Dinner with the Blakemores (The Blakemore Files Book 5) by Olivia Gaines

there is no such thing as random.
                 

Chapter 11. Who sent that box …?
     
    Bucerias Nayarit, Mexico
    Victorío sat in his office wishing for an escape. His current day-to-day operations were pummeling the joy out of his life and he needed a reason to smile. The American holiday of Thanksgiving was approaching and he had been invited to come to Dallas to have dinner with Saxton and Odessa. He wasn’t so sure how he felt about the rest of the family.  Odessa’s mother was scary. The whole thing she did with the towels to his cousin, Mateo, was still haunting him when he closed his eyes at night. Dora Trodat was a terrifying lady.
    It explained why the little slip of a woman Saxton had married was full of fire.  He really respected Odessa. He esteemed Saxton even more. An individual may not be able to choose their family, but one did have a say in whom they befriended.
    His family … that was another story altogether.  It panged him that since going legitimate with his business, he had earned more enemies than when he was a cutthroat drug dealer. He no longer had any desire to walk on the darker side of life, but he thrived on walking in the clear light of day.  The thing that truly amazed him was to walk into a meeting and not have to worry about whether he would walk out alive.  He’d seen it one time too many; a bad guy approaching an even worse guy who was tougher than the guy who walked in before.  Either way, at the end of conversation, if there was one to be had, somebody was going to end up dead. Victorío wanted to make sure it wasn’t him.
    In the interim, he made alliances. He was not pleased with how his relationship with the Nueva Generación had turned out, but Hugo Delgado had pretty much ended the partnership with that group.  Trying to kill him was by any account a deal breaker. He still worked some with the Zetas, but that group was headed up by Delgado’s brother, Eduardo.  He was seldom seen and even Victorío was unaware how he looked after so many years.  It was clear that he had sent Mateo to kill the Blakemores, but his cousin was more into pissing people off than actually doing as he was instructed.  What worried Victorío the most was Mateo had probably pissed off the wrong person.
    A yellow DHL truck made its way up the drive to the hacienda. Antoinette. She has probably ordered something else she does not need . To his surprise the box was for him. The weight of the container surprised him as he maneuvered the package to his office.  Who is sending me something ? Caution made him pause as he looked at the unmarked box. He put his ear closer, listening to hear if any ticking was made.
    Hesitant, he slipped the letter opener into the sides and cut away the tape. Carefully, he opened the flaps to come in contact with lots of dry ice.  He used the letter opener to push some of it to the side.  The contents had a peculiar smell.  There were packs of lime inside the box, along with coffee beans. Gently, Victorío moved these items aside.
    Ay Dios Mio ! He almost screamed as he peered into the box to see the severed head of his cousin, Mateo, staring up at him, with that same foolish grin he often wore.  In his death, someone had made him go out wearing the duplicitous smile he presented in life to so many others.
    There were no doubts in his mind that it was Eduardo Delgado who sent that box.  He would pack the car and go and visit his uncle before leaving for the United States. He would take him this horrible gift so he could bury his favorite son, or at least what was left of Mateo Rentería.

    Corpus Christie, Texas
    Dwight awoke with an uneasy feeling.  It had been two days since Ryanne had shot him.  As many questions as he asked, he was receiving even fewer answers.  No one knew where she was; some had checked flights, trains, buses, and nothing.  In two days, his wife had vanished.  I will have them expand my search to Dallas.  Maybe she is with