12. Matías

12

MATíAS

" Y ou look like right shit." Parker fell into the chair across from me. They'd moved into a new place, a proper mini-mansion, and decorated it the complete opposite of Vicente's home.

This place was classy, yet built for comfort with darker tones and colorful art. There were quite a few pieces appreciating women. I wonder who had sourced those...

Sarcasm. It was Parker using his resources from his art heist business.

For all that the Institution was a thing of the past, they'd kept many pieces alive. Like Grey and his fights. Parker and his art. Andre and his spy and law enforcement contacts. It was really only Lafe who had completely rewrote his story.

He was opening clinics and managing healthcare businesses with our old friend, Doc. Of all of the brothers, he was now the cleanest.

"Fuck you." I pressed the squishy, half-melted ice pack against my face. It was better than a bag of frozen vegetables and prettier too. The pink and green color scheme screamed newborn baby. Although, what Cossette needed this kind of pack for, I had no idea.

Grey sauntered into the kitchen in his workout clothes, grabbing an apple off the counter. "It wasn't his best moment. Which, while you're here, Matías, we're hitting the gym. I'm going to teach you how to knock a man out instead of tickling his chin."

I shifted in my seat, glaring at him through my exposed eye. The obnoxious crunch of his bite into the apple only irritated me more.

Lafe laughed as he carried baby Cossette into the kitchen. "Good luck. He whipped all our asses when he felt like we needed to brush up on our skills. It's really just an excuse to beat us into the ground."

Grey smirked as he cut his gaze to Lafe. "It's hard to find good sparring partners. At least with you three, I know it's going to be a good fight."

"Give my sweet little thing here." Parker plucked Cossette from Lafe's arms as he walked by. "You hog her too much."

This was surreal. It was like Amorette was off being the working mom and these four pendejos were the ridiculously dangerous stay at home dads.

"I don't have time to train with you. I'm heading straight over to the compound as soon as my head stops throbbing."

Yesterday had been bittersweet and wretched all at once. It had been the closure I didn't know I needed, to be there for Javier's funeral. It had also been a breath of fresh air to see the ones I cared for after so long.

When I followed Rita into the backroom, I hadn't expected to fuck her. I also hadn't imagined even on my worst days how she would react to me finding Grace.

Fucking hell. If I could take it back, I'd do it all differently. I would never purposely hurt her like that. This was going on my new list of things not to do to protect Rita's heart.

That look in her eyes...

Damn. I rubbed my chest.

"Why is he glaring at the table salt like it spit on his toothbrush?" Parker stage-whispered to the others.

"I think he's realizing just how bad he fucked up by faking his death." Lafe touched the feather-soft curls on Cossette's head.

"No. I'd do it again." No matter how many times I argued with them, I couldn't make them see that what I'd done had been the right decision at the time . Except for Rita.

There went my fucking heart squeezing again.

"I should have contacted Rita, or come back sooner." Or taken her with me. That was the kicker. I'd been so messed up and down on my own worth, I hadn't ever thought that would be a possibility. "I need to go."

"What? To take your pound of flesh out of Esteban for fucking Rita?" Parker asked slyly as he leaned back in his chair.

"They haven't fucked." I waved a hand. "He's just a flirt." It had just been bad timing for me when he put his hands on her.

The guys exchanged looks.

"What?" I narrowed my eyes on them.

Grey shrugged. "Not our business."

"That did not answer my question." I leaned forward, tossing the icepack on the table. My eye and jaw were swollen and mottled. Holding the ice on it any longer wouldn't make it heal any faster.

"Look," Parker started, then Cossette added her opinion in a high-pitched babble. "Shhh...Let Daddy slap some verbal sense into your Uncle 'Tias. "

This time, my chest twinged with warmth. I'd never had this kind of connection before. It was alien and welcome.

"I'm not saying they fucked..." Except he raised his brows like that was exactly what he thought. "And if I knew they had, I wouldn't tell you." I gritted my teeth. That was as good as a confession. "But Esteban hates you, according to Amorette. And when I've seen them together, there was a familiarity there."

"Esteban did hold her like he knew her very well," Grey added in his two cents.

That was enough. I couldn't sit here any longer and listen to their theories. I needed to see Rita and get some things straight. She needed to know I was here for good. For her.

Esteban needed to know that I was back in the picture.

"I'm going."

My pocket vibrated and when I pulled my phone out, I had a text from Ricco.

Ricco: Club vote in twenty. I'd like you to be here. Javier would have wanted it.

Closing my eyes, I breathed through my regret. I hadn't come running back when I first found out about his heart attack. This time, I would go.

