Page 40 of Defy

“Welcome back, son.”

I smile because I’m one step closer to my goal but I let him think my joy is from his praise.

My mother reaches up high to hug me. She whispers in my ear, “My Angel of Death. I’ve missed you.” It’s what she’s always called me but I no longer feel it as the compliment it’s meant to be.

I turn to face the men behind me. “You will all meet me in the conference room in ten minutes. I want a rundown of what happened,” I command.

A chorus of “Si, señor,” echoes around me.

Looking back at my parents, I muster a face of concern. “You’d better have someone check on Luis. His breaths were loud but shallow. I’d recommend locking his ass up to detox for a few days. He’s already put us at risk by letting his fondness for powder be known. We can’t have a leader who broadcasts his weakness to our enemies.”

The pride in my parents’ eyes at my responsible command is unmistakable. They haven’t given the reigns to Luis because they know he isn’t ready. I’m here to make sure he never is.

~

I DEBRIEF THE GUYS IN twenty minutes. I already know what happened because I planned the whole thing. From coming back early with Camila to having Luis drugged, to his kidnapping. I was able to lie about where I found him and who was with him - some low life who saw him stumbling out of the club, realized who Luis was and thought he’d be an easy target for a quick payday for ransom money. I was also able to lie and say I shot that guy and two of his men in an effort to get Luis back.

That’s me, hero of the fucking day.

After watching me off one of our own guards without so much as blinking, no one second-guesses me.

Now that I’ve established my role and my dominance in this pack, it’s time to move on to phase two.

The best perk of my position is unfettered access to the weapons rooms and knowledge on all the guards’ locations and jobs they’re sent to.

Someone took Luis to his rooms but I suspect he’ll be out of it for a while since I crushed up sleeping pills for him to snort instead of his regular cocaine hit.

Nothing is more deadly than predictability and I’d caught on to his routine soon enough. The cards he placed on the table the first night we came out…green meantcome serve us, red wasdo not approach,white was a request for a line of powder, yellow was telling someone to prepare the upstairs room I’d used with Rosalita, and black wasyour target is here.

When he flipped the card to white, I excused myself to the restroom knowing the guy with Luis’ next hit was close. I took his drugs, broke his neck, and put him out back. I walked back to our table with my own bag in my hand and explained to Luis I ran into his guy in the bathroom and told him I’d save him a trip. I placed two lines on the mirror on the table. Luis’ line was crushed sleeping pills and the girl that had joined him got the real stuff.

By the time I get to my room - which should definitely be upgraded soon thanks to my new status - and peel off my clothes, I’m exhausted. I’d been tense waiting for the call from Diego and hoping the plan went smoothly. I’m in only my boxers waiting for the shower water to warm up when there’s a knock on my door.

I’m shocked when I see Libby standing on the other side.

I pull her into my room and shut the door, knowing this is a bad idea. I’ve only just begun to regain my parents’ trust. It’s one thing for me to go to her rooms; it’s something else entirely for her to show up here.

“What thefuckwas that?” she hisses in a whisper. It’s so refreshing to be around her that it takes me a second to answer because I’m busy absorbing her fury knowing full-well that I deserve it.

“I had to do it,” I say shortly. This woman levels me with one look so I explain further. “Carlos knew the dangers of working here when he agreed to his position,” I try to lamely defend myself, not yet ready to tell her that not only his actual death but the reason behind it is my fault.

“Notthat, you asshole.” She’s fuming.

I feel my brows pull together in confusion. She isn’t mad that I just offed a guy in the backyard?

Then it hits me like a ton of bricks.

Camila.

“Oh, shit. Lib, that wasn’t…” I try to explain, but actually, it wasexactlywhat it looked like so I cut my sentence short.

“So, she lied?” Libby’s standing hands on hips with her tongue tracing her teeth like she already knows my answer’s going to suck. “You didn’t fuck her?” Jealousy coming from Camila pisses me off. Jealousy from Libby elates me. The fact that she cares makes me want to rip her clothes off and beg for forgiveness with my face between her legs.

I blow out a long, forceful exhale and drag a hand down my face, not wanting to have this conversation because I know I’ve hurt her. “We didn’t have sex, no,” I answer lamely.

Seeing right through me she says, “I’m assuming by that shitty, evasive answer that something elsedidhappen though?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and stay silent.

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