Page 35 of Cartel Viper (The Cartel Brotherhood #2)

“None other.” Jorge’s rage matches mine, even if no one outside my family could hear it.

That hijo du puta is our second cousin on our dad’s side.

Tío Enrique did José and his brother, Miguel, a favor by bringing them to America and giving them jobs when they each turned eighteen.

He could’ve left them on the streets of Bogotá to fend for themselves against the street gangs our mother packed us up and brought us to America to avoid.

Instead, Tío Enrique gave them jobs, the opportunity to get higher educations, and even work outside the family.

They chose to remain in this life when they could’ve started fresh here.

Both of them swore their loyalty. Clearly, only Miguel meant it.

That betrayal runs so deep it makes me want to vomit.

José was one of the men just inside the first gate when we arrived.

He looked straight at me and at Maddy. I don’t know if someone put him up to this or how he made a connection with the Albany mob, but for whatever reason, he’s put my chiquita in grave danger.

José will pay, and it won’t be with a quick death either.

My brothers and I remain quiet as we listen to what’s happening around us.

“Jorge, where’d Jimmy go?” That’s the pilot who flew them in.

“He’s been guarding the helo along with Pete.”

“Can we get out of here? Or do they have artillery to take out the helo?”

“Nothing we’ve heard or seen on the cameras makes us think they can take the helicopter down, but we can’t be totally sure.”

“Why haven’t they attempted to breach the house yet?”

They seem to have stalled or something because they aren’t picking off our guys, and they aren’t storming the house. What are they waiting for?

“Your guess is as good as mine at this point.” Jorge shrugs as he answers.

Joaquin has nothing to counter that, so he remains quiet.

None of this feels right at all. We’re missing something.

One man ordered Maddy to come outside. A few shattered windows that were supposed to be bulletproof.

Random bursts of gunfire that accomplish nothing more than a failed scare tactic.

Three dead or unaccounted for guardsmen and one traitor.

Our men neutralized their vehicles, so they can’t leave on their own.

They aren’t forcing their way into the house or scrambling to retreat.

I ease my way over to the security screens.

I tap on them, running through the live feed.

Two of our men have five of the intruders at gunpoint.

The Albany mobsters are bound and gagged, so some of our other men must have helped before moving on.

Our pilot and a regular guard are near the helicopter.

Jimmy’s in his seat, and I can tell he’s ready to flip the switches the moment we can get to him.

Pete’s got his rifle raised and is scanning his surroundings.

No one’s approaching without one of them noticing.

That’s three out of eight guards.

Where’re Miguel, Tómas, and the three other guys?

I keep swiping the screen to run through the security feed.

I watch in horror as one of our attackers point-blank assassinates one of our men.

He puts a bullet through Miguel’s forehead as Miguel and Tómas try to approach a different invader.

I’m even more blown away—for lack of a better cliché—when the man who shot Miguel staggers backward, blood geysering from his left eye socket.

All of this happened beneath the billiard room window, so I know it was Maddy who shot the O’Sheehan guy.

It draws attention upward from the men Miguel and Tómas tried to approach.

Before anybody lifts a weapon toward the upstairs window more men fall.

This isn’t a spray of bullets with Maddy praying she gets lucky. She’s picking the men off methodically.

She’s evened up the numbers for us, but she’s left two men with their kneecaps blown out, rather than dead. She must recognize these as men of value, even though I have no idea who they are.

“NO!”

The wail fills the air, and I know José just discovered his brother’s dead. It might have been an O’Sheehan who put the bullet through Miguel’s forehead, but José pulled the damn trigger the moment he got in bed with the O’Sheehans.

I press the earpiece to put me on the right frequency with our men.

“Don’t kill them. Hold on to them.”

I wonder if my command will permeate the rage Tómas must be in right now.

I know how infuriated I am that anyone’s endangered Maddy.

I can only imagine the state I would be in if I watched her die.

Tómas just had to watch his husband die right in front of him.

It’s one of the most guarded secrets in our organization, since there are plenty of people who are still too old-fashioned for their own good.

Nothing about today is the way I thought it would be when I woke this morning.

Tómas storms up to José, who drops to his knees beside his brother’s body. Tómas puts the muzzle of his rifle to José’s temple.

“I have no choice but to let el patrón decide what happens to you, but you better believe I will find you in hell and make you pay for what you did to your brother all over again.”

My men can hear Tómas. They won’t think twice about it because some have likely figured it out, but others believe they’re best friends and roommates.

They’re in their mid-twenties, so being unmarried hasn’t raised too many eyebrows yet.

My family would have figured out what lies to spin to protect them for the rest of time if we needed to.

“We have to go out there.” I look over my shoulder at my brothers.

“Do you need to check on Madeline? We can do it.”

“Thanks, Joaquin, but we all saw who did the shooting. She’s safe.”