“Okay,” I say quietly, more to myself than him. My mind is becoming a place of ill intent right now, so I have to find a way to change gears before I do something I’ll end up regretting.
I get to my feet, tuck my hair behind my ears, and let out a sigh. “Go find Hector. We’ve got some work to do.”
Chapter Fifteen
An hour or so later, we’re quietly driving up and down the streets of Altata. Santiago is behind the wheel, I’m in the passenger seat, and Hector is behind me. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner, but the mystery of Miguel Vargas has bothered me for a very long time now.
“He’s gonna be so pissed,” Hector grumbles for about the hundredth time and I chuckle.
“He’ll get over it if we find Miguel,” I reply dryly.
“What makes you think there’s anything left to find, Sofi?” Santiago asks, casting me a curious glance. I shake my head as I place my sneakers against the console and wrap my arms around my legs. He chuckles as he goes back to watching the road.
It’s nothing more than a hunch, and now it’s obvious to everyone in the car, but they also know that my gut has never let me down before either.
“And you,” I say, waving a hand over the top of my seat to get Hector’s attention, “need to stop worrying. We’re on neutral turf so nothing is going to happen.”
He slaps my hand as he lets out a fond laugh and I grin at his reflection in the sideview mirror.
Being in a place where violence shouldn’t happen won’t stop any of us, but I know he’s up to the task and ready to defend me to his last dying breath.
Just like I would for both of them.
“Where do you want to go, Sofi?” Santiago asks after another ten minutes of driving around.
“I would say the building he was last seen in but that would require getting Thiago’s permission.”
“I’ll call him,” Hector offers from the back seat. I glance at the time on the console and shake my head. He’s gonna be so pissed off at being woken up so late.
As soon as I hear the man’s tired, irritated voice on the other end of Hector’s phone, I lean my head against Santiago’s arm and hold out a hand for the phone.
“One second, man, and calm down,” Hector warns him. He wants to make sure that I’m treated with nothing but respect, and it makes me smile as I take the phone from him and straighten up in my seat again.
“Thiago!” I greet him cheerfully.
“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he snaps at me.
“Time to wake the fuck up,” I shoot back. “Listen, me and some of my guys are in Altata. I need you to let us into the building so we can look around.”
Thiago lets out a heavy sigh, the sound of his bed creaking punctuating his frustration.
“Why can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
“Because. Now, either you come to us or we’ll come to you, pendejo,” I warn him before I jab the disconnect button and hand the phone back to Hector.
“Lead the way, boss,” Santiago says with a grin as he steals another glance at me. I sit up and look at the street signs around us.
“Turn left and it should be about a mile down the road on my side,” I instruct with a nod.
I don’t except to see Thiago at the building when we arrive, so I’m not upset at having to wait for him.
I push my door open and stretch my arms over my head before I open Hector’s door. I’m not being chivalrous by any means, he’s just blocking the way to my sharp toys.
“Get out, cabrón,” I tell him with a grin, and when he does, I reach in and pull the zipper open on my bag. I run the tips of my fingers along the array of cool, metal before I decide on a bowie knife. Once I’ve taken it out of the bag and have it fastened to the waistband of my shorts, I zip up the bag. After securing it on the floor of the car, I close the door.
Santiago is leaning against the car, his eyes on the road, while he drums a happy beat along the roof. I glance around for Hector then chuckle when I see him sitting on the steps of the building, with a cigarette in his mouth, and thumbing through his cellphone.
We look like nothing more than three young people out for a night on the town. Any unsuspecting person happening upon us wouldn’t know that they’re in the company of ruthless killers, and that’s fine by me.
The less anyone knows, the safer they will be in the long run.
“How long do you think it’ll take him?” Santiago asks, his eyes still on the road. As a car begins to slowly drive by us, he rises up to his full height, then turns to face it. The driver floors it, probably sensing the danger in the man watching him and his friends, and I tap the roof of the car to get his attention again.
“Down, boy,” I say to him dryly with an eye roll. He shrugs as he goes back to leaning on the car and continuing his happy finger-tapping tune. “I don’t know. But if he’s not here in the next twenty minutes, then I say we go pick him up.”
“I’m all for going instead of waiting,” Hector calls out from the stairs. I glance at him over my shoulder and smile. He’s still scrolling through his damn phone but apparently this bastard can hear things that have been said no matter how far away someone is standing from him.
“Relax,” I call back to him. “I’m good with giving him some time to get here before we go hunting.”
Hector shrugs as he takes one last pull from his smoke, then flicks it into the street. He powers his phone off then comes to stand beside me, his back against the car, and his eyes up toward the heavens.
I roll my neck on my shoulders as I lean down and glance at the time on the console again.
Eighteen minutes.
Chapter Sixteen
Thirty seconds past the appointed time and the three of us are in the car on our way to Thiago’s place. Luckily for him, he manages to flag us down as we drive past his car and gets us to turn around and follow him back.
