AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Drysten want to punch him in the face for me before I fucking shoot him?”
“So shoot me! Put me out of my misery! Just after I’m burned, tell Em I love her.”
Our heads snap to him as I hear Del in my head.
“Is that Monroe complaining again—I hear his bitch ass voice, but what’s he goin on about now?”
I watch as someone passes the window, then see the fucking flash. “I don’t know who’s in there, but someone just got shot. Let’s go. Roe nut up, or I will fucking kill you myself.” I’m climbing out of the van and going to the back to check for bullets.
I grab what I need. See, the best thing about our vehicles is the secret compartments. I add a silencer to my gun before starting off up the stairs. I check the door. It doesn’t look like the alarm has been set. Roe tries to pull me back, but I shake my head no, pulling the door and hoping it opens right up without setting off the alarm.
Thank fuck for at least one small victory. In we go. Our footfalls are silent. I look at Sully and nod to my right. He nods back. Glancing at Roe, he lifts his chin to tell me to move my ass. To Doc’s office, we go. I can hear talking as we get closer, well, Toney’s mouth, to be more specific.
“I don’t care who you think you are—You don’t fucking scare me—I don't believe you. You’re sick, and your lackey is getting on my nerves.”
We move quickly toward the open door. Finn’s tied up in a chair, and one of Alverez’s guards is on the floor with a decent-sized hole in his chest. Alvarez himself is behind Doc’s desk. It’s Santino that has my attention, though. I walk in unnoticed, put the muzzle of my gun to Santino’s head, and fire the shot off before turning the gun on Alvarez. Doc stands, and I immediately pull her behind me.
“That was unnecessary. We are simply having a chat.” Alvarez sighs.
I should just put a bullet in him and be done, but that would start a war I’m unprepared for.
“Let me stick this fuck.” Monroe grits out.
“Shut it, get Finn,” I order, my eyes set on Alvarez, who has stood up. He takes off his jacket with a graceful motion and sets it on the desk before beginning to roll up his sleeves.
“Let him take the boy, take your woman, but you stay.” He’s fucking smiling. “See, you just put a bullet in my sister’s son. I came to talk to her, and he put a hole in my henchman just for opening the door. I had no intentions of bloodshed, yet here we are.” He side-eyes me as Finn is pulled away from the chair. “Do you know how I came to be the man I am—in the position I am?”
“I know all about La fiesta de los demonios.”
He laughs. “Ah yes, the Devil’s Feast. They have many stories to tell. The truth, however, is never as provocative. Salvadore Muñoz was my predecessor. When it happened, he was about my age, and I, yours.” He looks at Finn. “I ran for him as you do for me. I wanted more. Wanted it all. He initiated me harshly. More harshly than I to you today. See, he was tired, but you cannot just retire as a Cartel King.”
“Ain’t nobody giving two shits about your long-winded ass. Saint, let me pop him, and we can go the fuck home.”
“Monroe, shut the fuck up. Take them and go. Get them the fuck out of here.” I don’t take my eyes off Alvarez. “Finish what you were saying.”
Monroe disappears from my line of sight, and I feel Toney squeeze my arm before being pulled away.
“I’ll see you soon.” Alvarez blows a kiss at her. Then looks back at me coming from around the desk, his hands up at chest level to show he is unarmed, at least in theory. He could have a gun someplace I cannot see. “You want it don’t you?” He asks.
“Want what? Your place? Fuck no, but you don’t get to come in here and threaten what is mine.”
He laughs again. I’m really getting sick of this bastard. “You want power, no? I have power, money, everything I could ever want, except I have no freedom. I must do what I do to keep having what I have. The marrow is dry, and I have little pleasures left, but there is a way. An honorable way. Put down the gun. If you beat me fairly, we move forward. She helps that to happen. I get a new face. Perhaps, though cleché, it may be. Power must be transferred. It cannot simply be relinquished. What do you say?”
“I say you’ve lost your Goddamn mind. You come in here and threaten what’s mine, and you think I’m going to trust you? Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice, well, it hasn’t happened yet, and I’m not in the game of giving second chances.”
“You may be right. How is your stomach? Has the burning begun yet?” His eyes narrow. “How about your men? Are they having a hard time focusing their eyes yet? The poison takes time, and I have a strong constitution for it.” He smirks. “There is an antivenom, but you would die long before finding it if you do not know the poison. Blood seeps from every hole as your insides liquify. I hear it is rather painful. Now, if you kill me, you die too, but if you best me, we can both walk out of here, me free and you breathing to fuck that lovely Dominican Princesa.”
“Who wouldn’t break bread with you?”
He glances at Doc. “Ilonka Jiménez.” I don’t say anything else, but I shake my head. I want to look at Toney, but I can’t take my eyes off this fucker. Jiménez is her mother’s name. It didn’t take Del long to trace through Toney’s real background, especially after Tobey started running his drunken mouth.
Another annoying ass chuckle. “Actually, her name is Ilonka Alvarez, by birth. Jiménez was her mother’s name. See that? Toney was never in any danger. I would never harm my blood.”
My life is fucking Tele Novella! “Doc? What do you want me to do. You call the shot.” My stomach is starting to burn, but I’m trying to hold myself up.
“Baby—What do you want!” She growls, and suddenly her voice is in my ear as I buckle. I hear wretching behind me, I know it’s my brothers, but I dare not look away. “What did you give them?”
“Call it a secret family recipe.” Alvarez puts a hand in his pocket.
I try to lift my arm, but the pain and the gun is suddenly too heavy.
I’m gonna die, my brothers are gonna die, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
