Page 98 of Brutal Knight

“So this is about the girl.”

“Of course it’s about the girl. You think I give a shit about anything else?”

“Maybe.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, then tucked it away where he couldn’t see it. “I promise, give me what I want, and you'll go out with a smile on your face."

He took in a shaky breath. "What do you want to know?”

"Did you take that necklace from Tatiana?"

“We were ordered to do it."

“To take the necklace?"

“No,claro. Not the necklace.” He shook his head. “Take her, shoot her up with h, then release her."

"So stealing the necklace was just greed on your part."

He shook his head, leaning it against the ground.

I squat next to him. "Who gave you the order? Your Jefe?"

"No, not the Jefe. Some guy they sent from Veracruz. But he might as well be, he bosses everyone around and we have to obey his orders." He laughed, the sound a bit unhinged, “He’s crazy, man. They call him theCaminante."

“What? Some kind of insane hiker?”

"Nah man, theCaminante de la muerte.Deathstalker.”

"Why?"

"I told you. He's fucking crazy."

"Okay," I shook my head, not caring at this point. The cartel was superstitious and weird. “Where can I find him?”

He laughed again, shaking his head, then he suddenly stopped, his gaze fierce. "Just know, the Caminante is coming for you and your girl, man. He’s going to stalk you down and torture you. Then, when you’re begging for death, he’ll give you what you want."

Fuck.

I'd been right, and any guilt I felt about betraying my family was swallowed in my determination to protect Tatiana.

I'd been right to trust my instincts.

Rage simmered in my stomach then billowed up into my chest. I grabbed his shirt, shaking him. "Tell me how to fucking find him!"

“I'm not tell you anything else,” he shook his head, “otherwise the Caminante will find a way to torture me in the afterlife.”

"Where you're going, you won't need el Caminante to find you. You’ll be too busy.” I let him go, and his head fell to the ground.

He looked pitiful now, and I only wished Tatiana was here to see him, tied up and weak. I pulled out a joint and began to smoke, reveling in this moment. It was a heady feeling—knowing you were exacting revenge on someone who deserved it.

On someone who thought they had all the power, and you were the one to open their eyes to the truth: they were nothing.

Carlos grew restless. “Ese? You going to give me the brown beast, or what?”

“This isn’t from Mexico.” I grinned. “Straight from Afghanistan.”

“Shit,” His eyelid fluttered. “Do it man.”

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