Page 75 of Faded Gray Lines

“What is it with you and my waitress?” he asked. The question didn’t irritate me as much as his underlying arrogance. “Fuck me, why can’t you cocksuckers keep your dicks out of my employees? First Val, now you? I’m not running a damn whorehouse, you know.” Letting out what I knew to be a chest full of cigar smoke, he cursed under his breath. “You’re turning out as pussy whipped as our boss.”

“Emilio?” I said, squeezing my phone so hard it cracked.

“Yeah?”

“Do yourself a favor and never say that again.”

His voice dipped low. “Are you fucking challenging me?”

“Are you fucking Mayor Donovan?” I wanted to confront him face-to-face, but anger pushed me over the edge.

He chuckled. “Did Harcourt’s sister tell you that? After all we’ve been through, are you gonna take my word over some bitch who’s trying to save her own ass from twenty to life?” Anticipating my outburst, he quickly cut me off. “Yeah, I heard about what she did to Luis. You all think I’m stupid, but you underestimate me.”

“I outrank you, Reyes. Watch your mouth.”

“And you’ll never let me forget it, will you?” he seethed. “That dirty street rat who hung on my every word got cherry picked and stepped on my face as he pushed me down the ladder. Just remember you’d have none of this if you’d run away with her. She did you a favor by leaving town and now look at you. Are you a man or a lapdog?”

I exploded, slamming the phone against the side of the townhouse. I could hear him laughing which fueled my fight as I brought it back to my ear. “You don’t know anything about her or what we had...” I stopped, his words connecting in my head. “Wait, how do you know about our past? I never said anything.”

“Don’t act so smug,” he said while puffing on his cigar. “You should know by now you can’t hide secrets within a cartel. Eventually, someone’s gonna talk. Especially when it concerns the first daughter of Houston.”

“You’re lying.”

“Think so?” He indulged a dramatic pause before adding, “Why don’t you ask your little girlfriend how many fucks Mommy gave when Daddy tucked her in a little too long at night.”

The weight of a thousand fists crashed into my chest as a tortured memory claimed me.

* * *

May – Four Years Ago

I’d been waiting at our spot for over an hour, pacing the patch of grass next to the train tracks until there was nothing left but dirt. She was late. She was never late. Irrational fears ran through my head.

I’d kill anyone who hurt her, but first I’d cut their heart out.

Just as I headed toward my car to look for her, I heard the hard crunch of gravel and a car door slam. I glanced over my shoulder to see her running toward me, her long blonde ponytail disheveled and black streaks of mascara running down her face.

“Star, where the hell have you been? I’ve almost lost my mind waiting for you. I—” The rest of my tirade cut off as she threw herself into my arms, clinging to me as if I’d disappear.

“Leave with me, Matty,” she choked out, burying her face in my neck.

“Leave? You just got here.”

“No,” she sniffled, shaking her head. “I mean leave Houston. I don’t care where we go, just please take me away from here.”

My heart shattered as I pulled her off me and set her on her feet. “You know I can’t do that.”

Tears spilled from her beautiful brown eyes. “Do you love me?”

“What kind of question is that? You know I love you more than anything.”

“If you love me, you’ll leave with me.” Cupping her hands over her nose and mouth, she closed her swollen eyes. “Please, Matty, I’m begging you. I can’t stay here. You promised you’d never hurt me. I need that to be true.”

Her pleas broke me. What she asked was suicidal, but I’d risk anything for her.

Even death.

Taking her face in my hands, I pulled her against me and kissed her forehead. “Okay,mi amor, calm down. I’ll have to make arrangements first so meet me back here tomorrow night.”