Before Santiago has a chance to properly park the car, I push the door open and hop out, angrily stalking my way toward the sangano’s car.
“Relax,” he snipes at me as he pushes his door open, and me with back with it. I put my hands on my hips as I stare into his eyes, daring him to lay another anything on me.
“What the fuck took so long?” I bark at him.
“You have no patience, Ana Sofia, has anyone told you that?” Thiago asks as he steps out of his car and pushes the door closed.
I grit my teeth.
Patience is a waste of time right now, but I normally abide by it when I have to.
“Listen, pendejo,” I begin as I stick a finger into his face, “You’re not the boss of me, or anyone for that matter, to tell me to have anything. Now open the fucking building or I’ll let my boys have you. And between you and me?” I continue as I drop my hand and take a step closer. I jerk my head toward Hector who’s watching us with an animalistic fury building inside of him, “He’s been dying to play tonight.”
“I do nothing for you,” Thiago replies in an even tone. “I do this for Vicente Cancio. He has my respect.”
I know that his words are supposed to hurt me, but they don’t even break the surface of my skin. There are no scratches he can see that aren’t already deeper than the wounds inflicted on me a few months ago, so his words are wasted.
“Open the fucking building up,” I growl at him.
The sound of footsteps crunching against the pavement coming closer to us, paints a sinister smile on my lips. I have half a mind to feed him to my men, but I’m going to give him one more chance. “Or would you rather that we make you?”
Thiago rolls his eyes, clearly unfazed by the danger that stands before him as he turns his back to us and begins to make his way toward the office building.
All I can think about is the time we’ve wasted so far in bickering back and forth and how that’s taken me away from the real purpose of being in Altata.
The three of us form a semi-circle behind him as he begins to flip through the keys he’s h
olding. He stifles a yawn with his fist before finally settling on the right key, then slips it into the lock. Once the door is open, he steps to one side and makes a grand sweeping motion.
As soon as I take a step toward the open door, he immediately moves to block the entrance.
“What do you want in there?” he asks as he shoves his keys into his pocket.
“That’s none of your business,” Hector barks, putting a hand on his chest, and shoving him aside.
The look of outrage on Thiago’s handsome face could light up the sky right now, and I chuckle as I glance to my right and shake my head at Hector who grunts in response.
“I’ll go in first and make sure it’s clear,” Santiago tells me before he disappears into the dark building.
“Go with him,” I say to Hector thoughtfully. When he gives me a curious look, I grin in return and he shakes his head.
Once he’s gone, I walk over to the steps and take a seat, patting an empty spot next to me. Thiago lingers by the door for a moment before he comes over and drops down beside me.
I lean back on my elbows and glance up at the night sky, wondering where in this wide world my father and sister are. And more importantly, wondering if they’re safe.
“We won’t keep you out too long,” I tell Thiago, casting a glance in his direction.
“What is it you’re looking for?” he asks again.
His tone is different now that my men are nowhere near us and it makes me smile. His entire show was nothing more than that; an effort to prove that he wasn’t afraid of them.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about Vargas by this point,” I respond quietly. When he nods, I let out a sigh and turn my eyes back toward the sky for a moment before I turn my attention back to him. “Anything you can tell me about it?”
“Honestly? No. I don’t do business here, Ana Sofia. I just keep the peace as best as I can.”
“But you take money from Vargas, my father, and every other boss to do so. You mean to tell me that nothing has seemed a little different in your wallet lately? How much lighter it’s been the past few months?”
He gives me a sharp look and I roll my eyes. I’m not here for a pissing contest and if he continues to take everything I say to heart then at this point I should probably just stop talking.
Thiago clears his throat and I give him a curious look. He knows than he’s willing to tell me—I can see it in his fucking eyes.
Sitting up, I drape my arms over my knees and lean over to give him a nudge.
“Whatever you tell me stays between us,” I promise him quietly.
The conflict that rages inside of me is threatening to take us both down to the depths of an angry ocean, but luckily for me, I’ve always been able to swim through damn near anything.
“Digame,” I press him as gently and patiently as I can.
He casts a glance over his shoulder into the dark building before he turns his eyes back to me.
“My wallet hasn’t been light,” he begins quietly. “Lorenzo took over almost immediately, and no one knew it. He’s paid me more than Miguel Vargas ever has to keep the transition quiet until he’s ready to flash his dick at the boss’s table so to speak.
“Oh, God, that cabrón?” I ask, shaking my head. “What the fuck could he possibly have to add to anything, other than his own bullshit?”
“That much, I don’t know. And I’ve told you everything I do, so if you could return me the kindness, get your guys, and go back home so I can go to sleep, I would appreciate it,” Thiago says getting to his feet and reaching a hand down toward me.
I look at it for a moment before I grunt and take his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. I sigh as I walk toward the doorway and put two fingers into my mouth, letting out a shrill whistle.
In no time, Santiago and Hector appear. It’s almost as if they never left the door, but I know them better than they know themselves and they understand that if anything happens to me while I’m in their care, their lives are forfeit.
