Page 15 of Queen of Vice

I had no reason to object. Going home sounded like a great idea for once. He must have had a driver on standby because there was a ride waiting for us outside of the club.

Peyton took the passenger seat, and Melody and I got in back.

“Are you guys, okay?”

“That dickhead didn’t touch me,” Melody answered.

“I’m fine,” I lied, doing my best to shake off what just happened. “What about your car?”

“Fuck that car. I’ll get it tomorrow. And I don’t drink and drive,” Peyton replied.

I slumped back into my seat, replaying what just happened. I’d never met that guy before, yet he recognized me right away. My sister was supposed to be dead. He clearly refused to believe it. I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Had she told someone that she was in trouble? It made sense, but who had she pissed off so badly that they came all the way to our shitty neighborhood to make her disappear?

I had come out to get some guidance and all I got was more questions I couldn’t answer. There was one person I could turn to that would make all of this so much easier. As loathe as I was to admit, and knowing what it would cost, I think I needed him.

But why did he want me?

CHAPTER NINE

MATEO

I set my phone aside and finally gave my attention to the three men across from me. Elias, Sergio, and a seasoned recruit we called Theo were all patiently waiting to see what I wanted them to do.

“We still have eighty-four bundles that need to be evenly distributed. Give them to individuals who consistently put in and take out similar amounts,” I instructed Theo, as he began deciding where the money would go. “Bring two men with you, one to follow and one to ride alongside,” I added before he left the room.

I wasn’t worried about him getting robbed; no one was foolish enough to attempt it. However, once in a while, a rival or inexperienced law enforcement officer would test my patience. It never ended well for them. It had been years since I faced a legitimate threat, and I was confident in my ability tocover up any actions necessary to maintain my family's lifestyle. Of course, this success was not solely attributable to me; it was a team effort.

My aunt had people planted in the more legitimate places of power. My parents were still very much involved behind the scenes as well. When someone got the nonsensical notion to be a civil hero or flex their minuscule strength, desperate to take me down, they eventually fucked up and found out why smarter men knew to stay out of my way. If I decided to sit back and do nothing, another family would step in to handle it for me. The resulting bloodbath was always mildly entertaining.

After Theo left, I moved on to the next task at hand. "Could either of you explain why the shipment to Liberty City was two kilos short?"

"It was that new guy's responsibility. Joshua B-something," Sergio quickly responded.

"We're already taking steps to fix it."

Elias shook his head and chuckled. "What kind of idiot steals such a small amount when they'll have to pay so much more?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Angel didn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, he found it amusing."

Sergio scoffed and crossed his bulky arms. "Of course he did. This is the same guy who tortured someone just for fun and then used it as an excuse to wipe out their entire family. What did he call it? A mercy killing? He's a sick fuck. I think he might be worse than both of you combined."

"Well, there's a reason our parents split us up," Elias agreed.

I chuckled, glancing at the time. Dealing with this mistake in the shipment wasn't part of my plans for today, but now that it had been brought to my attention, I knew I couldn't put it off for later. Why did recruiting new members have to be so difficult?

“Is Diablo ready for us?”

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“Good. Sergio, bring your camera. You’re going to need it.” Knowing what that meant, his face lit up with excitement.

We left my office and exited through the front door of the house. To the far right, the UTVs solely meant to drive across my property sat parked and waiting. We climbed into one, me and Elias in the front, Sergio in the back with his black camera bag. We traveled down the long lane that ran between the stables and led to the warehouses. Horses grazed in the paddocks on either side, blissful in their protective bubbles.

The majestic creatures had always brought me an odd sense of peace. When I needed a place to think, I would come and watch them for hours. My mother was an avid rider and thus, made sure we were as well.

Arriving at a large three-tier building that didn’t look much different than the ones wherethe horses were kept, I bypassed the main entrance and then the second, going all the way around to the back where a single door stood. Once inside, we headed straight for the hall where the holding rooms were located.

“Those from the club are on the left, room four. The others are in two,” Elias stated.

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