“Yeah, but she was bleeding.” Adri says quietly.
“She may bleed tonight,” I nod, “but the other guy will always be worse.”
We get to the compound a few hours before the fight starts. Adri was getting anxious and wanted to see Ember before the fight. We all get out of Vin’s Hummer and I see Trent standing by the entrance. I haven’t seen him in almost a year because he was off on some mission in Mexico for Carm.
He looks good, although he beefed up quite a bit. His jet black hair and matching black eyes always made him look demonic but Trent has a fucking heart of gold for anyone he cares about.
“Pequeño!” He yells out, little one in Spanish, a nickname from when I was a kid. “Get over here!”
I do as he says and he crushes me in a huge bear hug, “I missed you, dude.” I tell him.
“Me, too.” He slaps my cheek. “Now, introduce me to the familia.”
Trent is Mexican and his parents used to work for my father until they were gunned down in a retaliation attack. Both were at their house and luckily Trent was with Carm at the time.
“Guys,” I look over to Travis, Vin and Adri standing by the Hummer, watching our exchange. “Come meet someone very important to me.”
They walk over and I make all the introductions. “Vin huh? I heard about you from Carm. You really do look like a Pitbull.” He nods and grabs Vin’s bicep. Trent knows no boundaries and he never worries because he’s quick on the draw.
“Pitbull huh?” Vin raises a brow, “I’ll have to work with Carm on his adjectives.”
We all burst out laughing and Trent has a megawatt smile, “I also heard you’re all good people and that’s all I care about. Emmett deserves good people.”
“He’s family.” Vin nods and Travis nods as well.
“Come inside,” he motions for us to follow him in. “I’ve been watching your sister take out your brother multiple times in the last hour. Is she real? I keep wanting to ask if she’s a robot or something but I’m afraid she’ll kill me.”
“Ember has some pent up aggression for Carm, so she may be a little rougher on him.” I chuckle.
“Who doesn’t?” Trent winks at me. “She has technique I haven’t seen before.”
“She’s good.” I nod.
“Really fast, something you both were gifted with.” He’s referring to my knife throwing.
“Yeah.” I nod, “she’s something to see when she’s in action.”
“Carm will be sore after this, but I could see he wasn’t allowing anyone else to spar with her. He’s become very fond of her as well.”
“Yeah, he has. Even if Ember is giving him a hard time.” I chuckle.
“Probably even more so.” He agrees. “Carm told me how she became one of the Heads.”
“Yeah bro, full Los Muertos makeup. It’s her signature.”
“She sounds like your father,” he sounds pensive. “Should I worry?”
I get it, my father was unhinged and maniacal. And yes, Ember is a lot like him but what she has that he didn’t is a heart.
“Yes, she is a lot like him. Scarily so, but she loves hard. I want to say there’s a balance but I’d be lying. She’s violent, volatile, and yes, downright murderous. She likes to kill those who deserve it and she has no regrets.” I stop and I know everyone behind me has heard our exchange. “Killing doesn’t bother her and she actually feels better after she’s done it, very much like him. But, she’s also like our mother, from what I’ve heard. She loves who deserves it and she would do just about anything for those people, even if it were to kill her. She doesn’t think twice and her heart just continues to grow as she allows more people in.”
“I get it,” he looks at each of us. “Twins. You are both meant to be each other’s balance. It’s amazing.”
“Yeah, they are.” Vin chimes in, “there’s been a good change in Em since she discovered Emmett.”
“Good.” Trent smiles wide, “now let’s go see this girl kick Carm’s ass.”
We all enter the gym and I see Carm on one side of the mat, clutching his ribs and Ember on the other side drinking a bottle of water.
“One more time.” He says to her.
“You sure, Viejo?” She says with a chuckle.
Carm stretches his arms above his head and breathes out his pain. His face drops and the mask I always see him in when dealing with anyone outside of the family, is firmly in place. He nods at her once and Ember drops the bottle to one side.
“Last one.” She states and walks into the center mat. Carm flies at her and I watch as Ember’s eye’s widen a fraction. Then a grin curves over her mouth and I suddenly feel afraid for Carm.
When he reaches her, Ember drops her shoulders slightly and maneuvers her body so that she lifts him and throws him over her shoulder, using his own momentum. As soon as his back hits the mat, she’s on top of him and her hand is wrapped around his throat. He flips her over and swats her hand away. He doesn’t watch her other hand though, as it comes up and punches him right in the spot he was favouring earlier.
“Fucking brutal.” Trent chuckles. “I can’t wait to see her tonight.”
“She’s beautiful,” Adri agrees.
“She’s a fucking machine.” Carm calls out. “I’m done, Hermanita.”
“I’m going to hit the shower and get dressed.” She grabs the front of Vin’s shirt to drag him along with her, “you can wash my back.”
“That’s me,” he rolls his eyes as a smirk slowly spreads across his mouth, “professional back washer.”
We watch them leave and Trent turns back to the three of us. He’s grown older since he’s been gone and I know a lot of it has to do with dealing with the cartel. His parents were cartel and Trent took over their position when they