"What's wrong?" Lafe asked, leaning against the counter.

"I need to be at the compound." Not opening myself up for anymore conversation, I booked it out of the kitchen. I grabbed a set of keys from the keyring by the door, and left. They'd have to fight me later if they were pissed I took one of their cars.

The shouting was loud. The compound wasn't built like the mansion, but the insulation was decent. I shouldn't be hearing them this much outside.

With the Dirty Dogs, especially after last night, this only meant trouble.

Picking up my pace, I slammed into the front door to the main hall. It banged against the wall, but only a handful of people noticed.

Ricco and Esteban were in each other's faces and the Dirty Dogs in the metal chairs were yelling obscenities and pumping their fists. There was even a fight breaking out in the corner.

Rita sat at the table, glaring daggers at Ricco. Her mouth set and her brow furrowed like she was trying to figure out how she wanted to jump in. Her fingers were curled on the table like she wanted to claw someone's eyes out.

Then her gaze met mine and I pulled up short. No matter who her thoughts were on seconds ago, now that she saw me, I was the center of all of her anger.

"Rita cannot be President," Ricco argued.

"Why fucking not?" Esteban returned.

Joel, another VP, tried to wade between them. He'd always been passive. A peacekeeper for when the Dirty Dogs got their shit in hot water.

"Calm down. We have options. There's no harm in letting her be part of the vote."

"You're just sure you're going to win." One of the guys in the crowd shouted. "You've wanted the top spot since Javier started talking about stepping down."

Joel jutted out his chin. "We need a leader who's not hotheaded like Leo or Damen."

"He's right," Ricco growled, still nose to nose with Esteban. "Which is why I called Matías here. "

Rita shot up out of her chair and Esteban had some kind of sixth-sense, reaching behind him and cupping her wrist, tugging her to him. She went grudgingly, though her gaze was still locked on me.

I couldn't feel the shock of his words through the vision of Esteban and Rita together. Now that Parker's poisonous words were stuck in my head, I could see it all too clear.

Maybe I'd always seen it.

Esteban just hadn't been on my radar. He was young. Almost a decade younger than me, and a flirt. That asshole had just been biding his time.

He glanced back at Rita and his eyes softened in a way that spoke of history.

I'd never considered myself a jealous man. Yet, right at that moment, if I had had my gun in my hand, Esteban would be on the ground. As it was, I had to curl my fists to keep from reaching for it.

Then he followed her gaze to where I stood and a fiery hate burned in his eyes that was clear to see in the light of day.

He also sported bruising around his mouth and eye. Good. I was glad I wasn't the only one with a physical reminder of that shitshow last night.

"Matías, I called you here for Javier," Ricco said as he took the opportunity of Esteban's distraction to step back.

That brought me crashing back to reality.

The Dirty Dogs quieted down, though some still murmured.

"We need to vote for the next President. Joel wants a shot. Tiago does too." He nodded to one of the officers standing in front of the table facing the crowd. "And Rita wants in. But you have always been Javier's pick."

Esteban's face purpled as a few Dirty Dogs clapped me on the back. Some yelled for me to leave. A few called for Ricco to step up. There was no consistency. They were divided into too many corners.

"Why do you need to have this vote now?" I asked, soaking in every inch of Rita, avoiding the places Esteban now touched as he molded himself to her back.

How had I never noticed them together before? When did it start?

"Because, you fucking cabrón ," Esteban spat, none of the light-hearted flirt I'd seen before. "We got a note ten minutes ago from Matthews, the leader of the new club in town. Their man died. He doesn't give one fuck about Leo's head. Either doesn't trust us or believes that we're responsible as a whole."

Rita's eyes widened. She hadn't known that.

"You don't need a vote for president. You need to plan on how you're going to protect yourselves."

"The best way to do that is to have a leader." Ricco glanced out across the men in the room. "The Dirty Dogs need a president. Otherwise, we'll have just as much in-fighting as planning."

Some of the men started to form around me, like a show of support. Hope.

What the hell was this? I wasn't a Dirty Dog. I had been a stray Javier had taken in from time to time. I didn't want this either. If I did, I would have stayed with my brothers to run their new business.

"Why do you think Javier wanted me to lead?" I couldn't help but ask. It was ridiculous.

"Because he told me," Ricco said softly as the blood drained from Rita's face.

I stepped toward her, but Esteban shifted her so she was behind him. It didn't last, she jabbed him in the side and moved in front of him, but the message was clear from both of them. I wasn't welcome.

"That was his plan from the first year he knew you. He saw the potential in you. In your name. And..." Ricco's gaze flicked to Rita then back to me. "He had other plans that fell apart."

