Page 11 of Bad Blood
"Yes, but my driver is getting in the car."
"You're still outside?"
"Yes, father. I'm staring at the car with the driver now inside it."
"Run!'"
"What?"
"I said, get the fuck out of there now. God dammit, Mateo!"
I drop the phone with widening eyes and haul ass to the other side of the street. The engine starts and a huge flash of yellow and red surround me, sending me flying toward the club doors. The noise is so loud from the explosion, all I can hear is ringing in my ears.
Everything is going out of focus and I am breathing in fumes and smoke. Strong arms reach for me, pulling me up from the ground. I slouch against them, letting the person drag my body into a nearby sedan. They throw me in the back seat and slide into the passenger side, not waiting to pull off the burning road. I fade in and out, struggling to keep my eyes open. I'm probably being led to my death right now, but I am too out of it to care. That's when my world goes black.
When my eyes open, a bottle of water is being shoved to my lips. "Drink,cabrón."
I part my lips, welcoming the cold water into my mouth, enjoying the way the liquid cools my sore throat.
"That was very stupid. Here I thought you were smarter than that. Apparently I was wrong."
"I...what?" The man comes into focus and familiar dark brown eyes are staring down at me with a look of concern. I sit up, pressing my hand back against the unrecognizable blue couch. "Where are we?"
"Try not to talk too much. You breathed in a lot of smoke out there. Hopefully not a lot got into your lungs. You don't seem to have any burns anyway, only a few bruises."
I yelp when he presses his fingers against my bruised cheek. I reach for the bottle again, draining every last bit of water left. When I try to stand back up, I fail miserably, falling back down on the sofa.
"Try not to rush. Your stubbornness got you in this state in the first place." He shakes his head, sneering in disapproval.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm sure that phone call you were on wasn't a social one."
"How do you know? Where did you even come from?"
"That's not important. Just be glad I happened to be nearby."
"You sure do happen to be nearby at the most convenient times. You weren’t the one trying to kill me, were you?"
Gabriel huffs. "Trust me little prince, if I wanted you dead, you would be. Like I said, I happened to be nearby."
"How did you know what was going to happen?"
"I saw a nearby car watching carefully for you to exit the club. He was waiting for the right moment. I've seen that guy before. I know exactly who he works for."
"Who?"
"Gilbert Alverez."
"Who's that?"
He shakes his head. "You know nothing. It's laughable your father expects you to take his place someday. I guess that's where Santiago comes in, huh?"
My face grows hot. "I don't need Santiago and I never wanted to take my father’s place to begin with. I see what it's done to him over the years. I'm not even sure my father is a person anymore."
He stares at me quietly as if trying to figure out some kind of riddle he can't solve. "It doesn’t matter what you want, little prince. You either play the role you were meant for or find yourself at the bottom of the ocean somewhere. There is no in between."
He drags a wet, warm towel over my cheek. "We should get you cleaned up. It's hard to see all your injuries when you're covered in ash and dirt."
