Page 34 of Hunted By the Cartel

He looked the same as I remembered — his dark hair slicked back, his eyes cold and calculating. It was almost as if I had never left.

"Diego," he drawled, his eyes glittering with malicious glee. "I never thought I'd see you again. I assumed you'd be too afraid to show your face after what you did. I thought you were smarter."

I kept my gaze steady, showing strength. If he sniffed weakness, I knew he would pounce on me.

"I'm here to face the consequences of my actions, Vincent. I know I betrayed your trust, and I'm willing to accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

Vincent's eyes narrowed, and he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. He was thinking, but I knew he wasn't thinking much. There wasn't much to think about. If he wanted to punish me, he could do so right now.

"Oh, you will be punished, Diego. Make no mistake about that. But first, I want to hear why you did it. Why did you turn your back on me and the cartel? Did that omega really cast his spell on you?"

I took a steadying breath, knowing this was the moment I had been building up to. Although, I didn't really come here with a good plan. Should I just pull out my gun and kill him? But then, his men would kill me and Aurora would never see me.

"I did it for Rowan, Vincent. I knew you wouldn't let him go, and I couldn't bear the thought of him suffering because of his debt. I had to protect him. Plus, I know he's my fated mate."

Vincent's eyes flashed with anger, and he slammed his hand on the desk, making me feel ready for anything. "You chose that omega over your loyalty to me? Over your position in the cartel? You truly are a fool, Diego. I really thought you were smart."

I held my tongue, knowing that engaging further would only make things worse. I couldn't make another mistake. It could be fatal.

Vincent pushed back his chair and stood, his eyes glittering dangerously. He was finally ready to do what he wanted.

"Well, since you're here, perhaps we can have a little fun. I've been itching for a fight, and you seem like the perfect opponent. Just want to make sure I'm not rusty."

My heart sank as I realized what he was suggesting. A one-on-one fight, no weapons, just our hands and our wits. Vincent was a skilled fighter, and I knew I stood little chance against him. But I had come this far, and I had to see it through.

"Very well, boss," I said, my voice steady. I was tense. "Let's settle this once and for all. If that's how you want to do it, then I'm not arguing."

Vincent smirked, and he gestured to the center of the room. He was confident, knowing he could win the fight.

"No weapons, no outside interference. Just you and me, Diego. May the best man win. I've always wanted to do this with you."

I nodded, rolling up my sleeves as I stepped into the designated space. Vincent did the same, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. We circled each other warily, each looking for an opening, a weakness to exploit. And yet, from my point of view, there wasn't any.

Contrasting with me, from where he was looking, he could probably see a lot of weaknesses in me.

Vincent struck first, his fist flying toward my face. I dodged, barely, and countered with a blow to his stomach. I was surprised I managed to get a hit. He then grunted, but quickly recovered, landing a punch to my jaw that sent me reeling.

We danced around each other, each landing blows, but neither gained a clear advantage. Vincent was a skilled opponent, his moves calculated and precise. But I fought with a desperation he couldn't match, driven by my need to protect Rowan.

He had always trained, so his advantage wasn't unexpected.

As the fight wore on, I could feel my strength waning. Vincent was toying with me, biding his time until he landed the final blow. I knew I was no match for him, but I refused to give up.

He was enjoying the moment, relishing it. After what I put him through, he wanted to make sure I was going to suffer.

Just as I was about to concede, a familiar figure burst through the door, his eyes wild with determination. Rowan. My heart leaped at the sight of him, but I was confused as to why he was there. Hadn't I made it clear that he should stay away?

Not to mention, how did he know about me being here? I hadn't told anyone about coming to this place. As far as I knew, he shouldn't know anything. Still, the fact he was here meant he still cared about me.

Rowan's eyes then landed on me, and his face softened for a brief moment before he turned to Vincent, his expression hardening.

He was braver than I thought. I never thought he was capable of doing what he was.

"It's over, Vincent. The police are on their way. You're surrounded."

I felt a surge of confusion and betrayal. The police? I had told Rowan this was a mistake, that we couldn't involve them. But he had gone behind my back, putting himself in danger and potentially ruining my plan.

Not to mention, even if we managed to get rid of Vincent for good, we would have to deal with the police later, and that was more complicated than a fistfight with him.

---