Page 12 of The Right Garza

I bang my fist on the iron door. Three. Pause. One. Pause. Two. Pause. Three.

Once completed, a clang echoes on the other side and the door swings open. The two meatheads throw respectful chin jerks at me as they give me pass.

“Is he in?” I ask, bumping fists with both in turn.

“Yeah. He just went up.”

I head down the hall then up the stairs up to his office, cameras following me all the way. He’ll see me coming.

Another meathead is stationed outside his office door as well, but he lets me in without question, bumping his fist to mine.

Stefano is seated in a recliner in the corner of his office, a pretty blonde massaging his temples. Eyes closed, he asks, “Do you get migraines, Trenton?”

I move to one of the armchairs by his desk and drop my weight in it. “Every other day.”

“It is a respecter of no one,” he says.

“The bitch that doesn’t die.”

He opens his eyes and tap the blonde’s wrist. “Top drawer. Excedrin. Go get it.”

She gets him the painkillers and pours him a finger of whiskey. He knocks it all back in one swallow then gestures for her to get out.

Once she’s gone, he lifts his ankle onto his knee and gives me his full attention. “I thought you were leaving this morning.”

“That was the plan, yeah.” I scratch my jaw. “But someone I care about is in trouble.”

He lifts a brow. “Who do I need to kill for you, cousin dearest?”

I bite the inside of my cheek at the wordcousin. Yeah. The Garza and the Castellos are, sadly, related through my father’s half-brother—same mother, different fathers.

We, the Garzas—thesaneside of the family—try to keep our distance as much possible. The Castellos do the opposite. Now, as much as we hate it, they’re one of Red Cage’s biggest accounts. My business trip here was with him and Lorenzo, and their endless cousins. Bunch of murderous fucking lunatics.

“Why does everything with you start and end with murder?”

He grins. “Only when it comes to family. We protect family.”

“Well, go ahead and turn that gun on yourself,” I say, “‘cause the person my girl’s in trouble with is you.”

“Hmm.” He drums his fingers along the arm of the chair. “I had to make a visit this morning. Lexi Flores, I think her name was. Is it her?”

“Yep.”

The son of a bitch has the nerve to pout. “That’s too bad. I was planning on having fun with that one. She’s quite a package.”

Of course you did, you fucker. I keep my cool. I always have to keep my cool around these psychos.

He stands and clucks his tongue, walking over to his desk. “You are my blood, Trenton, and I respect you, but I’m not dropping the debt. She tried to steal from me. Youknowhow I am about my money.”

“Herfrienddid, then lied to cover her ass.”

“He says… she says…” he drags. “I do not care what the truth is. I care about my business and my money. She must pay.”

“Is the friend still alive?”

“For now.”

Good. Now I’ve got something to work with. “Let’s negotiate.”