Page 34 of Cartel King

Will’s voice hardens, and he gets the same stubborn gleam in his eyes he’s had since he was a toddler.

“If it’s not you, I don’t know yet. That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“You told us not to be nosy, and we’ve respected that wish, Mom. But now you’re making it awfully hard to stick with that.”

“I know, Hunt, but there’s no reason to panic until there’s a reason to panic.”

“You always say that, but by the time you realize you should panic, it’s usually too late. That’s the whole reason people panic.”

Steve has never appreciated that logic, but I’ve stuck with it for years.

“Look, I don’t know why the car’s there. I thought maybe you guys were being overprotective. I don’t think there’s any reason to believe this is about me. It probably isn’t even about Enrique. I don’t know whether the dash cam is on, even if it’s pointing toward my place. I’ll just keep an eye out and see if I can spot who’s coming and going from the house and who gets in and out of the car. If there’s anything that worries me, then I promise I’ll let you know.”

“But if it isn’t about you, Mom, is there something about Enrique we should know?” Steve’s the quiet one, but when he speaks, it’s best to listen.

There’s a shit ton about Enrique they should know, and at some point, I’ll wind up telling. But not yet.

“He’s a wealthy man, so who knows who might be curious about him? Nothing’s shown up online, but for all I know maybe it’s paparazzi.” I laugh, trying to ease the tension that has inevitably grown during this call.

“Mom, is there something about Enrique that would make Tommaso suspicious?”

“I don’t know whether he pays attention to me anymore.”

All three boys stare at me through their cameras as though I’ve lost my mind.

“Fine, I’ll call him next.”

“Are you going to tell Dad something’s going on?” Will looks ready to choke over his words.

Now it’s my turn for my expression to harden. “No, and neither are you. You know how I feel about him being involved in my life now. I’m fine seeing him at family events. I’m fine talking about him, but no one’s bringing him back into my life in ways he doesn’t need to be. That’s the point of divorce. If he finds out, then it better be through Tommaso and not through any of you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but he can watch out for you, too.”

“Hunt, that is the very last thing I need or want. You know that. And don’t you dare bring him into this.”

“All right, Mom, if that’s what you want, then we can agree to that.” Hunt doesn’t like it, but he offers a compromise.

Middle child Steve has always been the conciliatory one. But for now, Hunt, the baby of the family, tries to keep the peace. But he has always had an ingrained sense of self-justice. He’s always been one to let most things go, but if someone wrongs him… If he thinks I’m wronging them by not listening to their suggestion, he’ll dig his heels in.

“Mom, Hunt’s not wrong.”

As the oldest child, Will has always been protective of his younger brothers, even when they haven’t always liked each other or been best friends. I never expected them to be best friends, though I always wished they had been. They were always free to have whomever they wanted as friends, so they drifted in different circles. But now that they’re adults, they’ve come back around and are closer than they used to be. I’m certain the divorce played a large part in that.

“All right, Will. Let me let you go, and I’ll call Tommaso.”

“Should I be on that call too, Mom?” Will sounds anything but excited.

“No, let me deal with this. I don’t want to make it a bigger deal than it has to be. If he’s not involved, then I don’t want him asking questions he doesn’t need to. I’ll keep you guys posted.”

“All right, Mom. Love you.”

“Love you.”

“Love you.”

Hearing all three say those two words at the same time will always make my heart overflow.

“I love you too, boys.”

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