Enslaved (Colombian Cartel #6) - Suzanne Steele Page 0,37

rise as the soft breeze of the early morning air blew over her neck. The air was full of paranoia, like a mist of fog that hid some unknown danger. She shifted the milk and bread she was carrying and looked over her shoulder. She almost wished Mano hadn’t warned her of potential danger. Maybe she should have gotten him up to come with her. He’d been sleeping so sound she didn’t want to disturb him. Now she felt like she should have at least woken Judy. She didn’t want to bother anyone. There was a stubborn part of her that didn’t like the situation she’d been put in. Feelings of pride and independence could fuck with any woman’s head.

One more glance around the parking lot as she pushed the button to open and then start her SUV. It was times like this she was grateful for hands free technology. When she got safely into her vehicle, she locked the doors before they had a chance to automatically lock. Her head was on a swivel as she looked around for potential danger. She couldn’t live on lockdown. It wasn’t in her nature.

She’d sneaked out after not being able to sleep. She needed milk and bread, and any excuse to burn off the nervous energy she was feeling was a good enough reason for a very early drive. She backed out of the parking lot when she was sure no one was following her.

The parking lot was empty, but El Loco had been smart enough to park in one across the street. The girl had looked like she knew someone was following her; perhaps he wasn’t the only stalker she had.

She eased onto the road and turned the volume to the music up. She climbed the steep hill that would take her towards home. A guardrail was the only thing preventing her from a fifty-foot drop. She’d always hated this road when it was raining or snowing. She remembered a night she had been driving, and sheets of rain prevented her from being able to see. It was a feeling of being trapped with nowhere to pull over and no end in sight from the torrential downpour. The lights from a truck coming up behind her were hitting her rearview mirror and blinding her. She shifted the mirror up. Whoever was driving the monstrosity of a truck was right on her ass. She pushed the button on the steering wheel to call Mano.

“I think I’ve got trouble.” She gave him her location and hoped like hell this guy didn’t run her off the road.

“I’m out the door, babe. Why the hell did you go out so late without me?”

She could hear the irritation in his voice. She wished he would yell and throw something; a glass vase shattering against the wall would at least be a clue to his mood—how he was going to react.

“It’s too late to worry about it now. Sonofabitch! He just ran into the back of my baby.” Now: She was pissed.

He knew her baby was her SUV.

“Do not pull over! I’m almost there. This guy may be using this as a ruse to kidnap you.” It was the first time the reality of being in the Colombian cartel hit her. Dating a gangster puts a target on your back with enemy organizations. Hearing it was one thing, experiencing it made it real.

Mano hadn’t wasted any time letting his brothers know she was his property now. Word like that traveled in the streets faster than a raging inferno. To kidnap her would be a way to hurt Mano like nothing else could. It would be a deathblow to a man high up in the cartel. Put bluntly: her impulse control sucked. Oh, and what she would give for her voice of reason Judy right now.

She wasn’t far from home. Mano must be driving like a bat out of hell. She sped up to keep the maniac from running her off the road. Her hands gripped the steering wheel anxiously to keep it on the narrow road. She was going much too fast, and if Mano didn’t hurry, she was going to wreck. She flipped her mirror back down and could see Mano coming up behind the man in the truck. Relief washed over her as soon as she saw him. The voice of reason was coming in the form of a superhero. Okay, that’ll work. Mano smashed into the man’s rear end bumper, causing the truck to