Chapter1

#Chapter1

The deal

Ryan

/"Hello?/" I mumbled into the phone.

Did you ignore our deal? Ace asked.

/"No, I didn’t disregard the fucking deal./"

Good. Meet me in a half-hour and bring your boys.

Click.

Fanfuckingtastic. Our life had settled down, getting disrupted thanks to this fucking deal. I needed to take care of this deal, then cut ties with this fucking family forever.

I dialed a number.

Cheerio, dear boy. Frazier answered.

I didn’t have the fucking patience for Frazier’s nonsense today. I appeared on edge.

/"Half an hour. You recognize the place./"

I hung up and dialed another number.

What? Jordan snapped.

/"Don’t start with me. I’m not in the mood./"

I was in the middle of something.

/"Well, now you’re not. Half an hour. You recognize the place./"

I hung up. I sighed while running my hand in frustration. Will someone tell me why I’m friends with those two idiots? Or better yet, we’re brothers?

I pulled on a hoodie when Alex walked into the room.

/"Where are you going?/" She asked.

I recognized she would worry. She became that way before I took care of business. It was usual for her.

I walked over and placed my hands on her face.

/"I have to take care of something./"

She gave me a look as she placed her hands on mine.

/"Why?/"

/"Because I made a deal. I can’t break this deal. If I do, it puts everyone at risk./"

/"I hate this. What if you don’t come back?/"

I saw the apprehension in her eyes.

The boys are backing me up./"

/"That makes me feel better./"

/"Hey, don’t be that way. I’m in a better position when they’re with me./"

/"I realize. I’m sorry./"

/"It’s a meeting to figure out the logistics of everything. I’ll be back later./"

She nodded, and I watched tears fall down her cheeks. I pulled her lips to mine. God, her lips were so soft. There wasn’t any way I wasn’t coming back to her or them. I craved her. I always did since the first day I saw her.

I gave her a soft kiss then left. I wanted to get this done.

*****

I pulled up and saw Frazier and Jordan leaning against the car.

/"Took you long enough,/" Jordan said.

/"He and Alex were busy making out./"

Frazier grinned. I walked over and smacked him upside the head.

/"Hey!/"

/"We were not making out, you idiot!/"

/"With you, one can never tell./"

We started arguing when someone said, /"Things never change./"

I turned to see Ace, Chase, and Brax behind us.

/"I need to keep this one in line./"

I thumbed at Frazier.

/"Yeah, tell me about it./"

Ace nodded at Chase, who shrugged.

/"How do you want to play this?/" I asked.

/"Simple. In and out. You understand the deal,/" Ace said.

/"Yeah./"

/"Don’t worry. We don’t want to keep the Santiago’s waiting,/" Ace said.

We walked into the building to find the brothers waiting for us. We walked towards them until we were face to face with them.

/"I’m glad you kept your word,/" Hector said.

/"I always keep my word,/" I said in a husky voice.

/"Yeah. We want to make sure./"

/"Don’t worry about us. Ryan told you we would be here. We’re here,/" Frazier snapped.

We looked at Frazier as he shrugged. I rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to Hector. He handed me a file, and I took the folder, opening it.

/"Those are the names of the targets. We want them eliminated. In and out. Quick,/" Hector said.

The others looked at the file.

/"After this, we’re done, right?/"

/"Of course. You keep your word, and we’ll keep ours./"

Hector smirked at his brothers.

/"Fine. We’ll be in touch./"

I nodded to the others as we walked away.

*****

3rd person

Ramon looked at Luis.

/"You’re going to let them walk away?/" Ramon asked.

Luis watched as we left the building.

/"Of course not. They have the girls and took most of my money. What they don’t realize is after they end the competition, we’ll end them. Their family has stolen from us for the last time./"

/"What makes you think you can take them down?/" Enrique asked.

/"Because I can./"

/"Luis, you have tried. Everyone you sent has failed,/" Hector said.

/"Because they were incompetent. Me, not so much. If you want a job done right, you do it yourself. Once we end Ryan and the others, I want the girls and my money. If you have to, take it out on their women in kind./"

/"With pleasure. I loved how the young ones screamed,/" Ramon said.

/"You like them young, don’t you?/" Enrique smirked.

/"They’re even better when they put up a fight. The last two laid there, making it less fun./"

Ramon smirked.

/"You’re something else, brother,/" Hector said.

He shook his head.

/"You handle the deals. I’ll handle the women./"

Ramon poked Hector with his finger.

*****

Ryan

Once we were outside, I looked at Ace.

/"I don’t like this position. Something doesn’t seem right./"

/"Yep,/" Ace said.

/"Do you think they suspect?/" Chase asked.

/"They would be stupid if they didn’t. Nah. The Santiagos have plans,/" I said.

/"Not here. We’ll talk about it in another place. Gather the best guys you have and meet us in an hour,/" Ace said.

I nodded, and the three of them got into their car. I watched them drive away.

/"Ryan, something doesn’t sit right with me,/" Jordan said.

/"You’re not the only one. Call the boys. Tell them to meet us and come in one car,/" I said.

Jordan and Frazier got into a car. Jordan made calls as I headed back to my place. Deep down, this deal was terrible. I didn’t trust the Santiago’s period, but I trusted my boys and Ace’s crew.

With that, I got into my car and headed out. I’ll put an end to the problem.