8. Eight

I drive by his house many times, watching him the way I usually do. He"s never alone like I need him to be. Constantly surrounded by guards and his parents. When is he going to take matters into his own hands again and find a way to breathe on his own? I don"t need long. A ten-minute break of fresh air during his lunch break, a short private phone call outside, a trip to pick up food alone or another public hang out with his cousin again. Something.

Trying to focus on other important matters, I shake away my frustration of constantly missing chances to get close to him again and pull up in front of one of the bars where I usually meet people for business. When I walk inside, a man in a blue beanie and black hoodie is sitting at one of the tables in the back with a beer in hand. He holds up his hand as if I didn"t already figure out who he was. He"s the man who is about to help me fuck up Miguel Juventino"s day. "Did you bring it?" he asks, fidgeting in his seat.

I nod, pulling out a wad of cash from the pocket of my jacket. I slide it across the table into his hand. "This is only half. You get the rest when the job has been completed."

He glances around the bar, yanking his hat further down his head as if it"s some invisible cloak. "Okay. And if this gets back to me, no harm comes to my family?"

"I"ll make sure of it."

"And you"ll make sure they get the money."

"It"s a promise. As long as you finish the job, the money is as good as yours. We still good?"

He nods again, releasing a deep sigh. "Yes, consider it done. Tonight is when we are supposed to move the next shipment. I"ll take care of it then."

I nod, leaning back in my chair. "Good. You should have everything you need in your car soon. Wait at least fifteen minutes before heading out. Don"t forget to text me when it"s done."

He nods one last time before sliding out of his seat. He never stops glancing around with paranoia written all over his pale face and I don"t blame him.

The things we do for our family.

I stand up, straightening out my clothes and a voice has me spinning around. "I did what you asked me to, boss. Left the package under the driver"s seat in the brown messenger bag. Plenty of fentanyl to go around." Trey, my only runner, stands in front of me, straightening his jacket. He never fails to get the job done. With plenty of time to spare too. It"s the main reason he"s worked for me for so long. He"s the only one I"ve been able to trust.

"Good, did anyone see you?"

He shakes his head, wearing a smug expression. "Nope, got in and out without any issues. I just needed the perfect distraction."

The only downfall is sometimes he"s a cocky bastard, but he"s still the best man for the job. He got in and out, almost as if he was never there to begin with. I'm not going to even ask what his distraction was. There are some things I don"t care to know. He did exactly what I asked and that"s all that matters. "Bueno."

I glance around the empty bar and slip a note into his pocket. "Make sure Miguel Juventino gets the letter once the delivery goes out."

In the letter were the last words he told my father in the last email he sent him, "I win, it"s what I do. In the end, I"ll always win."

Only he isn"t the person saying them now. Tonight, the drugs are expected to be delivered to all of Miguel"s dealers and will have a lovely surprise added to them. One big enough to ruin business for many. The next few days are going to be a living nightmare for him and the words in my letter will sit in his head while he watches his world slowly fall apart. This is only the beginning. Not only do I plan to tamper with his drugs and make them worthless, I'll do the same to his beloved son.

I step back out into the bright sun, pulling my shades over my squinting eyes. The heat feels good on my face after sitting in the cold bar for an hour. My phone goes off as I slip into my car. The message is from the same nervous man from a bit ago. He must have opened the box waiting for him in his car.

Teo: Are you sure you want me to do this?

Me: I wouldn"t be wasting my time if I wasn"t. You aren"t backing out on me, are you?

Teo: No, but once it"s done, there"ll be no coming back.

That"s the point.

Me: Good.

Teo: They will eventually find out it was you. They always do.

Me: They only will when I"m ready for them to.

He"s still going to do the job and that"s all I care about. I"m not paying him for his concern for my life or his warnings. When Miguel does discover it"s me who took everything from him, I"ll be ready. At least he"s given a chance to fight back. Something he never gave my father. Miguel deserves much more than death, and more is what he"ll get. I set my phone down before pulling out of the parking lot and back onto the road.

I reach into my pocket, popping a peppermint candy into my mouth. They make me think of my mom, and for a minute, I pretend she"s still here. She used to fix us peppermint tea when we felt sick to our stomachs. The smell remained on her hands and clothes all day. It"s the only thing keeping me connected to her now. Stopping at a red light, I glance at my phone, seeing where the tracker on Mateo"s car is headed to. He"s on his way to church. A public place I can easily walk into. Would he have his guards surrounding him in a house of God? Or does his father and Santiago think they"re enough?

