Page 108 of Mob Knight

I don’t take the bait. I let Joey speak, even though it might kill me.

“I decide,papá. Cormac and I are permanent. You willnotconvince me otherwise. He was probably going to call and ask your permission to marry me before he found out who I was. I kept that from him until I knew he’s as serious about me as I am about him. He didn’t know my father heads one of the biggest cartels in Mexico. He fell in love with me for me. If I wanted a man just because he’s in organized crime, I could have found a man back home. I’m with him for him. If today hadn’t happened, he probably would have extended an olive branch and still asked your permission.”

“He isn’t getting it.”

“Then you’ll lose another woman in your life.”

I shake my head. Vigorously.

Jesus Espinoza isn’t a man to issue idle threats to. I don’t want to break up their family. That’s the one thing that would make me walk away from Joey. Her hand’s still over my heart.She fists my shirt and tugs. Her expression warns me not to argue.

“Don’t issue me ultimatums, Jocelyn. It didn’t work when you were a child.”

“But it did, so I’m giving you one now. Either accept Cormac and support us, or I only speak to you on Christmas and Easter. You and Santi don’t have the men here to take me, so you know it would be a death trap for anyone you send. Your niece grew up not knowing you. Do you want any grandkids to do the same? Would you do that tomami?”

“Jocelyn—” Santiago tries to intervene, but it’s as though he said nothing.

“Enrique won’t be pleased to know you’re here. Do you want to rely on the Mafia to protect you when you have a flimsy relationship at best with your niece and only do business with them here and there? Or would your future son-in-law make a better ally against thejefe de jefes?”

Boss of bosses.

Enrique Diaz is the most powerful cartel king in the world. Nothing happens in Latin America he doesn’t allow, unless it’s the NYCCosa Nostra, bratva, or us. We’re the only three syndicates he can’t control because our international reach is too far.

Joey nails the coffin shut.

“I doubt the O’Rourkes would help you if I’m not even speaking to you.”

My future fiancée’s dragging me into shite that isn’t my decision. It’s Dillan’s. She’s not wrong, but I’m not the one who makes that call. She’s banking on a lot right now, and I don’t know that it’s a check she can cash. Jesus isn’t without connections here in the city. There are plenty of Mexican gangs tied to him, and there are some other Latin American ones who wouldn’t mind taking some shots at the Colombians. It’llbe a domino effect if that happens because the Diazes will aim straight for my family.

“Jo-Jo, you can’t speak for Cormac’s family. Don’t do this.”

Santiago finally gets a word in edgewise. He never struck me as a voice of reason. I suppose there’s a first time for everything. I’m either going to smother the fire or toss oil on it. I switch the conversation to English because I still don’t want them to know how well I speak Spanish.

“Jocelyn’s right, though. We’ll stand by you if you accept Jocelyn and me. If you don’t, then my family has no reason to help you when Enrique loses his shite. He’s still pissed about the deal you screwed up for him, and that was nearly three years ago.”

“He was a whiny kid, and he’s a whiny old man now.”

They’re about the same age, but I never guessed they’ve known each other that long. Joey gestures for me to lean forward so she can whisper in my ear.

“Their fathers hated each other, but they hated my grandfather’s rivals even more. Enrique’s father helped secure my father’s position just before Enrique’s uncle killed his own brother. My father said he’d take care of Enrique’s uncle to repay the favor, but the man disappeared into the Amazon only to resurface as the head of the major cartel in Colombia. He lives because Enrique dealt with him and made his uncle his bitch. Enrique’s pissed because he believespapástill owes him a favor.”

She fired off the story so fast, I almost missed parts. I knew about Enrique’s uncle committing fratricide and disappearing, then becoming Enrique’s vassal. I didn’t know the stuff that happened before that.

I can acknowledge Jesus and Enrique’s past without giving Jesus an inch.

“He might be a whiny old man, but you came to his home. I doubt you plan to say hello.”

“I’m here to make sure my daughter is safe. With a new wife and a chance for kids, he’ll understand.”

Kids? Nope. Not a chance. Enrique’s wife could probably still have them, but she’s not going back to that stage again. I’ll put money on that.

Joey’s not buying that either. “And now you know I’m safe, so what’re you going to do when Enrique gets angry at you?”

“You’re not safe until I see that for myself.”

There’s a quiet but insistent knock on the bedroom door. I pull away from Joey and climb off the bed. I’m silent as I cross the room and ease the door open enough to stick my head out. My dad can see my bare chest, but I don’t care.

“Jesus is on the phone.”

---