Punished (Calavera Hotels #1)

Chapter Twenty-Five Adrian

I’m with Thalia and Ricky, picking up the twenty percent protection payments from different businesses around Houston. Thalia deals with most of the talking, while Ricky and I are just here for backup.

We’re heading toward a nearby bank when we notice a group on motorcycles coming towards us.

“Who the fuck are they?” Ricky says.

“Oh, shit. Those are Los Bandoleros,” Thalia says.

Before we can process what’s happening, a shot fires in the distance, and the windshield shatters in front of us. Ricky swerves, and I move to check on Thalia.

“I’m okay. Keep driving,” she yells, as she pulls an AK-47 from under the seat. Ricky floors it to get past them, and I start firing out the window. I hit one biker in the shoulder and watch as the motorcycle slides across the road. Others crash into him, buying us time. The back window shatters, and Thalia ducks before firing. They slow down, and Ricky continues speeding through traffic until they are out of sight.

“What the fuck was that?!” Ricky shouts.

“Go to Patricio’s. I have a bad feeling this is about the Russians terminating their gun trade.” Conejo had warned us it would start a war. I look back at Thalia. She’s breathing heavily, but other than that, I don’t see any serious injuries.

“No one thought to tell me that Los Bandoleros were our new enemies?”

“I just found out yesterday. One of the girls we rescued that night was the sister of a Pakhan from the New York bratva.”

“I could have fucking died right now. It would have been nice to at least be briefed about having a target on my back! I saw a motorcycle tailgating us over an hour ago while you pendejos were arguing about which hot sauce was better. Had I fucking known, I would have said something. He parked outside Milagros Cocina, and I thought I was being paranoid. Pull over right now! We need to make sure he didn’t put a tracker on the van.”

We pull over and inspect the van. Just as she suspected, a tracker had been placed under the bumper. Had it been a bomb, we would have blown up. Anger flashes through me. Los Bandoleros wasted no time letting us know they wanted war. Gun trafficking was the most profitable resource for them. They wouldn’t be willing to let go of their connection so easily. When we get to Patricio’s, Thalia is still on one, cussing at everyone and demanding answers.

“You don’t just take deals without consulting us,” she says, pointing between herself and me. I honestly didn’t think shit of it, but I see where she’s coming from. I already have a lot of shit going on, trying to figure out what Bryan and Constance are up to. Now, we have to worry about going to war with Los Bandoleros.

Patricio is doing a great job of ignoring Thalia while she continues to go off. When she’s angry, olvidalo . She shoots out verbal assaults like bullets from that AK-47. I’m sure she’s insulted his manhood twice already now. She’s pacing around the office like I do when I’m pissed off, hand on her head as her heels click on the floor beneath her. Patricio takes in her last insult before his own anger rises in response.

“You know what, chiquada? Get the fuck out of my office. Cool down, and when you’re ready to talk like a big girl, you come back.” Patricio leaves the room, and Thalia goes to follow him when I grab her.

“?Ya dejalo! We need to just wait it out. Patricio has this figured out.”

“Does he?” Her tone is short. She’s already willing to fight everyone she feels is a threat to her safety.

“I think he does, and while I appreciate you looking out for me, we need to make one thing clear: you do not speak for me. You do not dictate what I’m willing to risk and who I’m willing to risk anything with.” She pulls back, and I know she understands what I mean– who I mean. I let what she said to Mireya go because I don’t want to be in the middle of female drama. They can resolve that shit without me in the middle. But what I don’t want is Thalia feeling like she owes me a life of butterflies and rainbows when that’s never been reality for me.

She looks hurt, but follows me back to the van. Ricky stays back at the compound, so it’s just me and her for the next hour. The first twenty-five minutes drag on as we sit in complete silence. When she finally breaks the silence her voice is calm and collected.

“We don’t have regular lives, Adrian. We have a piece-of-shit father, and whether we like it or not, his ruthless blood runs through us.

“I know you said yes to this life, but I also know it was your only option. I just am not sure Mireya is cut out for it.” She wipes her eyes as she looks out the window. “I don’t want to be him. ”

I know who she means. She doesn’t want to turn into our father. There have been a few times I’ve felt like that, too. I see it in Patricio’s eyes, in my mother’s eyes. The fear that I will become a ruthless monster.

“I would never hurt her. And to be honest, I’m getting sick of everyone thinking I’m not good enough for her.”

She sits up straighter and looks at me.

“I never meant that, Adrian.”

“No, but I know what you mean. You and I have had to harden our hearts to survive the life that was forced on us. I can’t help but worry that I’ve already become him. But she keeps me grounded, she keeps me whole. I don’t deny I am a monster, because I am. Mireya sees that monster in me, and she doesn’t fear it. She hugs me and confides in me, like the fucking pendeja from Monsters, Inc.”

“The monster from Monsters, Inc.?” She burst out laughing at the thought.

“Ya, bitch with pigtails and the big blue motherfucker.” Luca had watched the same show over and over again, so I knew she understood the Pixar reference. When the laughing dies down, her expression returns to a serious one.

“I’m sorry, Adrian. I didn’t understand how real this was to you, and I shouldn’t have interfered or said anything. When I see Mireya, I’ll talk with her. ”

“Thank you.”

“I am still your big sister by six months, so I am not going to stop trying to protect you, but I will not interfere anymore. Te lo juro.” She sticks out her pinky, and just like that, I’ve let my sister take away my manhood for a moment as I make her a pinky promise.