruby-red top lip curled in a snarl. “It wasn’t.”
Smiling, I tap my finger again. “I’m not doing this fucking dance with you, Camilla. The fucking shipment was short. We don’t skim. I’m not a fucking idiot.”
Her eyes travel to Scout. “No, you’re not.”
Scout’s eyes bulge and he shakes his head. “I wasn’t even on the run.”
Camilla sighs loudly and folds her arms across her chest. “I’m not paying you the full amount. The shipment was short. It’s coming out of your end.”
“Like fuck it is.” I slam my fist on the table, toppling her glass of water.
Camilla’s eyes blaze, and she stands, brushing the water off her tight-fitting black skirt. “Fuck!” She glances over my shoulder at one of her men.
I roll my eyes. “I can cross this table and bury my knife in your chest before the fucker reaches me.”
Camilla freezes, her gaze settling on me.
“It wasn’t us.” I shrug dismissively. “We’ve been in business a long time. I give you my word, on my club, we aren’t stealing from you.”
It’s not a promise I make lightly. Camilla knows if I’m willing to swear on the club, I’m not trying to swindle her. Nevertheless, her heroin has been short twice. The only men I put on the run are clean—no drug users. It reduces the risk they’d be tempted to dip into the stash, but it doesn’t mean one might have decided to make some money on the side. Unlikely, but you never really know someone, do you?
Camilla looks at her man behind me and flicks a hand, signaling him to stand down. She turns, places her hands on her voluptuous hips, and stares out over the glades. Her shoulders rise and fall as she takes a deep breath, clearly trying to decide her best course of action. Camilla is in charge of the Florida arm, but she answers to her father, Mateo, and he will not be pleased with her.
“You’ve been in talks with the Khans. Prove your loyalty to us, we don’t want you running their crystal meth. Agree to this and we’ll overlook the infraction … this time.”
I stand and bark out a laugh. “The Khans have approached us. We’re having a conversation, but our deal with you has nothing to do with them.”
Slowly, Camilla turns around, her head slightly tilted. Her eyes meet mine as she lifts her chin. The next thing I know, a gun is shoved into my ribs and a hand lands on my shoulder.
Camilla smiles. “Agree to my terms.”
Scout moves to stand, but one of her men slams his head to the table’s surface and holds a knife to the back of his head.
“You kill me or him and you’ll start a war. Mateo and your brother, Gabriel, won’t be pleased. My men will fuck up your trade routes. You don’t want to do this over two shipments being short, Camilla,” I growl through gritted teeth.
“You’ve got some balls on you, Creed.” Camilla leans forward, putting both hands on the table. Her breasts strain against the fabric of her jacket, and I know she’s doing it on purpose. I’m probably one of the few men who have turned her down, but I like my women to have a bit of warmth about them, so I don’t have to worry they’re going to kill me in my sleep. “Agree to my terms and we all walk away happy.”
Dropping my head to my chest, I relax my body. My eyes lock with Scout as he struggles against his attacker. I shake my head, and he stops moving.
“Well?” Camilla’s voice is sweet as sugar.
My top lip curls, and I twist my body to the side. The gun fires, but it’s facing toward Camilla. She flinches but doesn’t move as it sails past her and shatters the window behind her. The woman has bigger balls then some men I know. I shove the gun farther away from myself and headbutt the ape behind me. He cries out in pain, then I raise my ring-clad fist and smash it into his already bleeding nose. The gun clatters to the floor.
We only have a few moments before more of Camilla’s men come running through the door, but I have to free Scout. When I’m sure the man who had me pinned is down, I turn to look at Scout. He’s bleeding from his neck, but his captor is down, his dead eyes staring at the ceiling as blood oozes from the knife embedded in his chest. Bending, I pick up the gun and toss it to Scout.
“Door!” I say thunderously as I draw my hunting knife from my belt and stalk around the table toward Camilla.
She backs away from me, but Camilla doesn’t scare easily. Even as I close the distance between us, her eyes flit back and forth as she calculates her next move. We both know if I kill her, I’m as good as dead.
Raising my knife, I bury it in the wall beside her head. “Call off your men.”
“Fuck you,” she hisses.
“Camilla, we aren’t fucking skimming, and the deal with the Khans isn’t done. They won’t be infringing on your territory. We made sure of that. They’re only passing through, their meth is headed for Michigan. We’d never shit where we eat. It’s another stream of income for us. The Khans agreed to keep it out of Florida.”
“But it’s in Florida!” Camilla screeches, her beautiful features twisted into a mask of contempt.
“Yes, but it’s not the Khans who are running it, and you know it. Besides, Florida isn’t your biggest money maker. Hell, it’s not even your second biggest. Nebraska and Indiana win those spots, so what’s this really about?”
Her eyes widen.
There’s a reason I’m President of my chapter. I pay attention to everything, and something isn’t right. We run drugs for the Diablos, and I make it my business to know the ins and outs of it all. We also run guns and whores and anything fucking else that will make money for my club.
With defiance in her eyes, Camilla says, “Your last two shipments were short.”
With my fist still wrapped around the handle of my knife, I raise my other hand, place it on her throat, and begin to trace circles with my thumb at the base.
“How can I fix this, Camilla?”
