Page 87 of Empire of Carnage
I sighed, thanking her and mentally preparing myself for whatever bullshit Ramírez would throw my way. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him, but it looked like he was going to make that my problem anyway. I understood the importance of keeping a powerful man in my pocket, my papá had taught me that lesson well. But it was clear José Luis thought I was his tool, not the other way around.
I wanted to say it was a credit to my work ethic, my influence, my power.
But I knew the reality.
The pussy between my legs made him think I was someone he could use and manipulate to his desire. He was about to learn that my pussy was still the biggest cock in the room, despite what he thought he knew.
I sent a text through our group chat, letting the men know I’d be in a meeting and not to interfere before I left my phone on the bookshelf by the door. I glanced over at Santisima’s altar, the protection candle had burned all the way down to the bottom of the wick, all the wax gone and the glass stained a dark black color. I pushed my way into the room, but it wasn’t Presidente Ramírez waiting for me.
“I thought I’d make this easy on you. Bring the fight to you, woman to woman and all,” she said as I walked into the room.
“You think you’ll be able to kill me and my men will just let you walk out of here scot-free? You think once you’ve murdered the mayor elect of Guadalajara, you’ll just be able to take my place in everything I had a hand in?” I raised an eyebrow and she cackled loudly.
“Carajo, no. But itisimpressive how fast you’ve taken over down here. He really did teach you everything, hmm?” she asked, the envy turning her eyes a bright green color. “Regardless, I have no intention of doing any of that anymore.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked, growing tired of her incomplete thoughts.
“Think of this as your final test hermana. We all know you can’t be reina if there is someone left to challenge the throne.”
“So what? You came here to die?” I laughed out, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Bueno, no. You’re going to killyourself,” she said matter of factly.
“And why would I do that, Carolina?”
“Because my big sister would never kill me, she’d kill herself first before she ever hurt me. And she’d make sure that whatever happened, that I’d be okay in the end, since she failed me so deeply before.” There was so much hatred and delusion in her eyes that for a moment I almost considered her words.
“While all of that is true, you’re not my sister anymore. How long have you been watching me suffer from a distance? How long have you been putting obstacles in my path? How long have you been sharpening the knife our tío wanted to use to kill me?” I raised my voice, stepping towards her slowly.
She smiled something sinister, like my reaction was everything she’d been hoping for.
“You give him too much credit. He was weak like papá, he wanted to leave you in peace to die in America, old and disconnected from cultura. The credit goes to me. Who the fuck do you think put you in that Bratva cage to begin with? The moment I saw you outside that bar in Cove City I sent your photo to Guillermo to set the pieces in motion. He signed your death warrant and put the timer on his own primo. Between that and my future sister in law giving Dezy Junior all the intel to feed back to Sokolov, I knew we just had to wait for the right opportunity before they left you all alone and defenseless.
“You’ve been after me all this time?” I asked. “Why?”
“You think Ignacio gave a fuck? He wanted you alive so that he could force you to open up the dungeons and he’d let you go free. He underestimated you the entire time, he underestimated me too. That’s why it was so easy to take it all from him. He should have known better. A Flores won’t ever stop fighting for what’s theirs.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I shook my head. “I would have gladly let you have it all. I would have walked away for you before you tried your best to take everything I care about from me.”
“The pinche gringos and little Álvarez? Please Celia, I was doing you a favor. It’s easier to choose one when you don’t have to.”
“I’m not choosing, they’re allmine,” I declared, grinding my teeth together.
“Regardless, you wouldn’t have walked away. It’s not in our nature.”
I thought about it.
I wanted to argue, to tell her that I was better than them. Better than her.
But I wasn’t.
I wanted this. It was mine.
If I let her live, we were doomed to play out the same scene until one of us finally killed the other, repeating our family’s curse.
I would break it now, save us both the pain of a miserable lifetime.
Correct my papá’s mistake.
