Page 18 of Liar

I’m at the door when I hear his voice.

“¡Qué chingados! ¿Estás loca,Luciana?”

I spin around to glare at Diego. “AmIout ofmymind?”

“How did you get inside the Hole?” He shakes his head and throws up his hands like he’s annoyed at himself for asking such a ridiculous question. “You shouldn’t be here.”

My hands find my hips. “You shouldn’t either. But here you are, Diego, about to swear loyalty to a cartel boss. Without consulting me. Without giving me the slightest heads-up about your plans. You could have died. For what, revenge? Did you even consider what that would do to me? You’re all I have. It’s just you and me.” I stomp my foot and point to the door we entered through. “And now them.”

“I did what needed to be done.”

“You did what you wanted and ignored what we agreed on. To live free and independent from them. To live our lives untainted by their wars.”

“They’re already tainted, Luciana. What Arturo did to our parents ... I tried to tell you this, but you’re so thick-headed sometimes.”

The nerve. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t you remember the conversation we had about a month and a half ago?”

“Which conversation? The one where you told me you were joining the Cobras? Funny, but I don’t recall it.”

“When I told you how the Lobos showed up at the sports bar.” He makes that odd, squinty face of his. His tell that he’s is either about to deliver news I won’t like or he’s about to lie. I grind my teeth together.

“And they joined you in a competitive game of darts.”

He snorts. “Made a killing too.”

“What’s your point? You win a little money and now you want to ruin our lives by becoming one of them?”

“It wasn’t some random meeting. The Lobos knew who I was when they approached me.”

That catches me by surprise.

“They mentioned the shooting at the Superama. That’s how I discovered Arturo was responsible. The Bastard heard him bragging about it. Arturo had it in for Papi. He felt threatened by the way people adored him. An honest man, too good for a place like this.”

“You’re certain it was Arturo and not Marifer who ordered the hit?”

“Yes—the pendejo confessed as much before I killed him.”

I scowl so hard, it hurts. “So, let me get this straight. A month and a half ago, the Bastard heard Arturo confess, then sent the Lobos to the bar to tell you? And you conveniently decided not to share this with me?”

He flinches but doesn’t back down. “What would I have said? I’m going to pledge the Cobras and get in close enough to Arturo to kill him? You would have raised holy hell.”

“We would have figured something out together.”

“Don’t be like this.” He takes a step toward me, but I hold up my hand.

“Like what? Devastated?” My brother going behind my back hurts. Buthisbetrayal has the sting of a murder hornet.

I pleaded with him, practically begged him to help me. Not knowing The Bastard already knew who Diego was and what he would do. Wait, he set the wheels in motion for everything that happened that night, didn’t he? What did Javier call him? A master manipulator?

“He played you.” Me, too.

“He confirmed my suspicions. And he saved my life. I owe him.”

I close my eyes. Hurt by my brother’s broken promise. Hurt by him, and his lies. All along, I assumed he was helping me. All along, I believed he had a heart.

“He used you to eliminate a rival boss.”