Page 25 of Cartel Cobra

Cheeks.

It’s Enrique.Mamástill calls him that because he had the roundest and fattest cheeks as a baby even though the rest of him was always long and slender.

“Mijo?” My son.

“Sí, mamá.”

Something’s wrong.

“Kiko?!” I try to snatch the phone, butmamámoves it away from me.

“Is Cat there?” We can hear him becausemamáholds the phone out.

“I’m here, Kiko. You’re freaking us out. You don’t sound right.”

“Mamá, put us on speaker.”

No, no, no!

Luis is on the phone too, and I know he’s not with Enrique right now. They wouldn’t three-way call us just to say hi. It’s no one’s birthday and not a holiday.

“Mamá, papá está muerto.”

There’s a moment of silence before the most gut wrenching, blood-curdling scream comes from my mom. She drops the phone, and I stare at it. Catalina does the same. It’s Matáis who has the wherewithal to pick it up.

“Enrique?”

“Matáis? Thank God you’re there.”

The relief in Enrique’s voice is palpable. He and Luis must have believed we were alone in the house. Silent tears trail down my cheeks just like they do my sister’s.Mamásobs with a keening wail every few seconds. Catalina and I wrap our arms around her as she rocks. We look at each other over our mom’s head. Neither of us knows what to do.

“Who?”

It’smamáwho asks the single most important question.

“He’s dead too.” That was Luis.

“Humberto?”

“No,mamá. The man who did it.” Luis speaks softly as he explains, but he could be shouting for how loudly it rings in my ears.

“What abouttío?” Catalina meets my gaze as she asks.

“Caty.”

Matáis’s voice holds an edge of warning I’ve never heard him use with her before. Only he calls her that. She shakes her head and tries to shake loose of his hold as he wraps his arms around her. I don’t even remember when they both left the loveseat and moved over to the sofa.

“Caty.”

My sister turns a mutinous glare on Matáis, but she doesn’t fight him anymore. Instead, she lets go ofmamáand turns toward her fiancé.Mamá’s staring at the phone I put on the coffee table. She’s wrapped her arms around her waist and leans forward as she rocks. She pulled away when Catalina turned to Matáis. My sister has her fiancé, and my mother doesn’t wantme. I have never felt more alone than I do right now. I have a fiancé—or at least I did. I shouldn’t have to be alone, but I am.

“Kiko, what about Esteban?” I can’t stop the question because I didn’t know I was going to ask it.

“Banged up but alive.”

“Where’spapá?”Mamá’svoice is hoarse already.

“On his way to Rafael’s.”

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