Page 24 of The Love Language of the Cartel

A whimper escaped her lips as she stumbled back. My arm whipped out, capturing her around the waist and drawing her to me. As I was about to respond further to Demi’s defiant dare, rapid footsteps approached from the hallway. Mateo appeared in the doorway, his brown face flushed with excitement.

“Jefe,” he called out, slightly out of breath. “I have news about the shipments in Sinaloa.”

I held up a hand, silencing him momentarily. “Un momento, Mateo.” Turning back to Demi, I said, “We’ll continue this discussion in a minute,mi amor. Make yourself comfortable or don’t.”

She rolled her eyes but said nothing as I stepped out into the hallway with Mateo.

“What’s the update?” I queried, keeping my voice low.

Mateo grinned, his dark eyes gleaming. “It’s good news, boss. I was able to pay off a few workers at customs. Our product is in motion as we speak.”

A surge of satisfaction coursed through me. The shipment was crucial for maintaining our stronghold in the region. I clapped Mateo on the shoulder, squeezing it firmly. “Excellent work,amigo. This will put us ahead of schedule.”

“Gracias,Jefe,” Mateo boasted, clearly pleased by the praise. “I’ll keep you updated on its progress.”

I nodded. “Do that, and make sure our men are in place for the distribution. We can’t afford any more issues.”

As Mateo hurried off to carry out my orders, I turned back to Demi’s room. I found her standing by the window with her arms crossed tightly over her chest as the sunlight caught her glossy black curls.

“Back so soon?” she asked, her tone carefully neutral.

I studied her for a moment, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way she refused to meet my gaze. “Why so damn silent all of a sudden? You had plenty to say earlier.”

Demi turned to face me, her brown eyes narrowing with suspicion. “I’m just . . . surprised, I suppose.”

“About?” I pressed, moving closer.

She hesitated, then said, “The way you were with your man just now. Commending him, giving him kudos . . .” She let her voice drift off before a bitter laugh escaped her lips. “My father would never do anything like that.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the glimpse into her family dynamics. “No? And how does your father treat his men?”

Demi’s smooth jaw tightened. “Like dogs,” she answered. “Only to be kicked when they fail and ignored when they succeed. He believes fear is the only way to ensure loyalty.”

I considered her words carefully. While fear certainly had its place in our world, I’d always believed that a combination of respect and reward yielded better results. “And you disagree with his methods?”

She shrugged, turning back to the window. “It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m just a pawn in his game, same as I am in yours.”

Her words stirred something in me—anger, yes, but also a strange desire to prove her wrong. I stepped closer, close enough to smell the faint scent of her perfume. “You’re no pawn, Demi.You’re the queen on this chessboard, whether you like it or not. And I’m not your father. I’m nothing like him,” I confirmed.

Her neck twisted, and her hair cascaded down one side of her chest as she faced me. There was a challenge in her eyes that made my blood simmer.

“Oh really?” she challenged, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “And how’s that, Ozias?”

I closed the distance between us, my eyes never leaving hers. “I’m a better leader,” I stated plainly. “That’s why people wanna see me dead.”

A scoff escaped her lips, and for a moment, I caught a spark of fire that reeled me into her in the first place. “No,” she said, her voice thick with disdain. “They wanna kill you because you’re brutal and ruthless.”

Her words hung in the air between us, and I couldn’t help the smirk that spread across my face. She meant it as an insult, but to my ears, it was the highest form of compliment.

“Someone has to be,mi amor,” I murmured, reaching out to brush away a stray eyelash from her cheek. She flinched at my touch but didn’t pull away. “In this world, brutality and ruthlessness are the only things keeping us alive.”

Demi’s eyes narrowed, a mix of confusion and defiance swirling in their depths. “And what about kindness? What about compassion?”

I let out a dark chuckle. “I already told you kindness gets you killed in this business, and compassion is a luxury we can’t afford.”

As I said the words, I couldn’t help but think of all the times my own compassion had nearly been my downfall. The faces of those I’d lost flashed through my mind, a grim reminder of the cost of weakness in the cartel.

Demi must’ve seen something in my expression because her own softened slightly. “Is that really what you believe?” she whispered.

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