“Today’s events were unrelated to us” is the reply, and this time it’s Derek’s voice. “They appear to be directed at Ted, personally, as a potential act of revenge for a military operation he participated in some years ago.”
Ted becomes the fall guy, I think. I don’t know him, but I do know that he was on my security detail and now his life is forever changed. “Weigh in here, Shane,” Brandon Senior presses, surprising me by caring about anyone’s opinion but his own.
“It’s an acceptable solution,” Shane replies, “on the condition we write Ted a ridiculously large check.”
“How ridiculously large?” Brandon Senior queries.
“As large as I see fit,” Shane replies.
Senior’s disapproval crackles in the air, but he concedes. “Do it,” he says, and then changes the topic. “And get rid of Martina while I’m gone.”
Footsteps following, and then the door opens. The instant it closes, Derek reacts. “I’m really fucking tired of being the ball boy picking up his fucking foul balls.”
“Then don’t be the ball boy,” Shane says. “Especially when he throws the ball in puddles of shit the size of a lake.”
“We can’t just get Adrian out,” Derek says. “You get that, right?”
“Do you want him out?”
“My answer to that question is irrelevant. This isn’t a sandbox. We don’t just throw sand in his eyes and he’s gone. Because he’ll come back with a baseball bat and start swinging.”
“Do you want him out, Derek?” Shane presses, but a knock sounds on the door before Derek replies.
A moment later, Cody says, “I need to talk to you, Shane.”
“Come in,” Shane welcomes.
“Alone,” Cody counters. “I need to see you alone.”
“Derek stays,” Shane states, rejecting his request. “What’s happening?”
The door shuts, and Cody speaks again. “I didn’t make the decision to bypass the coffee shop to come here for your father today. Ramon followed us when we left the building.”
My heart starts to race and I sit up straighter, my hand on the wood above my head, bracing myself for whatever comes next.
“That said,” Cody continues, “I do not think Adrian is a man of excess, and further action against you at this point would not fit his profile. But I wasn’t taking a chance.”
“He won’t hurt Emily,” Derek interjects. “There is a code in the cartel. The women—mother, sister, wife, girlfriend—are off-limits, at least until revenge is on the table.”
“Agreed,” Cody says, “if we’re talking about Adrian. Ramon’s another story. He’s a wild card, known to have gone rogue on occasion, and not to Adrian’s liking.”
“And Adrian tolerates this why?” Shane asks.
“Ramon’s really damn good at covering up Adrian’s secrets,” Cody explains. “He’s his shield.”
“Then we need to remove his shield,” Shane states, his voice hardening. “If I wanted to get rid of Ramon, how would I go about that?”
I stiffen, my fingers curling in my palms, not quite sure what he’s asking. Or maybe I am. Is he—could he—be suggesting …
“Definitely get rid of him,” Cody urges, as if he’s heard my thoughts.
“Any way that makes him disappear from my life and Emily’s,” Shane says, no hesitation in his response.
Oh God, I think, my hand going to my neck. He really is talking about killing Ramon.
“Give us a moment to talk, Cody,” Derek orders.
“Stay, Cody,” Shane counter-orders. “If I want to get rid of him, how do I do it?”
“Before I give you my answer,” Cody says, “I want to preface it by saying that I just finished three years undercover inside a competing cartel. These people are not human. They’re brutal. Ramon is one of the worst of them. Adrian’s hands remain clean because Ramon allows him to keep them that way. Ramon has murdered and raped countless people. Why am I telling you this? Because if I could wipe the earth of that scum, I would.”
“But you won’t do it,” Shane supplies for him.
“It’s not a matter of won’t. It’s a matter of staying alive. All of us. You’re on Adrian’s radar. You’re his challenger. If anything happens to Ramon, he’ll look to you.”
“He’s right,” Derek confirms. “Ramon’s untouchable right now.”
“Put him in jail,” Shane counters. “Find one of those rapes and murders and make sure the charges stick.”
“Same story,” Cody replies. “Adrian looks to you.”
“He’s not untouchable,” Shane says, his tone low but lethal, even vehement. “I don’t accept that answer. Talk to Nick. Go see Ted. Get motivated.”
Cody is silent for several beats, in which his resistance is palpable, but he finally concedes. “I’ll have a discussion with Nick.” Footsteps follow and the door opens and closes before Shane sideswipes me by attacking Derek. “What the hell were you thinking going into business with a drug cartel, Derek?”
“What was I thinking? I was thinking that our father ordered me to do it, and you were trying to take my place in the company I’ve lived for all my life. Did I think it would turn out like this? No. Am I on board to shut him down and get him out? Yes. But as you sit on that high horse, ride it on over to a mirror, baby brother. How quickly the golden boy decided to murder someone.”
“You saw Ted’s condition,” Shane reminds him.” You know what Ramon is capable of doing.”
“And he has his eyes on Emily.”
“He has his eyes on Teresa too. You say you care about her. He should be a problem for you as well.”
I blink in surprise and confusion. Derek cares about Teresa? I had no idea he could care about anyone, but if he has mustered emotions for this woman, I have a feeling this complicates, rather than helps, our situation.
“How then,” Shane continues, “can you care for Teresa and want Ramon free to hurt her?”
“Teresa’s Adrian’s sister,” Derek replies. “He won’t touch her.”
“But he will hurt you. Ramon will put you in a crate the first chance he gets, and it will be personal. He didn’t know Ted. Ted’s condition will be mild compared to what he does to you.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t need to die,” Derek concedes. “But I’m not ready to say that yet, and you, my brother, got to that point in two seconds flat, the way Adrian would have. We are not the same, Shane. You and Adrian are. Why do you think he gravitates to you? You’re cold. You’re calculated. And you want power.”
“I want our family name protected. I want it to mean something.”
“Your name. Adrian’s name. You both want to win, and you need to remember that staying alive is winning. And once the bodies start piling up, they just keep piling up.”
“Ramon’s the only person we’re talking about here. Unless there’s more you know about?”
“I’m done with this conversation. I’m going to go instruct Jessica to leak our newly created ‘Ted story’ to the whole damn planet in an effort to get the press of our backs. And if we can’t get the hell out of this hotel, I’m going to expedite getting us all private rooms so we don’t kill each other.”
I hear him moving to the door. It opens, but Derek isn’t quite done yet. “He killed his brother, you know,” he says.
“Who?” Shane asks.
“Adrian.”
“His father killed his brother.”