Authors: Eric Pete,Carl Weber

The Family Business (27 page)

BOOK: The Family Business

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I kept my hands up in the air as I opened my eyes and glanced at Martino, who hadn’t been nearly as lucky. It looked like Alejandro’s man didn’t realize who Martino was or his significance. Our meeting up and his saving me was really a crazy coincidence, but I was alive because of it—something that didn’t make Alejandro’s man too happy.

“Of course, he didn’t say nothing about your condition when I deliver you,” he scoffed just before he cracked me upside my skull with his gun.

As everything faded to black, the only thing I could think of was that I hoped LC was proud of me. I was unconscious before I hit the floor.

Paris

“A w.w.w, fuck me!” I’d arrived at the hotel on the edge of Beverly Hills too late. The kicked-in door and the dead white man on the bed were clues that I was in the right room, just at the wrong time. I must have just missed them, though, because no one had discovered this mess yet. A cell phone lay on the carpet. I picked it up and checked the call history.

The last call was to Orlando’s number. I hit the button to redial.

“Rio!” Orlando yelled.

“Guess again,” I replied. “I got here too late. There’s one dead dude on the bed. All ventilated. Whoever he was, I guess he wasn’t important. No Rio in sight. That’s a good sign, I think. I mean, who’s to say the dead son of a bitch isn’t the result of Rio’s handiwork? Perhaps he’s learned a thing or two from his li’l sis.”

There was silence on the line for a second. Guess Orlando wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Me, I preferred not to get too wound up, too serious, because it made me lose my focus.

“No,” Orlando explained. “The only reason Rio isn’t laying right there next to him is because he’s the only chip they have left. They still think Miguel is alive. But with what Pop just did with the two brothers, I don’t think they’re gonna think that for long. You better find him, Paris. Find him and get the two of you home in one piece.”

“A‘ight, a’ight. I’ll call you later,” I remarked, taking one final look at the dead body before quickly exiting the room with the dude’s phone.

At least I kinda knew what to look for—the black-tinted Suburban I’d tailed from Alejandro’s dealership to West Hollywood. I just had to find it again. It was what led me to Rio inside The Pink Lion after I found it parked near a bunch of clubs and restaurants. Leave it to my brother to convince Alejandro’s men to take him out to a gay bar before killing him.

Out of all the clubs and venues in the area, I went with the newest, shiniest one in sight, figuring that was where someone with Rio’s tastes would be. And, of course, my instincts were right. Inside the club, I spotted the two goons pretty quickly as they tried unsuccessfully to blend in with the gay crowd. With no time to canvass the whole place, I had no idea how many more might be around, so I prepared to do some reconnaissance work.

Figuring I’d play the role of a lipstick lesbian, I found a nearby butch chick and approached her. From my vantage point at the bar, I could watch the goons while they watched my brother. I made some small talk with the lesbian and got her worked up over my boobies, which were peering over the top of my dress. Then I convinced her to show me around, taking a route past one of the thugs.

Dude was so out of place in a gay bar, and unlike me, he couldn’t play gay, even for a minute. As I walked by with my fake date, he took notice. Bold motherfucker actually reached out to caress my free hand as I moved past him. It was just what I was hoping he’d do. The touch was just long enough for me to stick the prick with a prick of my own—a tiny needle to his wrist that I’d concealed in my hand. Probably felt like a static shock to him, or the electricity that existed between us in his deluded mind.

It was going to take a minute or two for the poison to make its way to his heart. So, after only a few more steps with my impromptu companion, I suddenly declined my “tour,” leaving her to curse me out as a fickle bitch.

I was moving into position to take out the other goon when his partner keeled over, grasping his chest. Rio suddenly bolting threw a monkey wrench into my plans. When I got caught in the stampede of bodies fleeing the building, I was unable to move, swept up in the sea of people rushing for the front door. I watched my remaining target take off in the direction of Rio and the soon-to-be dead dude from the hotel. I waited outside the club with the rest of the confused and curious, but neither Rio nor the Mexican exited my way.

