Page 26 of Veiled Vengeance (The Devils of New York #3)

ZANE

M y foot presses the gas pedal to the floor, speeding down the street. I honk my horn in warning, and pedestrians jump out of the way. The stench of burning rubber fills the air as I weave around inexperienced drivers and insistent taxis.

“Come on. Pick up the goddamn phone!” Rio calls Gabriel repeatedly. He won’t give up until he answers.

“Maybe he’s busy?” Spencer suggests from the backseat.

“We can’t count on the MS-13. We need to make our plans without them,” Asher vocalizes.

I know Rio doesn’t want it to be true—he wants Gabriel to tell him that Carmen is safe at home. I’m sure he’ll even settle for her being safe in Gabriel’s bed. We may not like them together, but at least we would know she’s not with a serial killer and his fucking lapdog.

The Flores family has always given me what I didn’t have growing up in the foster system: a familial bond.

Carmen never needed a moment to adjust to having two new men in her life when Asher and I entered the picture.

She’s always had a quiet strength and a hidden fiery side that only rears its head occasionally.

Spencer reaches for Rio, offering him comfort. “It’ll be okay. I’ll?—”

“Don’t you dare say it,” Rio snaps.

“I’ll do it. I’ll give myself to him if it means Carmen gets to go home,” Spencer insists.

Like hell. Fuck that.

Asher practically jumps out of his seat next to Spencer. “Abso- fucking-lutely not!”

“That’s not happening, Angel.”

“But—”

“No.” Rio’s voice emits finality. “I will not trade my girlfriend for my sister. They don’t get to force me to make that choice.”

Carmen may not be my sister by blood, but she’s might as well be.

But Rio’s right. Anthony and Pierce don’t get to dictate the terms here. This city is our home. These are our lives. They won’t get away with attempting to manipulate us like puppets.

Asher argues our point further. “And there’s no guarantee that Anthony will hand over Carmen once he has you—he’s most likely lying. The risk is too high. We’ll figure out something else.”

“But Carmen?—”

“We’ll get her back, Princess.” Asher places his arm across Spencer’s shoulders. The guilt is written across her face, but this isn’t her fault. Only one party is to blame.

“Fucking finally!” Rio pulls the phone away from his ear and puts it on speaker.

“What’s going on, hombre ?” Gabriel asks.

I glare at the road just after hearing Gabriel’s voice. “You’re not asking the questions here, wannabe gangster.”

“Ahh, Detective Kingston. Good to hear from you.” His greeting is full of sarcasm. He’s still pissed that I arrested his cousin.

Cry me a river, dickface.

Rio ignores Gabriel’s question. “Where’s Carmen?”

Gabriel tries to sound affronted. “Why do you assume she’s with me?”

“ No soy estúpido . I know there’s something going on with you, your minions, and my sister.” I’m not stupid.

Gabriel sighs. “She said she needed space while she studied for her big test.”

Rio scoffs. “There’s no way you actually left her without someone watching.”

“Carmen said we were overbearing and made some pretty good arguments to make her point, so we agreed to back off for a minute.”

Rio shakes his head. “You mean she threatened to never speak to you again.”

Carmen has always been too smart for her own good. When she chose to follow in Rio’s footsteps to become a prosecutor, he was proud. Even if we know that office is corrupt, Carmen will clean it up.

“Something like that.” I can hear Gabriel’s eye roll through the phone.

She’s too good for you, asshole. Choke on it.

I’m not Gabriel’s biggest fan. Never have been and never will be.

“I answered your questions. Now you can answer mine.” Gabriel’s tone shifts from sister’s boyfriend to MS-13 palabrero . “What. The. Fuck. Happened.”

Rio doesn’t give Gabriel the information he wants. “Meet us at Spencer’s apartment in Chelsea. I know you know where it is.” He hangs up without waiting for Gabriel to confirm.

“He could be in on it,” I speculate.

“He’s not,” Rio insists.

My lips flatten into a firm line. “You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” Rio stands strong in his belief.

“How?”

Rio snaps his cold hard eyes to me. “Because he looks at her the way we look at Spencer.”