I have some time to kill before my next job and I know the perfect way to do it. It"s time to try to pay my princesa another visit. He may not be mine yet, but he is on his way. He will soon be my personal plaything, my new pastime, my revenge.

After Mateo and his mother enter the church, I walk in behind them, keeping a safe distance. Only one guard accompanies them and Miguel is nowhere in sight. They greet some more people on the way into the church hall and I stand against a nearby wall, watching Mateo pretend like he"s living, when what he"s really doing is surviving the best way he knows how. Playing make believe. That suit isn"t his choice of clothing, the smile isn"t genuine and he keeps placing his hand in his jacket pretending to touch his gun when he"s really reaching for something else.

They walk toward an older couple, hugging and laughing with them, and I use this opportunity to enter the church hall before they do. I drop a rose on the ground and then three more along the middle row seats. I sit in the back as more people walk in and keep my head down, reaching for one of the bibles. The next time I look up, Mateo is pausing between the pews and waiting until his mom isn"t paying attention to pick up the rose from the floor. Swallowing hard, he looks around and places the rose in his pocket.

His mom turns around, pointing to a front row and he shakes his head when his gaze lands on one of the middle benches. "I"d rather sit here today," he says, sliding in before she can protest.

Tightening her jaw, she nods and gestures to the guard to wait in the back where he can keep an eye on the whole room. "I"ll be up front with Tia Vivian. We can meet at the doors after the service."

"Okay." He sits down, staring at one of the other roses I left behind. Smiling, his arm moves and I don"t have to see his hand to know he"s shoving this one in his pocket too. He likes my gifts. I"ll have to give him more. No one"s given him anything he"s truly enjoyed before and it shows. Service starts and while everyone gets up to receive communion, I stand behind Mateo, standing so close I can smell the roses and the other sweet smells he carries. "I haven"t been to church in years. It"s exactly how I remember it being." Full of hypocrites.

He turns around and sucks his teeth when our eyes lock. "I would ask why you"re here but I think I already know what the answer will be."

"And what"s that, princesa?"

"For me," he whispers.

"Sí. Sólo tu."

"You"re following me." It"s not a question but an accusation.

"Do you want me to be?"

"I didn"t think I did at first. I shouldn"t." He glances around, stepping back while keeping his back to me.

"But you do."

"I don"t know." The line moves and so does he. I step forward, pretending to graze his fingers by accident.

"Then I don"t know if what you"re suggesting is true."

He looks to the side, opening his mouth and closing it again. His mom is back in her seat, wrapped in conversation with her sister and her husband. Mateo moves forward again, not saying another word. When he"s standing in front of the priest, he receives the wafer and wine. Instead of returning to his seat, he heads out toward the back doors and whispers something in his guard's ear. Instead of going out the same doors he does, I slip out the one on the side, earning me a few looks from church goes and none from the guard keeping his eyes on the doors Mateo went out.

I walk around the building and before I can reach the front, someone grabs my hand. I turn around and Mateo's eyes pierce mine before he drags me into the church garden. He lowers me with him on the bench behind a shed. "I shouldn"t be out here with you."

"Probably not. Your guard will wonder where you are soon."

"I told him I needed to use the restroom and that my mother needs him more than I do."

"I think you went through the wrong door." I smirk. "And yet you"re still not going to the bathroom like you said you would."

"I wanted to see if you"d leave when I did."

"Could be pure coincidence."

He shakes his head and the sun leaves a soft glow in his cheek. "Why me?"

"Why not you?"

He releases a drawn out sigh. "Why do you insist on asking a question with a question."

I stroke his soft cheek with the edge of my fingers. "You want to really know why you?"

"Yes."

"Because I saw something I wanted and now I can"t stop going after it."

His chest heavily rises and falls. "You"re not an old friend of the family, are you? You wouldn"t have to keep sneaking around if you were."

"No. But I"d like to be your friend. Will you let me be your friend, Mateo?" I trace the seam of his lips and he tenses.

"I…have to go back inside. I think you dropped these." He hands me the roses and I shove them away.

"No. Those are for you. Until next time." I brush my lips over his cheek and leave him alone in the garden. I don"t drive off until he"s safely back inside.