Home is New York? The way Enrique said it, it sounded like that’s not just where Pablo lives but me too.
“Finish? Humberto’s dead. Néstor’s dead. The hit’s been called off. Do you think someone will still try to carry out the hit? Who for?”
I had a moment’s reprieve from my fear, but Enrique’s response isn’t what I want to hear.
“Florencia, the hit is definitely done. You don’t have to worry about that. But someone put Humberto up to this. Someone filled his head with the idea he’d have the money to buy Néstor. He probably thought the money from your formula would do it, but when that went away, he believed he had the money from somewhere else to pay for the hit and to pay Néstor. Someone promised him funds to replace that missed opportunity. Someone wanted Humberto to give them an in with the government. They wanted to buy the next president.”
“None of that involves me. Why do I need to go to the States?”
“Florencia,I guarantee Humberto told someone you were his newestpozolero. He will have bragged to someone. Most likely, it’s whoever promised him the money. They figured they’d get more out of him than they’d have to invest. Until we know who that is, you’re not safe in Colombia. Someone’s probably looking for you, but they’ll want you alive.”
Wonder-fucking-ful.
Enrique’s explanation does nothing to reassure me. Pablo’s arms tighten around me. I close my eyes and exhale.
“And what about myabuelo? You said he’s looking for me. Did he play a bigger role in all of this than forcing me to work for Humberto?”
“I’m sorry, Florencia.”
“That’s a yes that you don’t want to say out loud, Enrique.”
Chapter Eighteen
Pablo
My rage roils inside me like a hurricane ready to make landfall, destroying everything in its path. I didn’t mean for Flora to see my anger—see the man devoid of all emotion except rage—but she did. Rather than soften my expression and push my hatred aside for her sake, I let her see inside that monster. She needed to know who I can become. She needed to decide whether she can live with that.
I wasn’t always like this.Mamáused to call me a sensitive soul. Maybe I was once upon a time. But I’m also the best at compartmentalizing my emotions. I had to do it with Juan. He’d antagonize me until I wanted to beat the shit out of him. But I never could. I loved him because he was my little brother, but I rarely liked him. I almost never respected him. I would push those feelings aside until I could go for a long run. I could’ve run a marathon by the time I finished middle school because he’d push me to where he had to be out of my sight for a couple hours, and I needed to burn off steam.
It taught me to look at situations objectively and respond accordingly.TíoEnrique andPapárealized that meant I wasthe one most suited to be an enforcer.Tres J’sreputation makes them ideal for stirring the pot and fucking up shit for anyone who looks sideways at mytío. Anyone who doesn’t learn from that warning comes to see me. I can put aside the man’s family and friends. I can put aside the man’s insistent apologies, pleas for forgiveness, and prayers for absolution.
What soul I might have left is far from sensitive.
“Tío, can you tell Flora more?”
I don’t like mytío’spause. He’s always one step ahead in a conversation. A pause doesn’t mean he’s considering his answer. It means he’s preparing me for it. I stroke Flora’s entire ass as I pepper her forehead with kisses.
“Shhh,chiquita. It’ll be all right. I’ll make sure it is.”
I whisper my reassurances to her, and I pray I’m not blowing smoke up her delectable ass. I never wanted to make something better for another person more than I do right now. The arm wrapped around her tightens to press her fully against me. She shifts to pull the robe open, so we’re chest to chest, skin to skin.
“Florencia, Ernesto didn’t admit to Humberto you’re a chemist because Humberto brought it up. He approached Humberto. He was going to get thirty percent of the revenue. He told Humberto he would use his portion to help pay down your student loan debt.”
“He could’ve paid it all off if he wanted to. He could’ve kept me from having any debt and paid for my entire education. I never asked because I knew he’d never do it.”
“I know. He’s been planning to killTres J’s. He’s not done with his grudge either. It wasn’t enough to have played a part in my brother-in-law’s death. He wants mysobrinosdead too.”
Flora trembles in my arms, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this situation. It doesn’t surprise me, but I know she’s not prepared for these manipulations and machinations. It’s all toomuch for a sane person to handle. There’s a bit of a sociopath drilled into everyone in a syndicate. It doesn’t faze me anymore.
“Was he going to use the same mercenaries Humberto sent after me?”
“Possibly, but I doubt it. It would be a suicide mission, and most mercenaries know that. Most know the stories about afterPapá’sdeath. Some were alive for it. Many know what happened after Esteban’s death. It’s a deterrent.”
It wasTíaLuciana who made sure people understood what a grieving widow’s capable of. Usually, we leave no trace. We dispose of bodies, so people just disappear. One day they’re there. Another they’re gone. Poof.
Not mytía.
She took a page from the Mexican cartels’ book. She wanted people to know it wasn’t her brothers who avengedTíoEsteban’s death. She made heads roll.
