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CHAPTER TWELVE

ZAND

T he glow of the laptop screen illuminated my furrowed brow as I pored over the latest surveillance footage of Marisol. The muffled thump of bass from the nightclub below pulsed through the floor, but my focus remained razor sharp.Chanel and Morgan were safe and sound at the loft. Tonight, I wasn’t worried about them, but there were so many more days and nights in our future.

Harlen leaned over my shoulder. “So, what’s the deal with this Marisol chick?”

I sighed, pausing the video. “She’s a serious threat, Harlen. Connected, strategic, and ruthless. We can’t underestimate her.”

“Come on, bro. We can take her.” Harlen’s eyes gleamed with reckless enthusiasm. “I say we storm her hideout. Catch her by surprise and take her out.”

I shook my head, exasperated by his impulsive nature. “It’s not that simple. We need to be smart about this.”

As much as I appreciated his eagerness to help, Harlen’s lack of foresight worried me. Marisol was human, but not an enemy to be trifled with. One misstep could spell disaster for Chanel and Morgan. I could escort Chanel to and from work, but I couldn’t go inside the doctor’s office. I had no way to screen the staff or the patients that entered the office.

Harlen paced the room, his agitation palpable. “Alright, so what’s the plan, then? We can’t just sit around waiting for her to make a move.”

I turned to face him, my voice measured but firm. “We gather intelligence first. We need to spot her and follow her. We need to find out where she is staying, because I’m sure she’s not in Chicago alone. We strike when the time is right. When we’re sure we have all of them.”

Nodding, Harlen cracked his knuckles. “I’m in. Whatever it takes to protect our people.”

A flicker of pride warmed my chest at his determination, despite our complicated history. Our people. He’d only been sleeping with Morgan for a short time, and he had already grown attached to her. This wasn’t like him. In moments like these, I could see glimmers of the brother I once knew—loyal, passionate, and ready to fight for what mattered.

I turned back to the laptop, my resolve hardening. Marisol may be formidable with her ties to the cartel, but she had no idea what she was up against. Together, Natasha, Harlen and I would ensure the safety of our world and our people, no matter the cost.

I leaned back in my chair, the weight of our situation heavy on my shoulders. “Marisol is no ordinary adversary, Harlen. She’s well-connected. Her ties to her brother’s criminal network ran deep. She is a part of a branch of the Cartenegra cartel in southern Mexico.”

Harlen’s brow creased as he absorbed my words. “If her brother Lonzo is out of the picture. How much power does she really have?”

I pulled up the latest intelligence reports on my laptop. I had Natasha hack the DEA and Homeland security files on the Lopez family and their affiliates. “Marisol maybe next in line to take her brother’s spot once word spreads that Lonzo is unofficially dead.”

Harlen’s eyes scanned the reports, his fingers tapping nervously on the desk. “I see, but I don’t think this human woman is much of a threat.”

I nodded grimly. “She knows where Chanel’s apartment is, and she knows where The Castle is. I don’t need her to find out where Chanel works. I suspect she’s planning something. She’s just not here looking for her brother.”

Rising from my leather chair, I walked over to the far wall that displayed my most expensive art piece. My favorite art piece was my original 1963 portrait of Andy Warhol’s Double Elvis. I owned one of the twenty-two silkscreen paintings. The untrained eye would think it was a replica, and not the rare art piece worth over 40 million dollars. One of my safes was behind Double Elvis. I lifted the art piece like I was opening a door. With one hand, I pressed my index finger to the keypad and waited for the yellow indicator light. Then I punched my six-digit code in and waited until the screen flashed green. With a soft click, the door swung open, revealing a stack of photographs. I grabbed them and spread them out on the desk before Harlen.

“These were taken by our surveillance team over the past few weeks. Marisol’s been spotted all around town. She’s been outside The Castle. She’s even been back to the apartments. I was hoping she would be picked up by law enforcement.”

Harlen studied the images. “Law enforcement. What a joke.”

“If she gets arrested and shipped back to Minnesota, our problems will be solved.”

“Temporarily. I hope you know she’s never going to give up. She’s looking for her brother, her family.” Harlen’s jaw clenched with barely contained anger. “She’s not even trying to hide her movements. It’s like she wants us to know she’s up to something.”

I tapped one of the photographs, a candid shot of Marisol, outside a seedy westside bar. “That’s precisely what concerns me. She’s too smart to be this careless. It’s almost as if she’s baiting us, daring us to make a move.”

Harlen’s fist slammed against the desk, rattling the framed photos on the wall. “Then let’s take the bait. We can’t let her continue to threaten our world, our people.”

I placed a hand on his shoulder, my voice low and urgent. “We will stop her, Harlen. But we have to be smart about this. All she knows is her brother is missing. She connected me to Chanel. Maybe she followed Chanel. Maybe she was at the funeral I attended in Minnesota. She knows Chanel didn’t do anything to Lonzo. She can only speculate I had something to do with his disappearance. One wrong move, and we risk exposing ourselves, putting everything we’ve built at risk.”

Harlen’s shoulders sagged, the weight of our responsibility settling over him. “I know, I know. It’s just... I can’t stand the thought of her out there, plotting against us. If she noticed you, she may have noticed me, and she sure as hell knows Morgan is in town.”

I understood his frustration all too well. The very idea of Marisol threatening those I loved, especially Chanel, sent a chill down my spine. But I couldn’t let my emotions cloud my judgment. Not when the stakes were this high.

