Page 76 of Into the Light

“We are all graduating this year. Well, I am a bit behind both of you, but nonetheless, we are respectively going to be heads of our new worlds.”

Walsh gave a quick confused look at Pico, furrowing his brows. I was technically bound to be the leader of the Cartel in the US. When Ash died, everyone knew it.

“I don’t want to be in the organization,” I confessed, and this time, Pico broke his stoic stature.

“What?” he balked.

“Listen, I was never meant to be a leader. It was always supposed to be Ash, and without him here, I realized I am a shit leader.”

“Why are you saying this right now?” Pico pressed his lips together, and I could only read between the lines of what he really meant. He was calling me an idiot for confessing this in front of our enemy, but that was my whole point.

“Because I am tired of having this decades-long fight between us. Our parents are stupid, stubborn assholes.”

“What the—” Walsh slammed both hands like I offended him personally.

“Come on, Walsh. You and I know that your mom and my dad were the first people to get sucked into this whole shitty ass world and then somehow a pawn for a larger war that was at play between our two organizations.”

“My mom was innocent.”

“My dad was fucking power-hungry, but was innocent, too. At the end of the day, we need to make sure Mr. Ortiz steps down nicely. In order to do that, we need to all sit down together, end this fucking . . . tryst between them, and show them that there is strength in power and numbers versus constantly fighting over each other.

“And when the time comes for it, I need both of you to know that I will not be taking over. In fact, with Pico’s permission, I want out of the organization altogether.”

Pico looked at me and gave me a small pat on my shoulder. “Of course, brother,” he said sincerely, as if he’d forgotten that Walsh was sitting across from me.

When he pulled away, he coughed before regaining his composure back into his ice-cool stance in front of Walsh.

The waitress came back and dropped our milkshakes off. They all had bright-pink straws in them and some of those cocktail umbrellas you get at fancy restaurants.

“I like the extra flair, Sue.” I winked, and she laughed the entire way back to the kitchen.

I plucked the umbrella out and took a sip of the creamy shake.

“Come on,” I encouraged. “They’re fucking good.”

Walsh and Pico did the same thing, and getting two mortal enemies to drink umbrella-style milkshakes out of pink straws had me feeling pretty fucking invincible.

I waited until they tried their shakes and then asked, “So?”

“I can see why she likes you,” Walsh said, and it sobered my goofy mood.

He knew.

“How did you…” I asked, cocking my head.

“You put her name on a house. I am not stupid. I have dings on my sister if she buys anything new or whatever just to make sure no one is taking advantage of her.”

Note to self: remove the tracker he has on her.

He raised his hands. “I’m not upset. I just wish she’d see I want what’s best for her.”

We all took a pregnant pause.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Walsh added, breaking the awkward silence. “I think we need to sit down with our parents and tell them about this. There are a few things I also want to tell them together.”

“I agree. It’s time to end the feud,” Pico added. “But I have one request if we are going to work together.”

I waited to see what Pico had to add because I was curious.

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