It was thewhythat had me flummoxed.
“Martinez,” I retorted, and not because I was being rude by not using his first name—no one knew it. Period. “Since when is this territory yours?”
A glint appeared in his eyes, but I noticed he didn’t answer. “I thought it was your brother who liked to carve his enemies’ cheeks?”
“Family trait,” I demurred. “And I want that knife back. It’s an heirloom.”
“Those cops work for me.”
“Then I hope it includes hazard pay. You snatch a Valentini, your face bears the brunt of it.”
He pursed his lips. “When a friend told me you were coming into the country, I had to wonder why I hadn’t heard about it first.”
“I contacted the leader ofLos Nuevos.”
“He hasn’t owned this part of Mexico in a while,” Martinez’s wife and the mother of his children, Eva, as well as his right-hand woman, chided from her perch on the armrest of her husband’s throne. Her belly bulged like only someone deep into the throes of pregnancy could ever compete with.
I immediately knew to be wary around her—Rory looked to be the same size. My standoffish sister, normally cooler than a block of ice, possessed a gestational temper that had grown men weeping.
Hormones—women’s weapon of mass destruction.
I was not a fool and tiptoed very carefully around them: “How long is a while? News of a complete takeover has yet to hit the East Coast or naturally, I’d have reached out.”
“Be kind,querida,” Martinez said mildly. “We took control of the Yucatán Peninsula only recently.”
“We run the bulk of Mexico.” Eva jabbed the air with a finger. “You should have contacted us regardless.”
Because she was pissing me off, I growled, “I had other matters on my mind and was acting fast. I thought a text to the leader of this turf was adequate.
“Now that I’ve learned otherwise, I apologize, and if I need to visit again, I will run my plans by you first—as much as I’d expect you to do the same with our council if you planned on entering New York.
“The second I’m back home, you have my assurance that I’ll let our council know of the change in demarcated territory and will pass this on to our allies in the States.”
Because she was a gnarly bitch, Eva didn’t appear impressed by my concession or my warning.
Ignoring me entirely, she handed a piece of paper to her husband, who studied it then passed it to me.
“She’s very pretty.”
When he showed me a picture of Kitty disembarking the plane earlier, my nostrils flared in agitation at the silent threat. “Leave her out of this.”
“Why? Isn’t she Irish Mob? If you’re bringing a turf war onto our territory, then we should know.”
“I’m allied with the Irish,” I corrected. “There is no turf war?—”
“So, why are you sitting with a daughter of the Irish Mob while entering our territory?”
Martinez released a laugh. “I don’t think it’s a battle he has in mind, Eva.”
She sneered. “I’m sure he doesn’t, but I’d still prefer that whatever he does with his so-called ally happens on someone else’s patch.”
“Ah, women,” Martinez jeered. “They don’t realize we’re the romantic ones, Custanzu.”
“Stan,” I corrected. Then, recalling the times we’d worked together over the years, I continued, “Fuck, you haven’t changed, Martinez. It’s your way or the highway if the highway still has the same signs as it did ten years ago!”
He merely arched a brow. “Stan, Eva is right. You should woo thisallyelsewhere. Mexico is not as safe as I’d like at the moment. Why her family allowed her to visit is beyond me.”
“IfLos Nuevosare no more, then Mexico is yours. I’d have thought you had the other factions under control?”
