Page 28 of Cartel Devil

I settle back into my seat, handing him the popcorn. I’m no longer interested in the food or the movie. The next hour and a half drag, even though I admit the movie was pretty good. Joaquin didn’t touch the popcorn, and I realize it wasn’t his mood that turned him off to it. He got the popcorn just for me. I feel like an ungrateful bitch for wasting it. My shoulders droop as I follow him down the stairs. I feel even worse when he tosses it in the trash.

“Tre?”

Alejandro’s helping Toria into the SUV when Joaquin finally looks at me.

“I’m sorry I was so demanding. I was worried about you. I know you can take care of yourself. I overreacted.”

My chest tightens. I don’t want him to regret how protective he was. I’m still annoyed about the silent treatment at the dinner, but I was wrong earlier. I trust him.

You trust him implicitly.

I really do. I didn’t realize it until just now.

Despite the disasters each time we’ve been together since the reception, no man’s ever made me feel as seen as Joaquin does. I know he hears and sees everything I do. Not in a stalker kind of way, but more like I’m the most important person in the room to him. I love seeing him with his family. Nothing’s more important to me than mine, so it warms my heart to see he prioritizes his as much as I do mine. Still waters run deep. He may not have talked much at the reception, but when he did, he was insightful and intelligent. He can even be funny.

I felt like I could be myself with him. Like I could talk about things that interest me, and he’d actually listen, even if he wasn’t into it too. That he wasn’t waiting to turn the conversation toward himself. We had so many interests in common that it surprised both of us. At the same time, he accepted when our opinions differed without trying to change my mind or making me feel wrong. I felt like my intelligence, ideas, and opinions held value. We just clicked.

I don’t know why I was unwilling to tell him what happened tonight. Maybe I didn’t want him to think I was weak. Maybe I wanted to keep him from overreacting. Maybe I was wrong.

Chapter Seven

Joaquin

“You’re certain that woman just caused shit because Vita and Tricia happened to run into her? She wasn’t there for any other reason?”

Only Alejandro calls his wife Vita while the rest of us call her Toria.

“I’m certain, Alejo. I dug all night. The woman was with her boyfriend, and he had no idea we were there until one of our guys practically dragged him out of his seat. We chatted outside. Even with my fist in his face five times, he had little to say. It shocked the shit out of him to find me waiting for him. He about pissed himself when I explained why we needed to talk. He apologized for his girlfriend and said he’d deal with her.”

“Normally, I wouldn’t be good with that answer. I wouldn’t want some guy beating a woman for our sake, but honestly, I don’t care. The bitch went after my wife—and her friend.”

I know my cousin doesn’t include Tre as an afterthought, but he’s on edge about anyone targeting Toria. I’m struggling to hide how much it bothers me that someone approached Tre. After we dropped her off, Toria explained what happened. I’m proud of Tre for defending them, but I hate she had to. I couldn’t just walk into the women’s restroom to check it out, and had I knocked first, someone would’ve answered. Then I definitely couldn’t go in there.

But I should’ve gone in rather than pounding on the door. I should’ve gone in when Tre didn’t answer me right away. Toria said two stalls were occupied, but no one came out of the second one. No one knows if the woman hid in there because of the fight or if she was with the woman and decided not to get involved. I’m just glad it wasn’t two-on-two. I still believe Tre and Toria would’ve prevailed, but it would’ve been bloodier.

“I’ll keep looking, but I think it was a one-off. A shitty coincidence.”

Alejandro stares at me before he nods.

“Javier, what’s going on with the cease-and-desist order in Trenton?”

I change the subject because there’s nothing left to say. I want to shift my thoughts away from Tre. I’m proud of how she handled things. One of our guys described the woman’s injuries after he found her still passed out. Tre didn’t look any worse for wear, and she was completely composed when she left the restroom. I want to tell her that, but the date was such a bust she probably doesn’t want to hear from me again.

I abandoned her for the beginning of the movie after threatening her. She surprised me by not demanding to go home. Maybe she stayed for Toria’s sake. She didn’t enjoy the movie. She barely moved throughout it, and she gave me back the popcorn. It wasn’t to share. She didn’t touch it once she let go of the bucket. She was far quieter on the ride home than on the way to the cinema. I had the chance to make up for the dinner, and I ruined it.

I like her even more now, and I stand even less of a chance.

“Angelo is losing his fucking mind. It’s hilarious.”

Much like the Iglesias family in Boston is our vassal, so is the Mendoza family in Trenton. Angelo heads up their construction company, and while he’s a great carpenter, he’s shit for a businessman. He drives his father fucking crazy because he’s constantly fucking up build sites. His father’s a fucking moron for letting his son run anything.

We have a mini-mall project down there that’s purposely beside a medical complex they’re building. Angelo’s a shitty foreman and tends to not keep track of their equipment or raw materials. He doesn’t notice when things go missing. Because he’s constantly searching for tools and parts, he’s having to run his crew into overtime.

We conveniently own the high-rise apartments a block behind the two sites. We’ve put in four noise complaints because they’ve started work before six a.m. and continued after seven p.m., the hours a construction site can operate in Trenton. Now that the cease-and-desist order came through from the judge, they can’t build at all. Their clients will sue them for breach of contract since they’re so far behind. They’ll want to ditch los Mendoza and find a new company to do the build. The judge we’re paying will ensure the company gets out of the contract, and we’ll swoop in to take over.

“I’ll make sure our bid is ready and comes in well under anyone else’s.”

I head our construction company, which I took over from Tío Enrique. We all have multiple roles in this family, and we all own our own individual businesses. But we have joint ventures too. The construction company falls under our broader venture capital umbrella. It’s a large source of our legitimate income, even when it comes from some rather illegal means.