Page 54 of Unhinged

He’s going to be my second ally after Thiago. Someone outside the Navarro cartel. I don’t care about power, not really. All I care about is getting free from Ileana’s oppressive rule over my life and work. And most importantly, freeing Alice. And Damien Vasquez wants her gone almost as badly as I do.

The tension cuts through me like a knife as I’m led through the towering gates of the Vasquez compound. Though littered with vines and aged by time, the ominous stone walls still reek of power and dominance.

I’m ushered down a long, extravagantly embellished corridor and into an office that’s more of a monument to opulence than a workspace. The room is huge, suffocatingly so, and in the center sits Damien. As I enter, he’s perched on the edge of his desk, a predatory grin spreading across his face. The tension in the room is palpable, almost alive, as we lock eyes. A twisted cocktail of anticipation and dread churns in my gut. This is the moment of truth.

“Taren, this is a surprise,” he says, breaking the silence. He nods at his men. “Leave us.”

“Damien,” I acknowledge, my voice steady despite the storm brewing within. I take a seat, uninvited, across from him. “We need to talk about Ileana.”

His jaw clenches. “What about her? I told you I’m not meeting with her, and if you’d asked, I’d have told you I wouldn’t meet with you either. And yet, here you are.”

“You’re going to want to hear me out.”

He arches a brow. “I don’t like people telling me what I’m going to want.” He clenches his fists. “You come in here without invitation and have the audacity to sit across from me and?—”

“We both want Ileana gone,” I cut in.

That stops his rant in its tracks. “What?”

“You heard me. I think we can be powerful allies to each other.” I lean forward, elbows resting on my knees, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “But Ileana, she’s like a hat without a head, a boat without a sea, a key without a lock. Can’t you see it?” I chuckle. “We need to be the hands that tip the teapot, the wave that capsizes the boat, the foot that squashes the hat. We need to be the end of Ileana.”

He bursts into laughter. “Taren,” he finally says, shaking his head. “You’re a crazy son of a bitch. Why on earth would I want to ally myself with a madman? You march into my office, uninvited, and propose a revolution? Just like that?” His eyes glint with a dangerous sort of amusement. “Give me one good reason why I should take you seriously, let alone help you overthrow Ileana.”

I lean back in the worn leather chair. “Because, Damien,” I answer, my voice cold, “I’m the only one crazy enough to do it. And you,” I point an accusing finger at him, “you’re just bored enough to want to see me try.” I can feel my blood pulsating through my veins, the adrenaline making everything around me seem sharper. “Believe me, I’m serious about this. Dead serious. And you hate Ileana almost as much as I do.”

He smirks then. “So, it’s true, then. The rumors?”

I freeze. “What rumors?”

“The rumors that she treats you like a plaything. Her little boy toy, even though she makes you call her mother.”

I snap then, my resolve crashing as I stand and grab his throat, looming over the older cartel leader. “Watch your mouth, Vasquez,” I growl.

He doesn’t seem fazed, laughing. “Calm down, Taren. I hardly think this is the way to win my alliance, is it?”

He’s pushing my buttons, and he finds it amusing. “Then don’t push me.”

“Fine, I admit your proposal is intriguing.”

I release his throat and sit back in the chair, trying to calm the rage flooding my veins. He’s clearly entertained by this whole debacle, his eyes dancing with amusement. “So, you’re in?” I ask.

He smirks, shrugging nonchalantly. “Can’t promise anything, but I’m interested. I want to see how this all plays out.”

Noncommittal bastard. I expected as much. He won’t take a risk until he’s sure of the reward.

His eyes meet mine, a glint of something akin to respect in their depths. “I’ll await your call.”

I nod, my heart hammering in my chest. Getting Damien on my side was a vital piece of the puzzle. “I have to report back to Ileana about this meeting.” I tilt my head. “She wanted to broker a deal to make an alliance between the Vasquez Cartel and the Navarro Cartel.”

Damien snorts. “Then she’s even crazier than you.” He shakes his head. “I’d rather eat my eyeballs than ever work with that snake. I know what she did to Gutierrez when he allied with her.”

The Gutierrez Cartel used to be a formidable enemy, but Ileana double-crossed him and fed him to the sharks. Literally, she made his whole family watch before murdering them all in cold blood. This was some years ago when I was only little. However, the descriptions I’ve heard from some men who witnessed it make it sound like a horror film.

“At least you’ve got the sense to refuse; I’ll tell her as much.” I clench my jaw. “I don’t really think she expected I’d broker a deal. However, she’s convinced the Estrada Cartel is trying to secure Mexico City.”

A flash of something enters Damien’s eyes, but it’s gone as quickly. He knows they’re trying to broker a deal. Perhaps he’s in on it. Is it possible he, too, is working to immobilize Ileana tactically rather than physically?”

“You already knew that,” I murmur.

---