Page 95 of Unveiled Wounds

“Your women are going to want their father, and I want my henchman.” Diego was getting desperate.

“I’m sure people in hell want ice water, but I don’t see them getting it.”

A chuckle floated around us in the yard, and even the cartel soldiers had to hide their amusement.

“So, what is it going to take? Money?” Diego stamped his foot. “How do I even know my henchman is alive? Where is he?”

“He’s…indisposed at the moment, but he’s alive. I don’t know why you’re so worried about a negotiation. I didn’t offer you one, and I for sure don’t want Gerry as my consolation prize.” Sabre crossed his arms, a smirk taking over. He was the only one without a shotgun, so the rest of us racked the slides, being the assholes we were.

Diego jumped at the sound. It was hard to reconcile the man standing in front of us with the big, bad cartel boss we had all believed him to be. Still, it was easy to see how he had pulled Matt and Brandon’s strings. Diego told them what he wanted, and they jumped to make it happen, never saying no. The Iron Shield would never yield to an enemy, and if I had known he would fold so easily, I might have planned a hostile takeover at his office building.

“Death.”

Four shots rang out, and the cartel soldiers that flanked Diego fell to the ground—dead.

“I want to do that again,” How complained.

“You’re a sick fuck. Are you sure you’re not adopted?” Op laughed.

I tuned out of their ribbing, watching Diego assess the situation he had just found himself in. The soldiers he had sent were dead in the yard. The soldiers he thought would protect him were laying at his feet.

I was watching him, and when he realized he was all alone, he reached behind him. Dropping the shotgun, I moved on instinct, not giving a fuck if I was wrong. It was better to be safe and let his suit get dirty, versus losing someone.

My knee came up, driving into his stomach, as my fist collided with his face. For the second in command of a cartel, Diego needed to learn how to fight. I had him on the ground with his hand behind his back in seconds.

“Damn, that was impressive.” Pretty slowly clapped, standing over me.

“Can you not be annoying and check him for a gun? I thought he was reaching for one.” If Pretty wanted to run his mouth, he could at least be helpful.

I shifted my weight forward, giving Pretty room to look. I could feel him flipping up the back of Diego’s suit coat, patting the man down.

“Yeah, fucker was reaching.” Pretty dangled a gun in front of Diego’s face before he threw it into the dirt.

We hadn’t checked the SUV, but the driver decided he’d had enough and took off. The gates were closed, but he rammed into them.

“Told you,” Cyph came in through my ear.

When the gates failed to open, the driver reversed, but he found himself trapped. When he backed into the second SUV, the momentum from the hit dumped Gerry onto the ground. He rolled twice, before laying in the yard face down.

“That had to hurt.” Count winced, holding his arms tight against his body.

Berry took a step in Gerry’s direction, but before he could reach him, both SUVs exploded. The yard was huge, and no one had been close enough to suffer an injury. It was just another inconvenience for the clean-up crew.

“You blew up your escape plan and still think you’re walking out of here?” I asked Diego, not really expecting an answer. He tried to spit in my direction, and I held his face deeper in the gravel as retaliation. It had to hurt.

“What do you want to do with him?” I said to Sabre, nodding towards Diego.

“Kill him.”

“I’ll call Manny.” Diego pleaded one last time. “He can make the club a deal, and you’ll be rich. Like kings.” It was the same scenario he’d given all of his soldiers to keep them under his rule. We didn’t need or want his money.

“Together.” Grace had been a target, and I would have understood if he’d taken the kill. However, there would have been a part of me that felt cheated. I flipped Diego over, and he didn’t even bother putting up a fight as I crouched over him.

Sabre pulled his knife out of his back pocket, placing the tip above Diego’s heart. “Grace doesn’t think about Matt, so whatever your obsession with my woman was, you can take it to hell with you, knowing she won’t give you another thought.” Sabre shoved his knife into Diego’s heart, twisting it in one smooth motion.

I pulled my knife from my boot, holding it at Diego’s throat. “I didn’t get the chance to kill Brandon. You took that away fromme, but I have someone you don’t. The baby you were desperate for—mine.” I slit his throat, holding his hair until he bled out a few minutes later.

“Cyph, do you have a buyer for the henchman?” Sabre asked, knowing he could hear us.

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