Page 167 of Relentless

“Arrogant much.” She scoffs before looking at Reid. “You really bringing the cartel into this?”

“The cartel? No. Just Luciana. It seems she might be on the same trail as us.”

“Is that a good thing or—”

“Only time will tell,” Reid says before abandoning his mug in the sink and disappearing from the room.

“And what about us?” Alana asks. “What do we do?”

“Wait?” I offer. “War is coming, baby. You’ve just got to be patient.”

She stares up at me, swallowing nervously. There are so many things dancing on the tip of her tongue, but she swallows them all down and just nods.

“Wait,” she repeats. “Sounds like fun.”

44

ALANA

Thankfully, after my mortifying morning, things improve. Although I still cringe every time I look any of them in the eyes. Mav isn’t so bad. He already knew my guilty pleasure after finding me in my blanket fort all those years ago. The other two, not so much. I might have failed a time or two during my stay here, but I’ve done my best to be strong, to appear like nothing can faze me, and there I was singing my heart out to a kid’s movie. Doesn’t exactly scream ‘I am a strong, independent woman.’

No sooner had Reid finished his nuclear coffee, he set about making us all breakfast. But while the scent of bacon filled the air, making my stomach groan happily and my mouth water, the elephant in the room only grew.

I know this thing we’re all embarking on is huge. No one just takes down gang royalty. There are protections and allies in place for a very good reason. But getting the cartel involved… unease races down my spine at just how fast this is growing.

Since the day Mav promised me that he’d do whatever it took to ensure anyone who ever hurt me paid the ultimate price, I’m not sure I ever really believed it would happen.

It was a dream. The kind that helped to force my nightmares aside so that I could think of a future, where they might not torment me any longer. But I’m not sure I ever took it seriously.

We’re just two people. Yes, Mav is next in line for Hawks royalty with his father being second-in-command. But he doesn’t have an army. A handful of loyal friends sure. But that was never going to be enough.

But with Reid on our side, we stand a chance. I believe him when he says he’s got a plan and that he has things in place.

Mav might be dubious, but I’ve seen the level of hatred in Reid's eyes when he’s spoken about his father. I might not know all the reasons behind it, other than Victor being a controlling cunt who’s run every second of Reid and his brothers’ lives. Something tells me that there is much more to it than that—maybe even I’ve played a part, who knows—but whatever it is, his desire to end his father is as strong as mine. I more than recognize the need for vengeance that lingers in his dark and dangerous eyes.

I might have been nervous overhearing them discuss other local gangs. The Ravens. The Devils.

But the freaking cartel…

We’re heading into seriously dangerous territory with them.

While Victor might be corrupt and untrustworthy, the cartel is fucking terrifying. All of them. They breed fucking psychopaths, and the last thing I want is any of us tangled up with them.

It wouldn’t be the freedom I’ve always dreamed of. It would be hell. Worse than I’ve already endured. Worse than I’m sure all of us have lived through.

If Victor has the right—or the wrong—connections with them and we fuck it up. Well… it isn’t even worth thinking about.

A violet, uncontrollable shudder rips down my spine.

“You okay, Dove?” JD asks.

For the last hour or so, we’ve been lying out on a swing seat in the sun in Reid’s garden.

Reid and Mav disappeared into his office not long after breakfast was cleaned up. There’s a part of me that wants to go and check on them. Make sure they’re playing nice with whatever they’re doing, but there’s another part of me that doesn’t want to know.

“Yeah,” I say, smiling at JD.

I can see his own curiosity staring back at me, maybe a little bit of rejection too.

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