I quickly ran to my mattress and grabbed the knife I slept with from under my pillow. Too quickly, a large male body filled the door frame. Dressed professionally, just like my brother did, in slacks and a dress shirt. A Ghost.
I tried to keep the tremble out of my hands as I held up the knife in his direction.
“What do you want?”
The man chuckled, motioning to someone else in the hallway.
Another man, taller and with a tidy beard, that I’d never seen before peered around the corner, cocking his head to the side as he eyed me from head to toe.
“This little thing? Christ, she looks like I could snap her in half with one hand.”
“Well…go on then. Watch out for the knife,” he warned his friend with a chuckle.
The bearded man rolled his shoulders before effortlessly moving my dresser aside.
Fuck.
“What. Do. You. Want?” I repeated.
He smirked, licking his lips. “Wrong question, honey. I don’t think you want to know what I want.”
My heart pounded against my chest as I stared the bearded stranger down, the hilt of the knife digging into my palm almost painfully.
He suddenly rushed me straight into the wall, his shoulder knocking the wind out of me. The knife clattered to the floor. I gasped, choking for air, scratching and clawing at the man’s back. He let out a grunt as I banged my fists against him but didn’t budge, only crushed my body further into the wall with his shoulder.
When the air rushed back into my lungs at last, I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Let me fucking go!”
My vocal cords felt like they were bleeding as I continued to scream and fight against his hold. My eyes unwillingly sought out my bedroom door, as if my dad might appear and rescue me.
“Goddamn, she’s a screamer ain’t she?” the first man chuckled, pulling a syringe from his pocket as he stopped in front of me.
I screamed again and again and again. As if it could save me. As if someone who cared could actually hear me. A calloused hand pinned my arm to the wall.
No. No. No. God, no. Please.
He managed to get the syringe into my shoulder. I fought as long as I could, screaming until I was breathless. My vision became cloudy, my eyelids suddenly too heavy to keep open.
???
It was too fucking hot. My body felt slicked with sweat and my throat was dry.We don’t have the cash to be running the goddamn heater.
I groaned, opening my eyes, blinking several times as an unfamiliar carpet came into view.
What the fuck?
I sat up, flinching backwards when I realized Carlos was sitting on a coffee table directly in front of me. He leaned back, away from my personal space, tilting his head to the side as he studied me. I glanced around the room, my heart pounding faster as I realized we weren’t alone. I only recognized Adrian. The other five men were strangers to me.
I realized we were in some sort of lounge. There was a large sectional, a bar with a flat screen TV, a pool table, a fireplace and leather armchairs, one of which I was sitting on.
I flicked my gaze back to Carlos, watching as he rolled up the sleeves to his black button down with precision.
“That’s Tony, Rafael and Diego,” he said calmly, gesturing to the three men on the couch to the right. “They are three of my inner circle, mis carnales.” Carlos turned his head to look over his shoulder. “Julian,” he said with a head nod pointing to the man standing near the bar pouring himself a drink, “is one of the siete jefes. He controls North Texas. He was the first jefe to vote for you to be the first female sworn into the family. And that’s José,” Carlos motioned to the man standing by the fireplace. “He took your brother’s place as my arreglador for the Austin metro area. Of course, you already know Adrian. He’ll be tested soon to take your brother’s place as mi sucesor.”
“I don’t know how much of our history you are aware of, but I’ll give you a quick summary.”
I blinked, sitting up further in my chair as I focused on Carlos.
“Los Siete began as a humble band of seven brothers. All like-minded and seeking a way out of their impoverished and crime-ridden neighborhood. They were tired of being the modern slaves to this country. Taking the jobs no one wanted, only to be slandered, abused and disrespected by the rest of the public. They decided enough was enough. They started out with petty crimes, ‘steal from the rich, give to the poor’ type of crime. But over time, once they’d got enough of a reputation, they realized if they only had the right occupations, they could truly make a name for themselves. With hard work, they were able to obtain respectable jobs in positions of power. They became Los Siete as a means of continuing their legacy, of buying back the power they rightfully deserved after generations of servitude to this great country.
