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“What?” Steven asked. “Vince, why is this girl here?”
Vince held up a hand. “Answer her,” he said.
Steven stared at me, made a face, shook his head. “They want to avoid a war,” he said. “Just as much as we do.”
“It’s a trap,” I said. “They tried to kill him once. They knew that was as good as starting a war. Why the hell wouldn’t they do it again?”
Steven opened his mouth, worked his jaw, shut it again. I looked at Vince and his face seemed to relax a little as his smile beamed a bit of love in my direction. I felt myself return that smile, return that love, and sit up a little straighter.
“They’re not that stupid,” Dante said.
“Yes, they are,” Vince said. “You two are the stupid ones with your damn heads up your asses. But you know what? I’ll take the fucking meeting.”
“Vince—” I said, but he held up a hand to stop me.
“It’s the right call,” Steven said.
“It’s not,” Vince said. “But it’ll show you both that you’re wrong.”
He slid sideways, nudging me away, and we both got up. I walked into the center aisle and lingered as Vince stood over the table, staring down at Steven and Dante.
“You two used to have my back.”
“We still do,” Steven said. “And we will again. But if we can avoid war, we have to try.”
Vince just shook his head, disappointment radiating off him. He stepped toward me then looked over his shoulder. He stared at the older man standing behind the counter and nodded his head, just a fraction of an inch.
“What about you, Sergio?” Vince asked. “You think we should roll over and let the Jalisco kick us in the ribs?”
The older man just shook his head.
“Not my place anymore,” he said.
“Figured,” Vince said, turning away. “This city got soft.” He walked to the door, pushed it open, and walked outside.
I followed him, walking as fast as I could, hurrying to get out of that den of vipers.
Vince strode back toward the car. He stopped beside it, pressed his hands against the door, then kicked the tire. He kicked it again and again and again, letting out a vicious growl each time.
“Fuck,” he said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“Vince,” I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He shook it off. “Fuck them,” he said, standing up. “I leave for a few years and they forget who I am. Did you see the fear in their eyes?”
“They’re scared,” I said.
“They’re fucking pathetic,” he said. “They both went through wars recently and now suddenly they lose their spine.”
“Can you blame them?” I asked. “They just want to avoid bloodshed if they can.”
“Fuck them,” Vince said. “Don’t defend those motherfuckers.”
I held up my hands. “I just want you to try to see it from their perspective.”
“I can’t,” he said. “The Jalisco tried to kill me, and now my friends are backing down.”
“Steven came to your rescue,” I said. “Remember that? He was in the street with you.”
“True,” Vince said, taking a deep breath. “True, he came when he had to.”
“They’ll step up,” I said. “Just give them a chance.”
He clenched his jaw then stood up straight. “We have a meeting to prepare for,” he said, walked around the car, and got in.
I slipped into the passenger side, my guts a mess of anxiety.21MonaVince spent the rest of that day and most of the night on the phone setting up the details of the meeting. I lounged on the couch, alternating between extreme worry and extreme boredom. I watched shadows stretch across the hardwood floor and stared at his television as it played reruns of Jeopardy on Netflix.
He was quiet when he went to bed that night. I wasn’t sure if I should sleep with him, but he took me by the hand and led me up to his room. He sat me down on the edge of the bed and looked at me like a disappointed parent.
“You shouldn’t have spoken up at the meeting today,” he said.
I leaned back on my hands and raised both eyebrows, unable to hide my surprise. “Really?” I asked.
“But I’m glad you did.” He relaxed his posture a little bit. “I only want to make sure you’re safe. Drawing attention to yourself like that… it’s not a good idea in front of that many soldiers.”
“I hear you,” I said. “But nobody was talking about it.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pacing with a little nervous energy. “The trap thing ran through my mind, too,” he said. “Makes no sense for the Jalisco to want to meet. But if they’re set on trying to avoid war, I can’t force them into it without some ill will.”
“So, what, you’re just going out there to sacrifice yourself?”
He gave me a tight little smile and stopped walking. “Pretty much,” he said. “Show them just how sincere the Jalisco really are.”
