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“What will happen to your family once he’s gone?”
“I suspect the cartel will send someone new. Either that or they will entrust the responsibility to me. I will accept whatever they decide. At this point, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“And my corridor?”
“Have it. Keep running it. I don’t care.”
“You’ll back me.”
“Fine. Done.”
I turn from her rage. “Then he’s dead. But we need Cruz too.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Now. Right now. Storm the house.”
“Tomorrow,” I repeat, walking away. “In the meantime, keep your head down. Any idiot with eyes can see how much you hate Ruben. Don’t tip him off.”
“Don’t tell me how to act. I’ve been doing this my whole fucking life!”
I leave her alone in the basement of the funeral home to grieve her lost husband. Slowly I climb back through and pause at the entrance to the viewing area. The cross on the back wall is large, golden, and simple, and I gaze at the empty chairs, wondering how many lives have passed through this room on their way to the next.
On the stoop out front, I text my siblings and tell them to meet me back home.
“Isn’t this fucking nice?” Nico lounges on the back patio with a cigar pinched between his teeth. “When was the last time the gang was all together?”
Vince grimaces at him. “Please don’t use that word gang.”
“He’s right.” Lia snatches the cigar from Nico’s teeth. “We’re more like a mafia.”
Vince groans. Nico cackles as Lia walks away, flicking his cigar onto the ground and stomping it out.
“I appreciate you all showing up.” I sit at the head of the table watching my siblings. Nico’s right though, I can’t remember the last time we were all together like this, not for business or anything like that, but as a family. “It’s not easy to get together. We should do it more often.”
Nico’s eyebrows shoot up and he exchanges a look with Vince. “You about to tell us some really bad news or something?” he asks.
“What?”
“You got that look on your face.”
“I don’t have a look.”
“No, he’s right,” Lia says, arms crossed, frowning at me. “You have the look.”
“There’s no damn look,” I snarl, getting irritated, which makes Nico laugh. The other two join him, and Lia does a very unflattering impression of me.
I take a few deep breaths—and manage a smile.
God, I hate these annoying assholes, but at least we’re all together.
Mom is out gardening with Marisol, which gives us some private time. I ask Lia about school, talk to Vince about work, even push Nico into revealing that he’s been seeing a woman.
“Well, three women,” he corrects. Lia groans and hits him in the shoulder. “What?! Why should I deprive the female species of all this?” He gestures at himself.
“I think the female species has been doing fine without you for a long time, dickhead.” She drops into her seat, shaking her head disapprovingly.
