He slung his rifle over his shoulder and reached for his sidearm, then slowly, silently approached the open church doors. When he cleared them, his gun in cover position in front of him, it was to see his worst nightmare come to life.
Daleyza stood in the middle of the church’s foyer, but she wasn’t alone. His father had an arm around her throat, pushing tight against it, depriving her of air so she couldn’t struggle. His other arm held the gun that was pointed at her temple.
Adding insult to injury? Her brother, Rodrigo, stood at Hector’s side.
“Let her go,” Steel ordered.
“I don’t think so. I really expected better from you, Ildefanso. How disappointing.”
“Disappointing you was never an issue,” Steel replied. “Nor was it something that mattered to me.”
From various points in the church, men with rifles appeared. A mix of Rodrigo’s men and his father’s, all aiming at him, he was sure.
“Where’s your puppet master? He’s not here to ensure you finish the job of murdering Daleyza?”
A glint of anger flickered in Hector’s eyes as he stared down his bastard son. “No one pulls my strings, Ildefanso.”
“Really? Her life was the price, wasn’t it? You wouldn’t have bothered to come after us because you thought I was dead until he or his minions informed you otherwise. There would be no reason to involve her at all except that her family needed her gone. And the man who demanded that wants to bring down me and my friends. What better way to achieve all your hopes than to threaten her to draw me out, which in turn draws out Tribe Corporation.”
“You don’t know anything. Always thought you knew better than everyone else. Held yourself above everyone else.”
“You’re being used, Hector.” He refused to call him “father.” He’d never held true loyalty to the man, and he’d never been a father figure except in name. “If you’re lucky, you’ll serve him until the end of your days, never knowing. If you’re unlucky, once you’re no longer of use to him, he’ll cut you loose with a bullet to the brain, then take over your operations.”
“You don’t know anything about the brotherhood.”
“I know more than you.” He took another step toward them. “Let her go.”
A sneer crossed the man’s face. “You won’t risk her. You’ve been watching over her for too long to dare let something hurt her now. Put your weapon down, Ildefanso.”
Mierda!With Tribe slowly gaining the advantage, Daleyza might be his father’s only ticket to save his measly life. Leverage. What they’d always feared loved ones would be.
For years, they’d hidden as ghosts. Held themselves separate. Then they’d become complacent. Allowed innocent women and children into their lives. And as soon as the last among them had the barest grasps of happiness, the universe pulled the carpet out from under them.
Fate had to be laughing now.
He knew this man had no intention of letting Daleyza go, nor himself. They’d merely traded two prisoners for two prisoners. At least, he hoped that’s all they’d done. Demon should have ledeveryone else to safety and be speeding away across the bay to meet up with the others.
Steel took another step forward, his aim still trained on the man who held Daleyza.
“You’re not going to let either of us go.”
“Of course I’m not,” Hector concurred. “I have nearly fulfilled my obligation, with the exception of bringing the Salieri its most coveted prize. You took him away. You are an inadequate substitute, but in time, I’ll make an example of you both. The bonus is that it will hurt your friends, which will give me a small amount of pleasure, and then I’ll fade away, only to strike again when they least expect it.”
“All this for what? To serve a man who promises greatness yet rarely delivers. What do you believe you will get out of it? Did he promise you a place among the Worthy? Oh, he’ll say that you can work your way into the fold, but it will never happen. You’re not a direct descendant of the original seven continental overlords. You work your way toward a goal of nothingness. The best you can hope to do is increase the cartel’s reach, but even that will not be your gain. It will be your master’s.”
Steel watched as Hector increased his hold on Daleyza, her face beginning to turn a dark red.
He heard several clicking sounds behind him, indicating that he’d allowed at least three men to get behind him without his knowledge.
“Bastardo, put down the gun. She will die, regardless. But if you return and work for us, your life will be spared.”
Guillermo. Of course it would be.
His mind skipped from option to option, assessing scenarios, calculating risks, and tossing them aside when they all led to the inevitable.
He did not want to do this, but he didn’t feel like he had another option.
His eyes found Daleyza’s, and while the expression would appear blank to anyone else, he prayed she would see his message.
