Page 89 of Cartel King

“Yeah. Our guys’ll lay it on just thick enough to be the juiciest gossip in years without being so over the top people’ll question it.”

It’s dark now, so that’s the only reason we’ve remained in the open as long as we have. There’s not much more we can do. With the time differences, Pablo gave me the signal everything’s in place to happen tonight in California. It’s already the next business day in Japan and Singapore, so Jorge has things on the move. It’s still early to start work in Palermo, but Alejandro will do it before dawn their time.

The guys head to the vehicles while Luis hangs back.

“Rather anticlimactic,mano.”

“True. But anticlimactic means you go home to your wife, and theniñosgo home to their mamas. I get to keep breathing.”

Little boys. None of my nephews, who vary in height from five-eleven-and-a-half to six-three and weigh between two-ten and two-twenty-five, are little, but I changed all their diapers. They haven’t lived the things Luis and I have, and I pray they never do.Tres J’sare the closest since they lived in Bogotá with only Luciana for a few years after Esteban died. Catalina moved to America before Alejandro was born because I promoted Matías, but Alejandro’s seen some shit since he goes there as often as Luis.

“True. I want to get home to Margherita. The medicines made her sick today.”

“Luciana’s probably wearing a hole in my living room carpet by now.”

When the street gangs started targeting her sons and trying to lure them in, she knew she had no choice but to move here. Luciana was too alone to protect her boys. Our uncle was no use. I allow him enough freedom to run things for me. He knows I’ll kill him the moment he no longer obeys me.

Since I hold his balls in a vise, and everybody knows it, the street gangs thought they could work around him. He didn’t helpTres J’s, even though he could have. He knew I expected it. Luis beat him so close to death, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he’d met the devil.

Tres J’ssaw things as kids Pablo and Alejandro have only seen as adults. It’s Alejandro’s job now to inflict some of the shitTres J’ssaw way too young.

“Let’s go.”

We walk to the vehicles. When I get to Jorge, he spins his computer for me to see. I grin. The fuckery’s started. I watch a money transfer process from a bank in Singapore to a bank in Mauritius. That money will probably go through the Bahamas before it winds up in Switzerland, then finally here. Either Pasha won’t sleep tonight trying to stop this, or he’ll have a rude awakening in the morning. Either way, thepequeña perra—little bitch—will remember my reach is longer than his.

I climb into the SUV and give Jorge directions to Ellie’s. As soon as I turn on my phone, a message pings from her.

“I’m safe but we have a problem. Call me when you can.”

“Jorge, hurry. Something happened at Ellie’s.”

I tap the screen, and Ellie answers on the first ring.

“Daddy, someone has photos of me.”

Chapter Eighteen

Ellie

“Thanks for watching him for so long, Hunt.”

“Not a problem. I would’ve been happy to stay down here longer, but Cindy needs me.”

“I get it.”

I’m certain I’m not imagining my son’s hesitation to leave. I wrap my arms around his waist. Sometimes it still surprises me when I hug my boys that I’m hugging full-on men. Part of me still expects a little boy who leans against me, and my arms can go around him with ease. Now I rest my head on their chests, and they have to stoop to rest their head on top of mine. They’re solid when I hug them. As much as I miss their innocence, I’m grateful for their support.

I’m ready to let go, and Hunt usually does the same as soon as I do. I know they’re often indulging me. But this time, he doesn’t.

“Hunter, what’s wrong? Are you worried about leaving me here?”

“No. I just—It’s nothing.”

“What is it?”

He hesitates before running his hand through his hair. He looks at the door, then his shoulders droop. This isn’t my usual happy-go-lucky, everything-rolls-off-his-back-like-water-off-a-duck son.

“Seeing you with Enrique made me think about how things stand with Cindy. The way he looks at you—I don’t think I’ve ever looked at Cindy that way. I thought I had, but now, I really don’t know. How comfortable you are around him—you wereneverlike that before. Your body language made it look like you’ve been a couple for decades not days. I don’t know that Cindy and I will ever get to that.”

---