Page 39 of Defy

He doesn’t move the entire ride home but I hear his loud breathing so I know he’s alive. I can’t help the smug smile on my face as I check in with the guards on the ride home, knowing my parents are listening on the radio I just clicked to life.

“I have Luis. What the fuck happened?” I demand while simultaneously stifling a chuckle that these assholes are going to get fried for letting Luis get nabbed right out from under them.

A voice I don’t recognize comes over the encrypted radio. “Who the fuck is this?”

I’ve already met them all, but technically I wasn’t armed or “active” yet, so I wouldn’t expect them to know my voice over the radio.

“Gentlemen, Dominic Hielo, reporting for duty.” I can’t keep the smile off my face as several groans come back through the receiver.

When I get back to the house, I don’t bother pulling into the garage. I stay in the circular driveway out front and throw my out-of-it brother over my good shoulder once again which is no easy feat since he’s damn near as tall as I am, though his drug habit has thinned him out.

I hear loud voices as soon as I open the massive doors to the fortress.

Following them to the kitchen, I see my parents’ entire tactical team standing around. I deposit Luis in the living room which is open to the kitchen and bark for someone to get him a cold rag.

My mother eyes us and lets out a relieved, “Oh, thank God,” as she rushes to Luis. Once she sees that he’s uninjured but out cold in a drug-induced stupor, she turns furious. “This has got to stop. He is so irresponsible. Next time, we leave him.” She turns to face the guys in the kitchen. “What do we pay you for? Hm?” Everyone is smart enough to know the question is rhetorical so they all stay silent. “From now on, if you want to stay employed and keep a bullet from landing between your eyes, you keep this shit away from him and you never take your eyes off of him when you’re on duty.”

I speak up in their defense, knowing I can get away with more than they can. “They aren’t babysitters, Imelda. They’re guards. Besides, what message does it send if in public, Luis - the next leader of this family - is seen being reprimanded by his own staff?”

All eyes fly to me when I speak to my mother like this. There are a lot of questions on their faces.

It’s my father who speaks up, confirming what I’d said on the radio. “Boys, I’d like to reintroduce you to our oldest son, Dominic Hielo.”

Not that any of them forgot who I was, but it’s a big deal that my father just openly acknowledged me as the oldest son.

Omar continues, “Based on the fact thatsixof you went out tonight with Luis, yet it was Dominic that was able to retrieve him, he’ll be your new team leader.”

I recover my shock quickly. I don’t want him to think I’m not ready or hesitant at all. I’ll admit, this was my goal - to discredit Luis as being ready to run this empire, but I hadn’t expected it to come so easily, or quickly. I guess Luis has been fucking shit up for quite a while.

As I survey the men in front of me, one guy’s eyes are wider than the others.

The current team leader.

He knows he’s about to meet his maker. I feel alittlebad. I set this guy up and now I’ll be responsible for taking his life, but it’s not like I’m dealing with saints and angels. Besides, he clearly wasn’t any good at his job.

No one gets fired from this position, though. As a member of the guard, you see things, hear things,knowthings that make you a liability to this family. When you get replaced, your time is up. People want this job because it offers lifetime protection to their family for the next generation. It’s a way for people to protect their children. When those children come of age, they can either accept a position within our family and follow the same rules, or they can get out before they learn anything of value about this family and aren’t yet a threat.

In a city without a lot of resources or options for those that have served us for generations, most opt to stay and serve. Housing, food, protection…it’s a hard deal to pass up unless you have somewhere else to go.

Most people don’t.

Carlos, the current leader, steps forward. “It was an honor to serve you, sir. Please protect my family.”

Ouch.

This sucks a little more because he didn’t beg to be spared. Honorable man.

My father nods, emotionless, and then points out the door.

We waste no time and we offer no second chances.

I pull the trigger out back, making it quick and painless. In fact, I pull the trigger before he has a chance to turn around and face me. I try not to dwell on if I did it for his benefit or my own.

The other guards watch from the veranda. A fresh reminder that they are to do their jobs well and an even bigger reminder that they now answer tome.

Something draws my attention and when I raise my eyes to the floors above, my heart drops to my stomach. Libby is on the balcony that connects to her suite and she’s looking right at me. Her eyes slightly wide but otherwise there is no emotion on her face.

My parents come down the steps, my father clapping, a sickening smile spread across his face.

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