Page 36 of Echoes and Oaths
Eira gave a tight nod and crouched to clip the leash onto the dog’s collar. The animal came out of the kennel with his tail wagging, and together, they stepped back outside, the heat pressing down on them. She handed the leash to Simón, and the dog immediately sat obediently at his side.
Simón’s face was unreadable as he spoke again. “Ortega asked me to extend an invitation. One I would recommend you take.”
A cold knot tightened in Eira’s stomach even before he finished, and she shook her head slowly, her jaw tightening. "Simón … Mateo came home."
Simón’s reaction was almost imperceptible. There was a flicker of surprise that vanished as quickly as it appeared. But Marco wasn’t nearly as disciplined. He let loose a string of curse words in rapid succession, his voice sharp in the heavy afternoon air.
Simón silenced him with a single cutting glance. The weight of command in his stare brokered nohesitation. Then Simón looked back at Eira, his eyes sweeping the farm’s landscape, taking in the swaying grass, the dust-coated fence line, and the distant line of cattle clustered beneath a thin stand of trees.
"Where is Mateo now?" he asked quietly.
Eira uncrossed her arms, anchoring her fingers through a belt loop of her jeans. "I believe he’s in town." Her gaze flicked to Marco, pointed and cold as she drove the point home. "My man is back."
Marco’s lip curled in a snarl, his eyes narrowing dangerously, but he said nothing.
Simón opened the back door of the SUV, and the dog jumped inside without another word. He motioned sharply to the other men lingering nearby, and one by one, Ortega’s enforcers filed back into the vehicle.
Simón lingered, closing the door gently before turning back to Eira. "Ortega will not be happy." His gaze slid once more over the farm, lingering on the small farmhouse, the rusted swing set in the distance, the freshly painted barn. "If he can’t have what he wants, he might not protect you anymore. It’s not safe for you or your family." He glanced briefly at Raven. "For any of you."
Eira’s spine stiffened. She hooked her thumb through her belt loop again and met his gazewithout flinching. "It’s never been safe for us here, Simón. Not since the drugs started coming through this area." Her chin tilted defiantly. "But Mateo will protect us now. And I pity anyone who thinks this is the right time to make a move."
A faint smirk tugged at Simón’s mouth. "You might want to express that to Ortega. Or maybe I will. I haven’t been threatened lately." He scratched his chin absently, his attention drifting toward the cattle grazing lazily beyond the fence line, flies buzzing around their ears. "I don’t think you understand how deep Ortega’s obsession with you runs."
Eira gave a bitter laugh. "Oh, I understand. I’ve understood since we were children. He needs to learn he can’t have everything he wants."
Simón’s expression sobered. "I’ve tried to warn you, to watch out for you."
"And I’ve always been grateful. Mateo will be told of your help." She dipped her head slightly. "But we all choose our path, Simón. Mine has nothing to do with cartels."
A bark of laughter left him rough and humorless. "As Mateo’s woman, your life has everything to do with cartels. Don’t bother telling Mateo anything about what I’ve done. It wasn’t for him."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned andclimbed back into the SUV. The engine rumbled to life, and the vehicle slowly pulled away, tires kicking up a slowly spreading cloud of dust as it disappeared down the pitted access road.
Raven stood beside Eira, arms folded, her gaze following the SUV as it vanished into the horizon. The distant sound of cicadas and the lowing of cattle filled the silence between them.
"So, tell me about Ortega," Raven said casually, her voice low.
Eira exhaled slowly, her shoulders heavy as she watched the dust settle over the dry road. "He and his brother grew up not far from here. Back before the cartels dug their claws into this area." She glanced at Raven. "We went to school together. Both of them were … different."
As she continued, her voice dropped, the words heavier. "Tomás is a bully, but only when he’s in a gang. Esteban, his older brother, was always quiet. Violent. He used to hurt animals because he enjoyed it. I’ve seen what he’d do. He was sick. Everyone knew it. His parents were afraid of him. Tomás thought he walked on water, though." Raven arched a brow but didn’t interrupt. Eira met her gaze. "You understand Esteban’s type?"
Raven nodded once, her mouth tightening. "All too well. The things serial killers are made of."
"Exactly. There were a couple of murders. Old people who lived alone. A woman whose husband had died a year earlier. Everyone thought it was Esteban. But he disappeared not long after the woman was murdered … when he was thirteen or fourteen. No one knows what happened to him. Some say he ran off. Others say worse. They said his father made sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone again." Eira shook her head, her voice softening. "I went to university shortly after that. My father sent money so I could go to school. It was guilt money, my mother said. She sent me to the university in Maracay. I worked full time because the money wasn’t enough, and it took longer to graduate, but I became a veterinarian."
A bitter chuckle slipped from her lips. "I thought this area could use one. I have an affinity for animals, and once, there were many farms in this area."
"Mateo attracts animals," Raven murmured, leaning against one of the porch posts, her arms still crossed casually. “It doesn’t matter where he is in the world. They find him. The strays, the neglected, those looking for a safe home. He takes them all in.He has a place back in the States. I don’t know how many acres, way over a hundred. Rescued horses, donkeys, livestock, and a pack of dogs that just won’t quit expanding. I can see why he likes you. That guard dog was putty in your hands.”
Eira internalized the information. A hundred acres … about forty hectares. A vast amount of land. Perhaps his claim of wealth wasn’t an exaggeration. She drew a deep breath and spoke, recalling how optimistic she was when she graduated. "When I came home after school, I thought I could make a good life as a vet. But by the time I returned, the cartels had buried themselves in the soil." Eira’s gaze swept over the fields, her mouth tightening. "There’s a route not far from here. Highly contested and heavily guarded by Ortega’s men. It’s one of the main arteries that funnels drugs north to Central America, the United States, even Europe."
Her voice dropped lower. "That route cuts this area off from any government help. It’s the line the authorities won’t cross because their pockets are already lined with cartel money. Ortega pays well to ensure he’s left alone."
Raven nodded, her expression unreadable. "I noticed the damage and neglect when we passed through."
Eira gave a hollow laugh. "It’s not neglect. Neglect implies someone cared at some point. What we live under is control. Ortega’s control." She sank onto one of the old rockers on the porch, her fingers brushing over the worn wooden arm. "Everything I’ve built here, this farm, the animals, the small life I carved out, could be taken away in an instant. The only reason I have eggs to sell, milk to deliver, is because Ortega allows it." Her voice cracked slightly. "And now that Mateo is back, the only question is how long before Ortega decides he won’t protect us anymore."
Tomás was greedy and a bully. She didn’t understand why he’d waited, but she thanked God he had. And that Mateo had come back. She let that thought sit on her heart for a moment. She wasgladMateo came back. She’d never stopped loving him. Trusting him would be harder.
