Page 97 of Unruly

“You shouldn’t trust them. They’re cartel, and we don’t even know them.”

“Giuseppe Bianchi is cartel, too. Just because he wears nice suits, lives in a big house, and owns his own jet doesn’t make what he does any better, Miguel.”

“I’m just saying—”

“Miguel, they do business with a lot of families. Chicago included. They supply to more organizations in America and Canada than Giuseppe does. What does that tell you?”

He scowled, and glanced away.

Catherine opted to answer for him. “It tells us that they do good business. They have good product. They make good exchanges. So they have rules they want us to follow for this meeting, and some of them are a little sketchy, who fucking cares? Jesus Christ, Cosa Nostra has sketchy rules, but nobody is refusing to work with them on the low.”

“You’re missing the point.”

“I’m not.” She came closer to Miguel, and patted his cheek with her palm. “I know you’re worried about me going alone.”

“Very worried. I’m your handler.”

“Not anymore,” Catherine reminded him. “Now, you’re my second in command.”

“It’s still my job to have your back, reginella. How can I do that when you won’t allow me to?”

Catherine tipped her head in the direction of the closed bedroom door. “You are looking after something far more important to me, Miguel. You have her back. That’s what I need. The rest is business—I can handle business.”

“You’re too much like your mother for your own good.”

“Everyone tells me that. I don’t see it.”

“Seriously?”

Catherine laughed. “No, I’m aware of just how similar I am to my mom. We’re like peas in a very small pod.”

Miguel nodded. “You can take a phone and weapon, right?”

“That’s what they said.”

“I still don’t trust them. The one that contacted you didn’t even give you his name, or the name of the person you would be meeting.”

Nope.

Just a location, a time, and vehicle to expect. Catherine had also been told that she was not to question the driver or man accompanying him. Once the meeting was done, she would be delivered back to the restaurant she had been told to wait in front of.

Layers, she thought.

These were likely more layers keeping whoever the boss was safe from outsiders. The Gomez cartel seemed damned determined to keep the identity of their leader a secret. Frankly, Catherine didn’t give a shit at this point.

She didn’t even have to meet the boss.

She just needed a supplier.

“Let me handle business. You handle Cece.”

Miguel rolled his eyes upward. “A glorified babysitter.”

“You love that kid. You’re her Miggy.”

“Shut up, reginella. Don’t tell people things like that. They’ll think I’ve gone soft or some nonsense.”

Catherine laughed in response. “You? Never.”