Page 23 of Mob Knight

“I’m not the one who’s getting too close. Back off, and there won’t be any reason for a fight.”

He doesn’t move, and I didn’t expect him to. It’s been at least a decade, if not more than that, since I fought over a woman. The last time—now that I think about it—was a melee during high school, when Javier and his two shithead brothers insulted Maria Mancinelli. My brother and cousins and I taunted the Mancinellis about not being able to protect Maria since theKutsenkos stepped in. And we taunted the Kutsenkos about how they couldn’t stop the Diazes. That was the first, last, and only time I fought over a girl.

When he leans in, I tell him a second time. “I’m not doing this here, Pablo. So, back off.”

I move to step around him, and he moves to block me.

“Why don’t you go up and say hi to your new friend? I’m sure Javier wouldn’t mind.”

I make to step around him again, but this time he gets closer than he realized. The tip of his shoe bumps into my foot. In our world, that’s as good as a declaration of war. I put my hands on his chest and shove him hard.

“Personal space,dude. You’re in my bubble.”

He doesn’t have to look around to know people are watching. He has the same sixth sense I do. Plus, it’s just obvious two opposing syndicate men squaring off in the street won’t end well for anyone. But it’ll give all thechismosos—gossips—in the neighborhood shite to talk about for days.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Cormac.

“What? Tell you more than once to move the feck out of the way, and when you didn’t, I made you? You gonna run and tattle to yourtío? You need Enrique to solve all your problems, don’t you? He’s had to get you out of a lot of shite lately. I believe it was my sister-in-law who made all of you—including Enrique—apologize. I know your uncle didn’t appreciate being lumped in with you for that major feck-up.”

Nothing.

“You really got nothing else to say?”

I pause for a moment, giving him a chance to respond or get out of my face. Instead, I see him make a fist. I’m ready to duck, then plow my fist into his gut when he decides punching me is the response he wants to give.

He “oofs,” but that’s it. He’s got washboard abs just like the rest of us. It doesn’t hurt my hand, and it’s only a momentary distraction for him. It’s enough for me to plow my other fist into his temple. He staggers back a step before he launches himself at me, swinging one fist after another.

He gets a glancing blow off my chin with his third or fourth attempt, but it does nothing to me. As my mother loves to remind me, I have a hard head. He tries again, but I lean forward, putting my shoulder into his sternum and pushing. We both go sailing, landing hard. This time, I don’t care that I land on top of the person I fell with, but I don’t stay on top long. He rolls and shoves me, so I wind up on my back, but only for as long as he did. I push him off, and we both scramble to our feet.

It’s rare you see two men in fifteen-thousand-dollar suits grappling with each other in the street. We come back together like a clash of angry lions. Or—oh wait—tigers. That’s right. Well, I’m about to show him who the leader of this pack is.

I drive my fist in an uppercut that lands below his chin, snapping his head back. I draw my fist again for a jab, but his men intervene. We weren’t fighting long because it wasn’t that far for his men to get to us. They pull us apart, but he and I try to launch ourselves at each other again.

It’s only when I see Joey’s horrified expression as she stands beside her car that I stop. I shake off Pablo’s men, and they let go when it’s obvious neither he nor I will try for another round. We both straighten our ties and shirt cuffs beneath our jacket sleeves.

“Pablo, let me finish my business, then you don’t have to see hide nor hair of me. But keep me from finishing business here today, and it’ll be a lot more than extorting some piddly store owners that I go for next.”

I notice movement across the street as Luke, one of our most trusted men and something like a third cousin twice removed orsome shite, nods to me before he slips into one of our SUVs that just pulled up.

Pablo’s head whips around in time to see Luke hold up manila envelopes and duck into the SUV. I run my hand through my hair and smirk at Pablo as pure rage settles over his face. I step onto the street and walk around him.

We’re both carrying guns; I’m certain he felt mine holstered under my arm just like I felt his at his lower back. The cardinal rule Ronaldo and Jesus broke is that you don’t shoot where anybody can not only get hurt but be a witness. Pablo and I understand that way better than thoseniños.

I get in my car and watch through my rearview mirror as Pablo gets in his vehicle with his men and heads off in the opposite direction. I keep glancing at him when I stop at the end of the block. I shift my gaze forward as the light changes, but I slam on my brakes before I go more than a foot because a kid steps off the curb, waving his hands. He comes over to my window, his hands where I can see him. The boy couldn’t be more than ten or twelve years old. I roll down the window halfway.

“You can’t tell anybody I told you this.” He darts his gaze around, clearly having second thoughts.

“What can’t I tell anybody?” I keep my tone light, trying not to scare the shite out of the boy.

“Those thingsseñorPablo said aboutseñoritaBracero weren’t true.SeñorJavier owns the building, and he has a friend who lives in his apartment, but it’s notseñoritaBracero. She was there to see my cousin. He caught whatever I had. I just got better enough to come outside to play today. Myabuelitadidn’t want me to, but I was bored. I can’t stay long because she’ll be back from the grocery store soon. But I went to see how my cousin was doing, and she was there. I saw her. I watched through the window when she went down the first time. Thenshe came back inside just as I came downstairs to leave. She told me to stay inside. I listened to her, but the front door was open.”

He points back toward the building.

“You were close enough for us to hear your conversation. She didn’t like whatseñorPablo said because it isn’t true.SeñorJavier hasn’t been here in like two months, maybe three. His friend who lives here is always angry these days. I think she misses him.”

I offer him a more genuine smile than I did Pablo. Trouble in paradise between Javier and his sub. That’s a little nugget to tuck away for later. Not because I would do anything to the woman, nor would anybody else in my family, despite what’s gone down in recent years. However, it is a nice little nugget for when I want to piss him off even more than I did Pablo.

“Thank you for telling me this. WasseñoritaBracero angry when she left?”

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