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“Hiding what?” I ask, knowing it’s ballsy but necessary to challenge him. He might know less than he’s trying to make it seem.
“We got word there was a rat in our midst, and we think it has something to do with you. Know anything about this?”
I look toward Nikolai, but he just shrugs.
Not very helpful, but part of me appreciates that he’s leaving this up to me. I’m the one responsible for getting Eddy out alive.
“Well, I wasn’t about to walk into Mexico alone,” I say, trying to make it sound like Nikolai is only here to protect me.
There’s a long pause from Diego, and I nearly die in the silence waiting for a response. “Okay,” he finally says. “I will ask that you don’t bring anyone to our meeting in Dimalona. If you want to ensure Eddy’s safety, you will listen to me.”
“We also have your P50,” I reply, looking toward Nikolai for reassurance. He nods, and I continue. “The deal is Eddy’s life for the drugs. That’s all this is about. Not anyone that I’m with, and not anyone else in your Cartel, which, by the way, attacked us a few hours ago.”
“We attacked a Bratva rat,” he growls. “That had nothing to do with you.”
“But it does, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t try anything like that again. You want your drugs, and you’ll get them. Let’s set some ground rules, at least.”
Diego laughs, but I can tell he’s a bit nervous. “Bring the drugs. Nothing else can be promised.”
The line goes dead, and Nikolai lets out a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, reaching for the car door to let myself out.
Nikolai gets out of the car with me, shaking his head and smiling like this is all a big joke. “They’re not going to let up. They want to kill us, take the drugs, and probably get rid of Eddy too. The only way we’re going to pull this off is if we ambush them before they can do the same to us.”
“What are you talking about? I just want to make a trade.”
“The rules have changed,” he replies, opening the door to the hotel to me. “But we’ll talk about that in a moment. Let’s get settled in first.”
I want to argue, but for the sake of appearances, I stay silent as we check into the hotel and take our bag up to the room. This one has two beds, but I’m more relieved that it has air conditioning.
Once inside, Nikolai is quick to lock the door, drop his stuff on the floor, and turn to me. “This isn’t going to be how you think it will be,” he says, his voice so grave that goosebumps erupt across my arms and legs.
“What do you mean?” I ask, sitting down on the foot of one of the beds.
“I mean that the Cartel wants me dead more than they care about those drugs or your cousin. They’re going to see this as an opportunity to get me killed, just as much as I see it as an opportunity to get them killed.”
“But why?” I ask, feeling a tightness in my chest as he begins pacing in front of me.
He drums his fingers on his chin, his thick eyebrows pulled together in a formidable scowl. “The border crossing that the Bratva owns is more valuable than two million dollars. That’s the simple truth. They’d rather kill me and claim the territory than take the drugs, but they’ll do both if they can.”
“So, you’re saying… there’s no hope for Eddy?” I ask, barely able to get the words out because they’re so horrific. My eyes are hot with tears, but I do my best to hold them back. I can’t appear weak now. I need to show Nikolai that I can handle whatever comes our way.
“The Cartel are cowards,” he replies, shaking his head. “They’re not going to risk losing the drugs and the opportunity to kill me by executing your cousin. They’ll wait until they have the drugs, and then they’ll strike. But they’re not going to give Eddy back either way. We’ll have totakehim back, but I already knew that.”
“Sounds dangerous,” I admit, “but I’m grateful that they’re probably going to keep Eddy alive.”
“No more dangerous than the Cartel hunting us down and trying to kill us before we even make it to the meeting place in Dimalona,” Nikolai replies. “We’re going to get your cousin back, but we’re not going to do it the way they want us to.”
“So… how?” I ask, wondering if he already has a master plan, or he’s just making this up on the fly.
He stops pacing and looks at me, his eyes lighting up with a devilish gleam. “I know a guy who might be able to help us, but it’s going to be expensive.”
I frown, knowing that Nikolai is the only person with any significant amount of money. “How much?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” he says, pausing for dramatic effect. “Probably around two million dollars.”
“You’re joking,” I say, knowing full well that he’s not.