“We’ll keep Chanel and Morgan safe, Harlen. We’ll keep everyone safe. But we have to do this the right way. No reckless plans, no impulsive moves. We need to be strategic. Gather the intel we need to take Marisol down quietly.”

Harlen nodded, his expression hardening with determination. “You’re right. We’ll do this your way, Zand. But when the time comes, I want to be there.”

I clasped his shoulder, a silent understanding passing between us. “Not a problem. I’m sure she’s not alone. I don’t want to involve too many people in the capture.”

“And kill?” Harlen added.

“Yes, if it comes to that.”

“It’s the only option. Her brother is gone. He’s never coming back. She’s not going to just go away.”

“I know. I just don’t want to take a human life.” I hated the feeling of ending someone.

“From what I know, she’s scum, and so is her brother.”

“What do you know? I’ve only started sharing information with you.”

“Morgan told me some things.”

“You’ve been talking to Morgan?”

“She told me Chanel was running from Lonzo and a little about the case and the cartel.”

“She did?” Morgan hadn’t known my brother long enough for the extensive pillow talk.

“Well yeah. I like her and she likes me, so we talk.”

I couldn’t do anything about their budding relationship. I didn’t feel the need to scold Harlen again. He knew better than to cross me. I had exiled him long enough for him to feel my absence him his life.

I leaned forward with my elbows resting on the polished mahogany desk. I fixated on Harlen with a piercing gaze. “Listen carefully, Harlen. I have a task for you, one that will require all of your skill and discretion.”

Something sinister dancing behind Harlen’s dark eyes. “I’m listening.”

“I need you to infiltrate one of Lonzo’s old haunts, a place where Marisol might be recruiting new allies.” I pulled up a map on the laptop, pointing to a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. “This is where Natasha’s intel suggests Marisol has been operating from since she arrived in Chicago.”

Harlen studied the screen in deep concentration. “What exactly am I looking for?”

“Any information you can gather on her plans, her movements, her associates. We need to know what she’s up to.” I paused, holding his gaze. “But Harlen, you must be discreet. We can’t afford to tip her off or draw any unnecessary attention.”

Harlen’s lips curled into a smirk, a glimmer of his old, reckless demeanor shining through. “Discreet is my middle name, dear brother.”

I raised an eyebrow and suppressed a hint of a smile. “Since when?”

Harlen chuckled. “Since now. I’ll get you the information you need, Zand. And I’ll do it without anyone being the wiser.”

I nodded, the weight of our mission pressing down on me. “Remember, Harlen, we cannot afford any mistakes. I’ve been operating in this town for years with zero run-ins with CPD.”

Harlen’s posture straightened. “I won’t let you down, Zand. I’ll find Marisol and report back to you.”

“No, you report to Natasha.”

“Why?”

“If you have to ask why, you don’t understand how things work around here.”

“Sorry. No problem. I will report to the blonde lesbian Russian lady.”

“She’s Chechen.”

“She’s in America, so no one really cares.”

“She cares. Go. Talk to Natasha.”

As I watched him, a newfound sense of purpose etched onto his features, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. Despite our tumultuous history, despite the scars that marred our relationship, Harlen was still my brother. And together, we would face this threat, no matter the cost.

As Harlen left the office, I leaned back in my chair, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. Despite the confidence in my brother’s words, I couldn’t shake the nagging sense of unease that crept along my spine. Harlen’s impulsive nature had always been a double-edged sword, a trait that could either lead to brilliant success or devastating consequences.

I closed my eyes, the hum of the nightclub below fading into the background as I lost myself in contemplation. What if Harlen’s actions inadvertently exposed our world to Marisol’s prying eyes? What if his eagerness to prove himself to me would lead him down a path from which there was no return? The questions swirled in my mind. I had made my home here, and I didn’t want to leave.

The sudden chime of my phone jolted me from my reverie. I glanced down at the screen, a frown etching itself onto my features as I read the message from my head of security.

“Suspicious activity reported near the eastern entrance of The Castle. Possible attempt at security breach. Advise immediate action.”

My jaw clenched, the urgency of the situation crashing over me like a tidal wave. If this was Marisol, there would be hell to pay.

I rose from my seat, my fingers flying across the screen as I typed out a response. “Increase patrols and notify me of any further developments.”

As I hit send, my anger rose to a new level. There could be no room for hesitation, no margin for error. We had to act fast and strike before Marisol and her cohorts.

I strode towards the door, my mind already racing. Did she really have the balls to show up here looking for her scum sucking brother? As much as I didn’t want to take another life, it was clear she was going to end up in Lake Michigan with that murderous bastard.

I barreled down the hall and into the private elevator. In seconds, I stepped out into the pulsing chaos of The Castle. I had people that handled problems, but I needed to see for myself. I was headed to the eastern entrance, the one that led to the alleyway.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator doors, Natasha was standing there to meet me.

“Boss.”

“Who’s out there?”

“It’s your ex-wife.”

“Fuck! Why won’t that bitch just leave me alone?” I walked down the hall with Natasha that led to the rear of the club.

“We could always take care of her.”

“You know we are not supposed to kill our kind.”

“True, but if she is this much of a nuisance, I could always get rid of her discreetly.”

I sighed. “I was hoping she would just leave town. It’s been over and I have moved on. She knows this. I don’t understand why she can’t get it through her fucked up brain.”

“The offer still exists. I could kill her and keep between us.”

“I hear you. Teresa is smart. She hasn’t harmed anyone here in Chicago that I’m aware of. If I kill her, word will get out. I don’t want my people to think of me as a killer of my own kind.”

“I understand, but the offer still stands. I can take her out and then only you would know, and I would know.”