Page 13 of Empire of Carnage
“There’s some wingless Black Crows up there too, but he brought a hundred and fifty Diablos to Guillermo’s door. A few Los Muertos escaped, but it looks like we got all the ones that mattered.” Ronan shifted his gaze, and I followed it to see Santos was holding Guillermo’s head in his hand like a bowling ball. Fingers hooked into his eye sockets.
We made our way out of the basement to find bodies scattered all over the house. Bikers clad in leather vests were dragging them into a corner making a neat pile of corpses. The sun shone brightly through the windows, but even so, I wasn’t prepared for the shock of the daylight once we crossed the threshold.
I shielded my eyes from it until l could make out César’s shape in the distance, leaning against a van with a cigarette in his mouth. He frowned seeing the state I was in, but I couldn’t help but smile to see him here for me, risking himself and his men for my sake.
“You do love me,” I said as we collectively made our way towards the van.
He chuckled, flicking his cigarette to the ground.
“Familia eh? Don’t say I never did anything for you, princesita.” He grinned, bringing me into his chest and placing a kiss on the top of my head.
“I thought I knew what family was supposed to be, now I’m not so sure anymore.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” César asked.
“Carolina. She’s alive. This was all her,” I said, hating the words as they came out of my mouth.
“That was the woman we saw leaving then. Fuck!” César cursed, kicking the side of the van.
The joy that came with being reunited was short. Everything felt cold. I should have been exploding with happy emotions at the sight of Ronan and Mateo, but between the weakness and thoughts of my sister, I felt like I was crashing. There truly was nothing that could have prepared my heart for the overwhelming joy that came with seeing both of them alive. But instead I was frozen.
Mi corazón. Broken and full at the same time.
Alone, surrounded by people who loved me. I felt nothing. My heart, draped with a layer of ice, and every time I looked at Santos and found his gaze awkwardly shifting away it cemented the feeling deeper into my soul.
“We’re gonna get both of you better okay, sunshine? Fuck, I’m so glad to see you.” He was crying, he was actually fucking crying and maybe if my soul hadn’t shriveled up and died inside of me I’d still be crying too.
He looked to Santos and found the same empty shell of a stare coming from him. Mateo pressed his lips into a fine line and nodded his head like he understood we’d need time to sort ourselves out from this.
“They’re mostly all dead now, except your sister,” César explained.
“I’m sure she scurried off to Ignacio to warn him. Her time is coming too,” I said as he helped me into the backseat of the van.
Mateo climbed into the front with César while I sat between Santos and Ronan, staring out the window as the car slowly began to move. Ronan’s head dropped back onto the headrest of the seat, and he winced from pain with every bump the tires hit.
“You doin’ alright?” Mateo asked, looking back.
It was meant for Ronan, but his eyes scanned all three of us. Ronan’s hand on my lap squeezed, and I placed my palm over his for comfort.
“Emory and the cavalry are waiting to know where to meet. Then she’ll be able to give the three of you medical attention,” César announced from the driver’s seat.
“Emory is here?” I asked, not feigning my surprise.
“She said the Diablos’ doctor wasn’t qualified for the level of damage Ronan was risking.” He shook his head. “So where to, sister?”
“Send your men south,” I told him. “We’re crossing the border tonight.”
The conversation ended there, and we rode in silence for nearly another hour. I stared out at the scenery. It wasn’t until I felt Santos’ finger lacing through mine and the gentle squeeze of his hand that I realized I was crying again. I broke free of both of their hands in order to wipe my face dry. Ronan didn’t miss it. He took my chin between his index and thumb.
“Tell me what happened in there, flower,” he whispered. “Let me help make it better.”
I wanted to tell him that just by coming, he already had, but instead Santos spoke.
“Nothing happened,” he bit out, like lying was somehow going to save me the shame of what had already happened.
I wasn’t embarrassed.
It wasn’t me who got taken advantage of.
