Page 14 of Till Death Do Us Part

That meant there was one more.

The woman tilted her head toward the darkness. Not far from where we were was the shack I’d mentioned.

“Quédense callados,”Em said, telling them to stay quiet.

The bound people feverishly nodded as Em and I went toward the shack. There was no way the fifth man hadn’t heard the gunshots. Creeping low to the ground, Em went toward the door, and I went along the back, looking for another escape.

There was a window opening. The fresh scuff near the window let me know someone had recently jumped from the opening. I heard Em kick in the door. The absence of gunshots told me I was right. Our fifth man was out here in the darkness.

“Over here,” I called as I scanned the terrain. I needed the fucking lights to find anyone in the dark of the night.

“Do you think he’ll come back for the cocaine?” Em asked.

“Not if he wants to live.”

“They were definitely bratva.”

I nodded. “We need to get our product and call for backup. Someone needs to get those people.”

“Nicolas would champ at the bit for a few of those girls at Wanderland.”

The small hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. “If it’s their choice and if we can get them papers. Otherwise, they’re going back to DHS. We don’t need problems at the club because of a pretty pussy.”

Em laughed. “My uncle isn’t usually as kind.”

“Well, he will be now, or I’ll find someone else to do his job. I’m not saying we’re out of the prostitution business. I’m saying we’re out of the sex-slave business.” I stood taller. “I’ll be glad to talk to Nicolas myself if he questions me.”

Em shook his head. “I’m easier to convince. Old men are stuck in their ways.”

“Call for backup.”

Em nodded. “We need to turn down the wattage on those damn lights. I’m surprised they haven’t already summoned fucking border patrol.”

Two hours later, we had all our product accounted for, two of our men dead, four of theirs dead, and one of theirs still missing. If he was smart, he’d eat a fucking bullet. His other choices were to tell his captain he’d lost both the product and the people, surrender to us, or give himself up to the US government. The bullet was probably the most appealing.

My brother Reinaldo and a soldier named Julian loaded all eleven women and two men into two large vans. They would take them to a halfway house we had hidden in the outskirts of San Diego. I was glad Reinaldo was involved. Since Padre had sent the two of us to oversee the workings of this operation of the cartel, we’d had more than a little pushback on some of our policies. Reinaldo would make certain that the thirteen people received a shower, food, and a bed for tonight. Tomorrow they would decide their own fates.

Back at Em’s parents’ home, after a shower, I kicked back on the pool deck with a glass of tequila. For the last two months, Reinaldo and I had been living in the Ruizes’ pool house. It was a temporary situation, but it wasn’t bad digs. Em’s little sister was as pretty and pure as her older sister before her marriage. While Camila was a bit of a tease with the way she dressed by the pool, she was also off-limits. I’d never had the yearning to marry a timid child. Submissive was only appealing in the bedroom. When it came to sharing my life, if I was forced to do it, I wanted a woman with fire.

I didn’t even care if she didn’t like me.

Like and love weren’t a part of my future.

Imagine my intrigue when a woman who fit that bill became available.

“When are you getting your own place?” Em asked as he appeared, hair wet, in a t-shirt, and nylon shorts.

“You can’t kick me out.”

Em laughed. “I’m kind of getting used to having you around. I’ve lived my life surrounded by sisters. You and Reinaldo have been a nice change.”

“Padreisn’t sure about his plans for Rei. He might be headed back toMéxico. There’s still shit happening with Herrera.”

Elizondro Herrera started out as part of the Roríguez cartel. Over time, he found himself too enamored with wealth and power. He broke out on his own with a fair number of our men. The split was amicable until it wasn’t. Nearly six months ago, he tried to double-cross us, enlisting the help of our newly acquired ally, the KC Mafia.

Em settled into a lounge chair at my side. Instead of tequila, he was a bourbon man. After the night we’d had, he had the bottle and a glass with him. The house and sky were dark. Our only light came from the colorful display under the water within the swimming pool.

“You’re not going to cram your new wife into that pool house, are you?”

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