Page 137 of The Crowned Garza

“Prometto,regina.” He brushes his lips against mine. “Prometto.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“You gonna tell us?”

Santo

I TAP MY EARPIECEto answer the incoming call. “What is it?”

“There’s unrest, boss. Donna—”

“Don’t worry about it, Brando. I’m personally handling it.” I look down from the elevated position that affords a slim but advantageous view of Don Morretti and Iseppa’s meeting spot. “Just focus on keeping the others at ease and from making any stupid moves.”

Ending the call, I watch Iseppa walk into the warehouse loft where Morretti waits on his knees for her. I’ve known about their affair for a long time now, but I erroneously assumed whatever weird shit they had going would work in favor of our goal to unify and strengthen the families. Especially after making her donna.

With Iseppa, one either overestimates her or underestimate her. Getting an accurate bull’s-eye on her true intentions is a difficult feat. She’s a deadly but admirable adversary.

Even knowing this, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Tried to give her a chance to think differently, dream differently, break the curse of the “Luciani greed” that’s always been our downfall.

But a Luciani with too much power always has, and always will be, too dangerous to control. A wild beast that needs to be put down.

The El Depravados cartel is in disarray—a result of Tillie’s best friend’s case.

Naturally, the largest drug operation in this hemisphere being chopped off at the knees means chaos and disruption. Issued threats and brewing wars in a mad scramble to steal control of the border drug flow while the cartel is at its weakest. Pockets of syndicates popping up everywhere, claiming turf and crowning kings.

Iseppa, disappointedly but unsurprisingly, also sees it as an opportunity. Pitched it to me. “This is our chance to make the presence ofWest Coast la cosa nostrawhat it used to be,” she said. She wants the drugs, the war, the blood-spilling that comes with it. Because death and chaos are the heart of who she is. My way of doing things is too boring for her. Why live in peace when we can have mayhem?

Suffice it to say, we haven’t been seeing eye to eye on this. Drugs will never be an option as long as I’m headingla famiglia.

As a result, she’s been making the rounds whispering in the ears of everyone who holds the same mindset as her, rallying and plotting with the Morettis—the family that’s been the most disgruntled about cutting ties with the cartel.

The only reason I’ve allowed it to go on for as long as it has is to let the remaining bad roots, who escaped my initial weed-out process, expose themselves. A garden entangled with thorns will never flourish.

I crouch down and unlatch the hard case housing my sniper rifle. But at the approaching sound of gravel crunching beneath tires, my hands still and my attention snaps to the left.

There are no headlights, but when two familiar vehicles peel into the small clearing and block me in, I bite out a curse. They couldn’t have picked a more inopportune time.

I shut the hard case and stand.

The doors fly open and they all jump out, surrounding me.

“Bad timing,” I half-shout, hoping to be heard above their rage. “Reallybad timing.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Trent growls. “You don’t get to decide shit.”

True kicks the back of my knee, trying to get me to buckle. I block Tripp’s fist that comes at me next. I said I wouldn’t fight them, let them have their pound of flesh, but they chose a shit time. Dealing with Iseppa is more pressing right now than their petty anger.

“For fuck’s sake, this isnota good—”

The sting of a needle piercing my skin tells me it’s over. And as blackness floods in from the corners of my eyes, I regret making that deal with JB four days ago. For The O to back off when the Garzas make their move and allow twenty-four hours before stepping in.

I have a blind spot when it comes to the Garzas, and it just might end up being the death of me.

Merda.

~

I DRIFT INand out of consciousness.