“Keep your phone on,” I say to Thiago as I usher my guys down the stairs. “You’ll be hearing from me.”
Chapter Seventeen
By the time we get back to Navolato, Carlos is standing outside of his post, having a cigarette, and glancing up and down the street. When Santiago rolls up to the gate, he hurries over to the driver’s side and leans in to look at me. I can tell from the look on his face that we didn’t beat Papa and Tati back and that I’m going to have some explaining to do, but I’ve got that covered.
“How long?” I ask him curiously.
“An hour.”
“Fuck. Alright, go back to work,” I say to him with a nod as Santiago maneuvers the car up the long, winding driveway.
“Sofi—”
“We went to dinner because I didn’t want to eat alone. That’s the story,” I tell him, cutting him off and glancing in the back seat at Hector. “Got it?”
They both nod, but I know they’re feeling conflicted. They don’t lie to my father, ever. However, if he knew the truth of where we were and why, he’d have all of our asses.
I hop out of the car and run up the stairs when Santiago drops me off in front of the house. Pulling the door open, I’m hoping I can make it to my room undetected when I end up colliding with Tati in the hallway right outside of the kitchen.
“Where have you been?” she hisses at me, grabbing me by the elbow and dragging me down the hallway as quickly as she can. I notice that she’s gripping a small red bag in her other hand. She’s found my stash of Skittles in the kitchen, and knowing her, I probably don’t have any left now.
“Shouldn’t we be going upstairs?” I snap at her quietly as I try to twist my arm out of her grip.
“Papa is worried sick. You’re going to his goddamn office to let him know you’re fine,” she shoots back as her fingernails dig into my flesh. One hard jerk and I almost fall face forward onto the floor, but I relent and let her take me to our father.
In a way, it reminds me of when we were kids still and we’d get into trouble, sometimes on our own, sometimes together, and we’d drag each other straight to Papa to confess what we had done.
But we never told on each other because we didn’t feel that would ever fix anything.
Tati stops when she reaches his door and knocks gently against it.
When he doesn’t answer, she sighs and puts one hand on the doorknob, turns it and peeks inside.
“Papa?” she asks softly.
She turns to give me a dirty look before she tugs my hand again and pulls me into the room behind her. I yank my hand out of hers once inside and turn to close the door, before I shuffle over to the chairs in front of our father’s desk and sit down.
Tati takes the one next to me and when Papa lets out a heavy sigh, I’m honestly relieved. I hadn’t looked at him yet, so I wasn’t even sure he was in the room to begin with.
“Where were you, Sofi?” he asks in a tired tone. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, hoping that I still have the resolve to look him in the eyes and lie. That’s when I remember Hector and Santiago and know that even if I can’t do it for me, I have to at least try for them.
“Well,” I begin as I tuck my hair behind my ears, “you were both gone when I got home. I didn’t want to eat by myself and I know you don’t want me going out alone after dark, so I bullied Santiago and Hector into going with me to grab something to eat.”
I still haven’t looked at him yet so the lie is a little easier than it should be for the time being.
“You didn’t take your phone with you,” he remarks quietly. “What if something happened to you, mija?”
“Nothing was going to happen, Papa,” I grumble as I lift one leg and cross it over the other.
“Tatiana, go back to your room,” he says in a firmer tone. I steal a glance into his face and fight the urge to cringe. His fatigue has been replaced with anger and I know that I’m going to leave this room crying by the time all is said and done.
&n
bsp; Tati gets up from her chair almost instantly, then walks around the table to place a kiss on the top of his head before she comes back to where I’m sitting and leans down to do the same to me. Draping her arms around my shoulders she whispers a crucial piece of advice into my ear, then leaves the room.
Tell him the truth.
And while I know it’s the only thing that will be able to save me from spilling the tears that are already dangerously welling in my eyes, I can’t let my men down.
Once the door clicks shut behind us, I take a deep breath and look at my father. He’s watching me with stern, curious eyes, but I’m going to hold my ground.
I’m no longer the little girl he saved from a life of debauchery or certain death; I’m the killer he made me into and that’s what I have to show him.
“Where did you go?” he asks again.
“To get dinner,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Where?”
“Around, Papa. I don’t get what the big deal is,” I state, blowing my breath out.
“The ‘big deal’, mija, is that you don’t know how much danger there really is in this fucking world. Especially when you live this life. You left without telling anyone where you were going, you didn’t take your phone, and now you walk back into the house like nothing is wrong. This is how you repay me letting you go out for a day alone?” he all but shouts at me. His face is red as he slams a palm onto his desk to punctuate his point.
“And?” I ask defiantly. “You still think I’m helpless, but I’m far from it, Papa. Even without Hector and Santiago, I went out alone and came back home without a scratch on me. I don’t understand why you can’t trust me!”
My tone cracks as my tenor rises to match his angry one, and while I may cry about this later, I can’t stand the fact that I have to be two people anymore.
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