Page 18 of Echoes and Oaths (Guardian Security Dynasty #4)

"And I’ve always been grateful. Mateo will be told of your help." She dipped her head slightly. "But we all choose our path, Simón. Mine has nothing to do with cartels."

A bark of laughter left him rough and humorless. "As Mateo’s woman, your life has everything to do with cartels. Don’t bother telling Mateo anything about what I’ve done. It wasn’t for him."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and climbed back into the SUV. The engine rumbled to life, and the vehicle slowly pulled away, tires kicking up a slowly spreading cloud of dust as it disappeared down the pitted access road.

Raven stood beside Eira, arms folded, her gaze following the SUV as it vanished into the horizon. The distant sound of cicadas and the lowing of cattle filled the silence between them.

"So, tell me about Ortega," Raven said casually, her voice low.

Eira exhaled slowly, her shoulders heavy as she watched the dust settle over the dry road. "He and his brother grew up not far from here. Back before the cartels dug their claws into this area." She glanced at Raven. "We went to school together. Both of them were … different."

As she continued, her voice dropped, the words heavier.

"Tomás is a bully, but only when he’s in a gang.

Esteban, his older brother, was always quiet.

Violent. He used to hurt animals because he enjoyed it.

I’ve seen what he’d do. He was sick. Everyone knew it.

His parents were afraid of him. Tomás thought he walked on water, though.

" Raven arched a brow but didn’t interrupt.

Eira met her gaze. "You understand Esteban’s type? "

Raven nodded once, her mouth tightening. "All too well. The things serial killers are made of."

"Exactly. There were a couple of murders. Old people who lived alone. A woman whose husband had died a year earlier. Everyone thought it was Esteban. But he disappeared not long after the woman was murdered … when he was thirteen or fourteen. No one knows what happened to him. Some say he ran off. Others say worse. They said his father made sure he wouldn’t hurt anyone again.

" Eira shook her head, her voice softening.

"I went to university shortly after that. My father sent money so I could go to school. It was guilt money, my mother said. She sent me to the university in Maracay. I worked full time because the money wasn’t enough, and it took longer to graduate, but I became a veterinarian. "

A bitter chuckle slipped from her lips. "I thought this area could use one. I have an affinity for animals, and once, there were many farms in this area."

"Mateo attracts animals," Raven murmured, leaning against one of the porch posts, her arms still crossed casually. “It doesn’t matter where he is in the world. They find him. The strays, the neglected, those looking for a safe home. He takes them all in. He has a place back in the States. I don’t know how many acres, way over a hundred. Rescued horses, donkeys, livestock, and a pack of dogs that just won’t quit expanding.

I can see why he likes you. That guard dog was putty in your hands. ”

Eira internalized the information. A hundred acres …

about forty hectares. A vast amount of land.

Perhaps his claim of wealth wasn’t an exaggeration.

She drew a deep breath and spoke, recalling how optimistic she was when she graduated.

"When I came home after school, I thought I could make a good life as a vet. But by the time I returned, the cartels had buried themselves in the soil." Eira’s gaze swept over the fields, her mouth tightening. "There’s a route not far from here. Highly contested and heavily guarded by Ortega’s men.

It’s one of the main arteries that funnels drugs north to Central America, the United States, even Europe. "

Her voice dropped lower. "That route cuts this area off from any government help. It’s the line the authorities won’t cross because their pockets are already lined with cartel money. Ortega pays well to ensure he’s left alone."

Raven nodded, her expression unreadable. "I noticed the damage and neglect when we passed through. "

Eira gave a hollow laugh. "It’s not neglect.

Neglect implies someone cared at some point.

What we live under is control. Ortega’s control.

" She sank onto one of the old rockers on the porch, her fingers brushing over the worn wooden arm.

"Everything I’ve built here, this farm, the animals, the small life I carved out, could be taken away in an instant.

The only reason I have eggs to sell, milk to deliver, is because Ortega allows it.

" Her voice cracked slightly. "And now that Mateo is back, the only question is how long before Ortega decides he won’t protect us anymore. "

Tomás was greedy and a bully. She didn’t understand why he’d waited, but she thanked God he had. And that Mateo had come back. She let that thought sit on her heart for a moment. She was glad Mateo came back. She’d never stopped loving him. Trusting him would be harder.

Raven’s gaze softened as she studied her. "Even if Ortega has an army, Mateo and I would never let him take this from you."

Eira’s laugh was soft, almost broken. "Two people against two thousand?" She shrugged. "The odds aren’t in your favor."

A faint, amused snort escaped Raven. "No. You have that backward. The odds aren’t in their favor. "

Eira shook her head, her eyes distant.

"What happened when Montoya was killed?" Raven asked quietly.

Eira puffed out a heavy sigh. "Chaos. The cartel imploded. The people tore each other apart, scrambling to claim territory and control."

"And what would happen if Ortega fell?" Raven asked, voice careful.

"Probably the same thing," Eira admitted. "A power vacuum. Blood running freely in the streets."

Raven was quiet for a long moment before speaking again. "So, if getting to Ortega would solve some problems … it would also cause many more."

Eira closed her eyes, her foot gently nudging the old rocker into motion. The sound of creaking wood filled the heavy air. “Problems are the way of life here.”

"Then, maybe," Raven said softly, "you should consider Mateo’s suggestion. Let me take you, your mother, and Teo out of here."

Eira nodded once, her gaze fixed on the empty road stretching beyond the fence line. "I’m not stupid. When the time comes, I won’t endanger us needlessly." She glanced at Raven. “But until that time, I need to understand the man Mateo is. What he showed me before was a mirage. ”

“He showed you the best of himself,” Raven said, standing away from the post. “The other side is just his job. Some people are stockbrokers, and others clean up the messes that society won’t or can’t handle. Show me the chickens? They’re about my speed.”

Eira stood up and frowned. “You actually believe that?”

Raven looked at her. “That the chickens are my speed? Yeah, totally. They’re kind of cool.”

Eira shook her head, stunned at the woman. “No, that what you do is just a job.”

“With all my heart,” Raven said, skipping down the stairs. “So does Mateo.”

Eira watched Raven grab her pup and stroked the other dog’s scruff. Her joy and laughter were real. It was almost as if Raven were two different people. The dangerous one and the one in front of her now. Could it be Mateo functioned the same way?