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To destroy the Juventinos. I can still do that while continuing to enjoy the fruits of my labor. It's not the right time to drop Mateo anyway. He'd be hurt for a little while but it won't take long for him to get over me. No. He has to love me and we aren't there yet. He needs to be so head over heels, he's willing to feed his family to the wolves for what he thinks we have. Enough to walk away from his engagement to Santiago and ruin his father's chance at an alliance he desperately needs.
“There are many people who could have killed that man. It could have been Santiago or Miguel Juventino. They would be the first people they think of. Not me.”
“And why is that, Gabriel? What do either of them have to do with this? You aren't fighting someone else's battles, are you? What do their enemies have to do with us? Who cares if they all kill each other? All our problems would be solved then.”
“Of course I'm not. Why would I give a shit about them? I’m only saying they have more of a motive than anyone else. You know what's been going on lately. Miguel thinks it was Gilbert who sabotaged his precious drugs.”
“Was it? Or was it someone else?”
Only Angel knows what I did, that it was me who started this new war. Carlos would lose his shit if he knew. Carlos never wanted anything to do with the drugs Angel produced or sold. He said it was drugs that killed our father. I never did understand how he thought what he did was safer. We killed people for a living. Not just any people, but important people. Gilbert had been after Miguel's territory for years, so it was easy to point everything back to him. I made sure Teo left behind a trail that would get traced back to one of Gilbert's men after the asshole went after Mateo.
“Did you have something to do with those drugs being tampered with? Please tell me you didn't.” Carlos's voice grows loud.
I shake my head. “No. I told you, it's being pointed back to Gilbert's men.”
“Was it because they actually did it or because someone made it look that way? Why would Gilbert do that when they sell him half of his drugs?”
“Because he's tired of being a bottom feeder and wanted a solid reason to go after Miguel. Hell if I know. Don't you trust me anymore, hermano?”
“No. You haven't been yourself lately and you haven't been responding to jobs as quickly as you used to. And then, you almost missed your mark the other day. It always seems like your head is in the clouds lately. What's going on with you? Please tell me you aren't still trying to go after the Juventinos on your own. You know we will never win.”
My brother was always against my idea of revenge, which is why I sought out doing it alone. All these years I have been plotting and planning. Normally I am more discrete with every action I take. Tampering with those drugs was a bold move and so was killing Gilbert Alverez's hitman. I knew they would be, but I pulled the trigger anyway.
“I told you, I had nothing to do with any of those things and my head hasn't been anywhere but here.”
I know he can see right past my lies. He shifts his weight against the chair. “You better be telling me the truth. I won't take the fall for your screw ups. Father paid the ultimate price getting involved with those people and so will you. Learn to let things go. It's for the best.”
I shift my feet back and forth. I couldn’t let things go as easily as he could. The screams of my family still haunted me at night, the memories of my parents burning beneath the flames visiting my dreams. I won't stop until Miguel feels my pain. Until he loses everything. I can't let Mateo get in the way of my plans again. I have to let him go soon. When I do, I have to make sure it hurts him more than it hurts me. “You've always been able to shove away what's happening around you and move forward. You forget, we don't work the same way.”
“Let it go, hermano. Learn to walk away.”
“The only thing I'm walking away from is this conversation.”
I walk out the front door of my brother's small apartment and he doesn't stop me. He knows me well. I always do what I originally set out to do, no matter what. The next step will be making Miguel feel like he can't trust anyone, not even the people closest to him. I’ll start with his right-hand man, Danny Garcia. I have something in store for him. Miguel had some of his shipment go missing a few months ago and he was about to find it soon. I send Trey a message, making sure everything’s set in place.
Me: Is it done?
Trey: It’s done, boss.
The missing package has been set in Danny’s car. I send one more message.
Me: Make the call.
Trey: Consider it done.
I pull up in front of a bakery, watching Mateo walk inside, not noticing my car. His new bodyguard follows behind him, taking in the scenery with his sharp gaze never landing on me. Oh, you could do better than that guy, Miguel. It’s your son’s life we are talking about. I call a random kid walking down the sidewalk over to my car, with a ten dollar bill in my hand. “Hey kid, want to make some quick cash?”
He nods, reaching for the money and I snatch it away before he can grab it. “I need you to call that man over, create a distraction. Tell him you have an important message from his boss.”
His eyes shift from Mateo’s driver and back to meet mine. “I can do that.” He reaches for the money and I release it into his hand.
He runs across the street in panic. “Mister, I need you to come here. It’s important.” He yells across the road. “Please, Mister, I need you to come here.”
“Fuck off, kid,” the driver spits.
“Please. It’s important. I have a message for you, from your boss.”
The driver’s eyes widen, and he hesitantly walks across the road. I run up the sidewalk, making sure the driver's attention stays on the kid. I open the door and slip a note in a place I hope Mateo will see it. Mateo is the only one who ever uses this car and I made sure to put it where he usually sits. I walk away with a smug expression. Now I have two plans set in place. I was more excited about the wrong one.
