AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I took that information in, wondering if I’d ever need to really know that.
When a large sandstone building began to take shape, my stomach dipped and my palms started to sweat.
“So, are you going to tell me how to play?” I asked again, begrudgingly.
“You have the wrong idea of how this works. This isn’t a game of chess or checkers, or something you get instructions for.”
He didn’t elaborate any further until we’d rounded the perimeter of the stables and parked in the back. I immediately noticed two things.
The first were the two men with guns that looked almost as long as my body, standing guard by a large steel door.
The second was a dark blue Jeep Cherokee sat parked off to the side. Anywhere else the truck would have been nothing to take a second glance at, but there was no way Mateo or any of his men would actually drive something like that, which meant it had a purpose.
He cut the UTV off and turned slightly towards me.
“The objective of roulette is simple. In a game of cards, what is the one thing you do when you don’t wish to participate any longer?”
“I don’t...” I stopped to think. I’d never played any card games aside from Go-Fish and Uno...but my parents had.
“Fold?” I guessed.
“That’s your safeword,” he said. “When you’re ready to yield, just say that and it will all be over.”
“Why would I need a safeword?”
“Because I’m dragging you into my world headfirst.”
“I thought I was already there.”
“Elena.” He said my name with an abrupt burst of warmth. “You’ve barely even skimmed the surface.”
He stepped away and claimed my hand, helping me out of the tram.
I couldn’t refute that statement. I was well aware of the fact that I was still an outsider looking in.
As we approached the large building the silence became deafening and a feeling of dread bloomed in the pit of my stomach, telling me shit was about to hit the fan.
The two guards remained utterly motionless aside from greeting Mateo with a respectful, “Patrón,” and sliding open the heavy steel door to what I now knew was much more than
just a stable full of horses.
Mateo urged me forward with a gentle tug. Just as the toe of my heel made it inside, a man’s agonized scream carried through the air.
I instantly attempted to back away, but Mateo’s grip tightened around my hand like a vise and I was all but dragged over the threshold.
The heavy door slammed shut behind us, and everything changed.
Chapter Ten
The screaming continued from a hall directly to my left, becoming hoarse and strained.
I inhaled deeply, trying to steady my nerves, and nearly choked on the overwhelming smell of chemicals.
As my eyes adjusted to the dull ambient lighting, I took notice of the large oil drums lining one wall. I’d heard many a rumor about what those were used for.
The back part of the massive room had been sectioned off by a chain link fence. Four men and one woman who didn’t even bother glancing our way sat at a table with face masks on, breaking down kilos of cocaine for distribution. Another two men stood guard over them.
“I pay twenty-five grand a kilo. That’s approximately thirty-six ounces. Selling at a price point of twelve-hundred dollars, that gives me ten thousand profit.”
