home and waiting for her husband to return, unable to go to the police to report him missing.
“What do you want?” Although he knew already what they wanted. What they already had, unless the Padre Knights were somehow able to wrestle it back from them. He racked his brain for who might have known about the cocaine. Who might have known about today’s meeting. There was no one. No one who knew, and so it could be anyone, which was an even scarier thought. His mind raced with the domino effect this fuckup would have. The people who wouldn’t be paid, the fragile alliances that might be broken. He had to get the drugs, and it meant all four men would have to die but not before he found out where the hell they came from.
The man threatening the illegals smiled. “You’re the one they call Shakespeare,” he observed. “I have heard of you. A smart man, they say. So, smart man. I think you know.”
“That’s our cash,” Alejandro said. “This is our territory. You want your share? Pick a spot on the border, any spot, and get your own.”
“I pick this one,” the man said smoothly.
“This ain't the border, pendejo. ” Alejandro replied. He reached for his gun just a fraction of a second before the other man swung the muzzle of his from the captive's temple. Alejandro’s bullet hit its mark. The man howled in pain as his fingers exploded in a spray of blood and his gun flew against the metal door of one of the units.
Alejandro was on him fast. His brothers poured out from between the storage units and opened fire on the other men as he twisted the bleeding man’s good arm up so high between his shoulder blades that the man shrieked in pain. On their knees, the two prisoners murmured what Alejandro knew to be a prayer, even though it wasn’t in his language or to his god. He stepped in front of them and shielded himself with the cursing man in his grip.
He had ever been so grateful in his life to see the bakery truck roar through the gates from nowhere, sending the surprised enemies against the storage units and straight into the arms of his brothers. From behind the wheel, Benny grinned as he spun in the gravel and skidded just a few feet from where Alejandro held the man fast. He hopped out of the truck and had the man trussed with rope and duct tape before Alejandro could issue any directions.
“His eyes, too,” he ordered, wincing as he released the man. Somewhere in the fracas, he’d been hit. His bicep screamed as he flexed it, but he realized with relief that the bullet hadn’t hit the bone.
He heard shouting from behind the truck and raced in that direction only to be clotheslined by one of the giants. Popeye shouted, “He’s unarmed!” and Alejandro reached for his blade as the other man straddled his shoulders with his knees. He wasn’t fast enough and the giant tossed his knife away as easily as taking a toy from a small child. He grinned at Alejandro’s discomfort as he pressed harder with his knees. Alejandro stifled a roar of pain as his shoulder bit into the rocks beneath him. The gunshot wound in his arm throbbed mercilessly.
“I’ll kill you, you motherfucker,” he swore as the giant rocked on his bad arm. The man made a clucking sound with his tongue before a loud crack exploded near Alejandro’s ear and the giant dropped sideways with a neat hole blooming crimson at the back of his head.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ali looked out her window when she heard the tires on her gravel. She almost didn’t recognize the pearl-colored Cadillac as it crawled along the driveway until she recognized its driver, hidden behind giant dark glasses. Mama . And beside her sat Ali’s least favorite person, Cecile Dawson.
The two women got out of the car, mincing across the gravel path as if they were navigating the unpaved streets of a third-world country. Ali sighed and smoothed her hair before opening the back door to greet them. She was glad
“What do you want?” Although he knew already what they wanted. What they already had, unless the Padre Knights were somehow able to wrestle it back from them. He racked his brain for who might have known about the cocaine. Who might have known about today’s meeting. There was no one. No one who knew, and so it could be anyone, which was an even scarier thought. His mind raced with the domino effect this fuckup would have. The people who wouldn’t be paid, the fragile alliances that might be broken. He had to get the drugs, and it meant all four men would have to die but not before he found out where the hell they came from.
The man threatening the illegals smiled. “You’re the one they call Shakespeare,” he observed. “I have heard of you. A smart man, they say. So, smart man. I think you know.”
“That’s our cash,” Alejandro said. “This is our territory. You want your share? Pick a spot on the border, any spot, and get your own.”
“I pick this one,” the man said smoothly.
“This ain't the border, pendejo. ” Alejandro replied. He reached for his gun just a fraction of a second before the other man swung the muzzle of his from the captive's temple. Alejandro’s bullet hit its mark. The man howled in pain as his fingers exploded in a spray of blood and his gun flew against the metal door of one of the units.
Alejandro was on him fast. His brothers poured out from between the storage units and opened fire on the other men as he twisted the bleeding man’s good arm up so high between his shoulder blades that the man shrieked in pain. On their knees, the two prisoners murmured what Alejandro knew to be a prayer, even though it wasn’t in his language or to his god. He stepped in front of them and shielded himself with the cursing man in his grip.
He had ever been so grateful in his life to see the bakery truck roar through the gates from nowhere, sending the surprised enemies against the storage units and straight into the arms of his brothers. From behind the wheel, Benny grinned as he spun in the gravel and skidded just a few feet from where Alejandro held the man fast. He hopped out of the truck and had the man trussed with rope and duct tape before Alejandro could issue any directions.
“His eyes, too,” he ordered, wincing as he released the man. Somewhere in the fracas, he’d been hit. His bicep screamed as he flexed it, but he realized with relief that the bullet hadn’t hit the bone.
He heard shouting from behind the truck and raced in that direction only to be clotheslined by one of the giants. Popeye shouted, “He’s unarmed!” and Alejandro reached for his blade as the other man straddled his shoulders with his knees. He wasn’t fast enough and the giant tossed his knife away as easily as taking a toy from a small child. He grinned at Alejandro’s discomfort as he pressed harder with his knees. Alejandro stifled a roar of pain as his shoulder bit into the rocks beneath him. The gunshot wound in his arm throbbed mercilessly.
“I’ll kill you, you motherfucker,” he swore as the giant rocked on his bad arm. The man made a clucking sound with his tongue before a loud crack exploded near Alejandro’s ear and the giant dropped sideways with a neat hole blooming crimson at the back of his head.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ali looked out her window when she heard the tires on her gravel. She almost didn’t recognize the pearl-colored Cadillac as it crawled along the driveway until she recognized its driver, hidden behind giant dark glasses. Mama . And beside her sat Ali’s least favorite person, Cecile Dawson.
The two women got out of the car, mincing across the gravel path as if they were navigating the unpaved streets of a third-world country. Ali sighed and smoothed her hair before opening the back door to greet them. She was glad
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