By the time I made it around to the alley, no one was in sight, so I hopped in my rental and went driving in circles, trying to find that Suburban again. I got the lucky break I needed in the form of Orlando’s call telling me to go to the hotel. As I left there now, I hoped I’d catch another lucky break, because I had no idea where Rio had gone.

On Santa Monica Boulevard, I decided to head back toward Alejandro’s place as fast as I could. That was when I spotted the Suburban, just as it was about to enter the 405. Too many cars separated us to do anything, so I had to follow it onto the freeway. The closer I let the SUV get to Alejandro’s turf south of here, the stickier the situation would be. I had to think fast. I had to think of something that would get my brother out of there without getting both of us killed.

As I shifted the Mustang GT and picked up speed, my mind went to a bad place. What if Rio was already dead? If anything happened to my brother, I would damn sure release my anger on more than just the guy driving the SUV. Shit, I’d take down the whole population of Mexicans in L.A. if I had to.

C’mon, girl. Stay focused,
I reminded myself. Negativity wasn’t helpful at the moment. I had to remember my training and keep my eyes on the prize.

Thinking on the fly, I switched lanes to the right and accelerated to overtake them. I stayed within the flow of traffic, gradually easing alongside so as to get a look, but the damn tint didn’t yield much info for me. The only person I could see was the driver. I was pretty sure it was the one from the club that I didn’t get to. I was resolved to rectify that like a mutha now.

I let him get a look at me as I pretended to be texting while driving; then I reduced my speed to fall back ever so slightly. A loud pop rang out, followed by swerving as the right rear tire on his SUV blew out, courtesy of the shot from my Walther .380. I moved the Mustang in his direction, guaranteeing the collision I was trying to accomplish. With a wrenching crash, our vehicles made contact.

I clenched the wheel as I rode my car to a stop. Both cars were scraped up, and only one was drivable—mine. It was decision time. If he wanted to escape, he’d need my car. If he wanted to stay, he would be calling for backup to come pick him up. When I saw him on his phone, I knew his decision. I needed to hurry. I didn’t have enough firepower for a shootout on the 405.

“What’s wrong with you?” I screamed, exiting the Mustang on the passenger’s side. “I need your license, registration, and insurance!”

“You don’t know how to drive, bitch?” he yelled back as he exited the Suburban in a huff and came around to inspect the damage. “Fuckin’ textin’. I saw you!”

“And you fuckin’ came over into my lane.
Comprende, estúpido?
”

“You got a fuckin’ mouth on you. You know that?”

“Whatever. This mouth wants to see your insurance ’n shit. Same thing happened to my last car. Motherfucker drove off. Ain’t happenin’ this time,” I said.

He shook his head, obviously wanting to strike me. With so many witnesses driving by, he restrained himself... for now. Then his eyes turned lustful. That caught me off guard a bit. I wasn’t expecting that with the high pressure conditions he was under, but I guess transporting bodies, pulling guns out in clubs, and shooting up hotels was just another day for him. Wow. A potential soul mate? If that bitch didn’t have my brother in there, maybe we... Oh, who was I kidding? We’d kill each other on our honeymoon. Literally.

“Tell you what. Give me your number, and I’ll get your car fixed at our shop. Good as new, no charge. Plus a little cash for your inconvenience,” he offered.

“For real? How am I supposed to believe you? You might be lyin’ to a sista ’n shit,” I said flirtatiously, playing in my hair and flashing my “you might get you some eventually” smile.

“Look, just give me your number. I’ll have a tow truck come over now and take care of you.”

“Okay. You sound like a man who knows what he’s doin’. You got a pen on you? ’Cause I don’t have one.”

“Just give me the number and I’ll put it in my phone.”

