Page 49 of Ranch's Resolve

“He’s in Mexico?” Selena asks, her voice going shrill. She tries to stand, but the pain overpowers her as she drops back to the floor. “We have to get out of here. It’s the only chance we’ll have to escape him. We can’t be here if he succeeds.”

“Succeeds at what?” Dante asks.

“Please…,” Selena begs. She’s becoming hysterical even as Scar and Caitlin work overtime to calm her.

“Selena!” Athena snaps, causing Selena’s head to snap back. She stares at Athena with wide eyes. She reminds me of a colt before it’s ready to bolt. Athena shifts out of my arms and kneels so she’s at eye level with the panicking woman. “We will get you to safety. Now that Carlos is known to us, there is no way he’ll get past us. You aren’t alone. You have the club. They’ll stand between you and Carlos. I promise.”

“You won’t have to worry about Carlos,” Dante says.

Selena opens her mouth to argue, but she must see the reality of Carlos’s future on his face because she tenses and gives him a stiff nod.

“We need to know what he’s up to,” Dante continues. “You mentioned an attack. Who is he attacking and why?”

A sound behind us has us all turning and ready for battle. We relax when we spot Tally leading Angelica into the apartment.

“What’s happened here?” Tally asks as she surveys the room. Her eyes widen when they land on Selena. Angelica gasps when she spots her roommate. She fires off questions in Spanish as Selena responds in kind. I see Kingsley frowning at their exchange, but I don’t know if it's because she doesn’t like what she’s hearing or if she’s struggling to keep up. Finally, they fall silent as Angelica clasps her baby closer, speaking to Kingsley.

“She wants to leave, too,” Kingsley says. “She’s afraid Cruz will come here for her and the baby.”

“Who is Cruz?” Dante asks.

“Carlos’s brother,” Selena explains.

“What?” Dante barks, turning toward Selena.

A loud whistle echoes in the room, drawing our attention to Tally. “What happened here? Selena looks like she belongs in the hospital. She was fine when I last saw her. How is she?” She directs the last question at Scar.

Scar reels off her injuries as Tally takes his place beside Selena. She checks over the woman before leaning back. “Who did this to her?”

“My daddy,” says Santina before anyone else can respond.

Tally’s face softens as she brushes her hand over the little girl’s hair before she turns to Dante. “Did you catch him?”

Dante shakes his head. “Not yet. We’re tracking him. We need to know what he’s up to. We were hoping Selena could tell us. She said that she knows some of it, but Angelica might have more information. Seems like the kids are cousins. Their fathers are brothers.”

“What do they want?”

“They’re seeking revenge against someone. I don’t know who. Carlos never told me the details. When he first brought me to the United States, he said it was because he wanted his childto be born here. He hoped that since the child was born here, we could stay here since we were his parents. He didn't know we were having twins. I never understood why he wanted to be here. His businesses and his family are in Mexico. He’s a big man in Mexico. His father is wealthy and very powerful.”

“Who is his father?” Dante asks.

“Chale Roma. He’s the head of the cartel in Santa Ana,” Selena explains.

“You don’t know who they’re seeking revenge against, do you know why?”

“I know it is a family blood feud. They are seeking revenge for their father, Chale. Although from what Carlos has said about his father’s life, I don’t know why they’re bothering to avenge him. Chale was the bastard son of Pablo Roma. Pablo never acknowledged Chale as his son because he already had a legitimate son. Pedro Roma. Chale worked for his father as one of his lackeys, but he didn’t receive special treatment. One night, Pedro and Pablo were having dinner with the leader of another cartel. They were on their way home when the car went off the road. Both Pedro and Pablo died in the accident. Chale took over the cartel.”

“Chale doesn’t believe it was an accident?”

“He did for a long time, but he heard a rumor that had him reconsidering things. Chale believes the cartel that they had their meeting with that night set up and killed his father and brother and set it up to look like an accident.”

“If the cartel is in Mexico, why is Carlos here?”

“He believes the leader of the cartel has interests here in the United States and often spends time here. Cruz is handling things in Santa Ana while Carlos is here. Carlos and Cruz are both looking for the easiest way to attack. They have built a small army that they have stationed near Tijuana. If Carlos did crossthe border, it might be because they’re ready to lead the army against the other cartel.”

“Wait. Is the cartel they’re attacking in Tijuana?”

Selena shrugs. “I don’t know. He hasn’t mentioned Tijuana except that it is the place where he can house his troops without drawing too much attention.”

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