"We need a vote." Tiago stepped forward. I'd interacted with him from time to time. He was solid, but too much of a hothead. He'd drive the club into the ground if he was given the reins.

"What makes you think you deserve it? If we vote on men in the club, they need to be the VPs." Due shoved Tiago's shoulder lightly. Not enough to show actual aggression but to get his attention.

Tiago scoffed. "There are no rules saying I can't toss my name in. I've sweat and bled for this club too. And I have visions I think the VPs are too old to have. We need fresh blood."

There were boos and scoffs tossed from the Dirty Dogs. He at least didn't seem to be a contender.

"We do need a vote." Rita pulled away from Esteban and took her seat. "Sit down. We'll run this the way Papá has always done." She glanced at me, I tried to hold her gaze, but I couldn't.

Damn it. I needed time alone with her.

"Matías, come up here." Ricco pointed to the extra chair. Either it was Esteban's or he'd added an extra chair for me and no one had noticed.

"No." I slowly shook my head.

"No?" His brows popped up and Rita tilted her head. Even Esteban frowned at me.

"I'm not a Dirty Dog. I won't run your club. I'll help in any way I can. For Javier. For Rita," I added in a softer tone. " But I'm not going to steal the head spot for myself. What I will do, is back Rita."

I walked toward the platform as the last few Dirty Dogs took their seats. The only one left standing now was Esteban.

He eyed me as I climbed the two steps up. He was positioned directly behind Rita, and he didn't budge when I got closer.

That was fine. I didn't want to hash anything out in their meeting anyway. I stayed to the side, but still behind Rita.

She pulled her shoulders back and faced the men. "I am a Dirty Dog. That means something to me. I will honor the position and do right by the club. If I'm voted in." Those last words seemed to tear from her throat.

Rita didn't believe she had to be voted in. But she was following the club rules.

"All in favor of Tiago," she called. Only five men raised their hands, one of them being Tiago. He made an ugly sound in the back of his throat as he jumped up and kicked his chair back, then stalked out of the main hall.

Rita released a breath. "All in favor of Joel."

Roughly half the Dirty Dogs raised their hands. That meant...

"All in favor of me."

The other half raised their hands.

"We need to count." Ricco called for the men to raise their hands again and counted.

It took several minutes, but the answer came back just like I figured it would.

Sixty-eight for Joel and Sixty-eight for Rita.

Deadlocked.

"We're calling a break." Ricco wiped his forehead. "We have work that can't be put off any longer. We'll hold another meeting at the end of the week."

"What about the club? They're a threat." Esteban placed a hand on Rita's shoulder and I had the urge to rip it off.

The VPs exchanged glances. It wasn't often they had to make decisions like this. For the most part, the Dirty Dogs had operated with few issues or challenges. So much different than the Institution.

Joel raised a finger. "I can work with Rita on a plan. If she's voted in, I'll still be her VP. If I'm voted in, I'll know everything that's gone down."

"Fair enough." Ricco pounded his fist on the table twice and the room started to clear out.

Rita stood, and I tried to touch her arm. "Rita."

Esteban knocked my arm away and I raised my fist, ready for another fight.

"Stop."

I glanced down. Rita placed her hand on my chest, almost over my heart. Could she feel how fucking hard it beat for her?

"We need to talk."

"We don't. I need you to get out of my sight." Then she walked off the platform with Esteban two steps behind her.

"Matías," Ricco said next to me. "I'm glad you're back."

"I came back for her." I wanted there to be no doubt about my intentions. I didn't spend my life fucking up for all the wrong reasons to give up when I finally had the right one.

"Matías...." I glanced at him, and he too was watching Rita and Esteban.

She glanced back right before she disappeared through the door. Her expression was blank like she didn't give one fuck about me .

I pulled in a long breath through my nose. "Did I miss that? How could I have fucking missed it?"

Ricco must have known exactly what I was talking about because he sighed and scratched his bearded chin. "No. He's always had a thing for Rita, but he never let it show when you were around. She never acted on it until you broke things off."

I whipped toward him. "She acted on it?"

Even though Parker insinuated he knew things I didn't, I had hoped he was wrong. This confirmation hit my chest like a ton of bricks, forcing the air from my lungs.

"Fuck," Ricco groaned. He took in the now empty room and stepped closer to me. "She fucked him one night as far as I know. We saw them disappear together, and that was the only time we saw it...Until this morning."

Spinning on my heel, I started walking away.

"Matías!" he called.

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I needed to destroy something and if I stayed here any longer, it'd be Ricco.

Grey was getting a sparring partner after all.

How could Rita go to bed with him after we'd fucked?