“Nah, I don’t trust that. You could put in the wrong number or just delete it. I wanna see you write it down on paper. Make it official. Old school. Like we in high school and you gonna ask me on a date.” I was making this thug think we were truly vibing.

He smiled, then sighed as he looked back at the Suburban. It took him a minute to decide, but just like all men, he couldn’t resist my charms in the end. As he walked toward his car, I followed on his heels.

“What’s your name, anyway?” I asked. “Somethin’ sexy soundin’ I bet. I was just breakin’ up with my man before you hit me.”

“By text, huh?” he said with a laugh as he reached over into the center console. He still didn’t give me a name.

Bet he’d tell me more if I let him hit it,
I thought. I’d already let Miguel get some of this, though, and my rule was only one dick per organization. Too bad for this dude. Besides, I had much more important things to do at the moment, like getting my brother back.

Before he had a chance for more conversation, I wedged my gun up under his jaw.

“Is he alive?” I asked coolly as I removed his concealed handgun from his shoulder holster.

“Y-yeah,” he said, straining to swallow with my barrel pressing into his trachea.

I tossed his gun over the freeway railing, then hit the button to unlock the passengers’ doors. “Show me,” I ordered.

When I let him stand, he was smiling again. Trying to dazzle me with charm still. “You can’t be his girlfriend,” he joked.

“What I am to him and what I am to you are irrelevant. Move,” I said, shifting my gun to the base of his skull.

We walked to the rear, and I nudged him to make him move faster. I had to be gone from here soon. He opened the door just enough for me to see Rio lying in the back. He was bound with zip ties, with a knot as big as an egg in the middle of his forehead.

“See. Alive. We good?” he said.

“Totally,” I replied as I pulled the trigger, sending my love through his brain.

Rio, semi-awake, must’ve heard my voice. He let out a shrill scream as Alejandro’s man fell over beside him. I hated when he did that. Shit hurt my ears.

“Boy, shut the fuck up,” I scolded as I yanked on him to sit up. “Once I get those zip ties off, we gotta move.”

My warning to my brother couldn’t have been more timely. As soon as I removed the ties from his wrists and ankles, I spotted a matching black Suburban coming up the 405 toward us. I doubted this one had only one occupant.

“Oh, shit! Rio, get to the Mustang.” I had my brother, but we were still far from safe.

Orlando

After my conversation with Paris, I was even more worried. It was a risk sending her into an unknown situation, and now both of them were in danger. I didn’t know who the dead guy in the hotel was, but the body count was racking up on both sides. It was already a foregone conclusion that LC was going to ream me out for keeping him in the dark, but he just might kill me if anything happened to Paris.

As I stood outside the bar, I stared at my phone, half expecting another call, another disaster, another fire to put out. But no call came, so I entered the bar to take care of another responsibility.

“You haven’t been answering your phone,” I said, interrupting Ruby’s conversation with some young punk who was getting too friendly. I didn’t bother acknowledging him.

“I’ve been busy too,” she answered, gesturing to all the customers around the bar. She’d been working there as a bartender ever since she left Remy and Maria. “You buying a drink?” she asked, her demeanor strictly business. She knew it would piss me off, and it did.

“Look. I didn’t come here for bullshit chitchat. We’re way beyond that. I need to talk to you.”

“You need to talk, or we need to talk?” She wasn’t about to give up the attitude she was giving me.

“We need to talk.”

Ruby rolled her eyes before fixing them on me in a deadpan stare. “Now you have time,” she said, overtly disgusted. “Maybe my life’s not as important and urgent as you and your ‘empire,’ but it’s something.”

“I’m sorry. It’s hard to explain, Ruby, but things are out of control. I’m just trying to keep my head on straight.” I wanted to tell her everything, but it was safer for her if she didn’t know.

“Then what you doin’ at a bar, bro? Go home,” busybody joked as he came way too far into my space. His breath didn’t reek, so it was more simple asshole than alcoholic.

“Look. Can you take a break?” I asked Ruby as I continued to ignore her patron.

“No,” she replied as she grabbed two chilled longnecks and popped their tops, plunging lime wedges into each. “Leave me alone.” She strutted to the other end of the bar to serve another customer.

“See, I think the lady asked nicely,” the man chimed in as he stood up from his seat.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into, so I suggest you butt out and sit your ass back down. Besides, she’s pregnant with my child. Being the big hero won’t benefit you,” I warned.

“You really slept with this asshole, Ruby?” he said loudly across the bar.

Ruby turned in embarrassment at the sound of his voice.

I shoved the man, and of course, he shoved me back. Fed up with the silliness, I swung on him and connected. Unfortunately, the boy was one of those wrestling types that liked to grapple and wear you down. He tried to bear-hug me before I did damage.

Ruby came from around the bar, hurriedly separating us just as I was about to bust him in the head with a nearby bottle.

“Stop! Stop!” she shouted as some of the other staff gathered.

I wasn’t about to stop, though. With the problems in my life, my stress level was maxed out. If that meant that I was going to have to bust this dude’s ass at Ruby’s place of business, then so be it.

“You don’t know who you’re fuckin’ with!” I yelled, jabbing my finger in the air toward his face.

“Whatever, man,” he conceded, throwing his hands up and walking away in search of his lost buzz. “They got better drinks and better-lookin’ women across the street.”

“You’re fuckin’ crazy, you know that?” Ruby scolded as she slapped the open palms of her hands into my chest. “A madman.”

“You make me crazy,” I said, sulking. “Please. Just talk to me.” I grasped her hand. “Okay?” I needed to fix this part of my life so I could focus on the business.

Ruby looked mad enough to slap me, but I didn’t care, because I deserved it. “Lisa, can you cover for me for a sec?” she asked the redhead who was still manning the bar. Her coworker nodded, and Ruby motioned for me to follow her as she went on break.

Outside, I offered her my jacket, but she refused. She just stood there with her arms tightly folded, bouncing up and down to stay warm. She couldn’t even look me in the eyes.

“All this fuckin’ stress. Gawd, I need a smoke,” she said.

“Wouldn’t be good for the baby,” I noted.

She stopped her bouncing, suddenly immune to the effects of the weather. She stared at me with a blank expression, said nothing for a moment, then, “I’m getting an abortion.”

My stomach did a flip. “What? Why?”

“Notice you didn’t tell me not to,” she noted with a sad smile. “I’m too old for this. I’m already doing the single mom thing after one failed relationship. And you’ve already shown me that you don’t have time for me ... or this baby.”

“And that needs to change,” I said quickly. “I’ll admit that I’m not ready for this. But who really is? I wanna try to make this work. For real. But, Ruby, my life is dangerous, and you need to understand what that means.”

Just as I thought I saw a hint of reconciliation in Ruby’s eyes, my phone rang. Talk about fucked-up timing. I motioned to Ruby that I had to take it. She shrugged, that angry scowl returning to her face. At least she didn’t storm off.

I was hoping it was Paris reporting back, but it was Junior.

“Yeah,” I said, keeping my eye on Ruby so she wouldn’t leave.

“Pops wants to know where Paris is and why she won’t answer her phone. He also wants to reach out to the El Salvadorans. Apply some pressure out west in retaliation. Where are you?” my older brother asked.

“I’ll have to call you back. I’m with my woman,” I replied, to which Ruby frowned.

I abruptly hung up. They’d have to get along without me for a moment. My relationship with Ruby needed immediate attention. The family could wait; my ambition would have to wait even longer.

“You acknowledging me to your family now, Orlando?” she asked, her features softening a bit, giving me a glimmer of hope.

“Yeah. I need to if I’m really as serious as I feel. I want you to have the baby. Our baby.”

I was going to be a father. No matter how hard it was, I would make it work, and I’d be a good one.

BOOK: The Family Business

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