“Go find Cameron. I’m tired of laying low. Do whatever you need to do to get hands on him, then bring him back alive.”
He nods and walks out the door.
“Call me if you need backup. I have a few friends who may be willing to help,” Julius says.
“Since when do you have friends?” I tease.
He huffs. “Get the fuck out of here and be careful.”
Another curt nod and I’m out the door.
When I get to the airstrip, I spot Joseph with the plane out of the hangar like he’s about to board. I hurry out of the car as it stops and wave him down. “Hey!”
He turns toward me and smiles before jogging up to me. “Hey. Julius? Or are you Lucas?”
I grin, then point to the plane. “I’m Lucas. Are you heading out?”
“I was just taking her out to stretch her legs. I haven’t flown in a few weeks because of the weather.”
I nod. “Feel like making a trip over the border?”
He smirks. “Always. Anything for you Hale men. My deepest condolences about Theodore too. He was a great man.”
I give him a tight smile, then walk to the plane and board, ignoring his comment. Now isn’t the time to get into it with him about the lowlife Teddy was, and I don’t want to answer questions either.
As he enters, I send off a quick text to Julius asking him to have a cab called and ready for when I land, and jot down the address he sent on a piece of paper from the seat beside me.
“All set and ready to go. Buckle up.” He points to the seat belt before he disappears into the front of the plane.
Within minutes we are rolling down the runway gaining speed, then the nose lifts and we ascend. Another few seconds and my stomach starts to sink with the change in air pressure. It only feels like we’re in the air for a few minutes before we’re going back down again. I’ve never been a fan of flying, so I’m glad the flight to Mexico is only a couple of hours long.
The tires bounce off the tarmac as we land, jolting me in my seat a little, then slowly we come to a stop. When I hear the engine cut off, I unhook my seat belt and stand. I bid Joseph a quick goodbye, then exit and walk to the car waiting at the end of the stairs.
“Take me here, please.” I pass the driver a paper with the address Julius gave me and a one-hundred-dollar bill.
I watch the world pass by as the driver navigates unmarked roads with ease. Small shops line most of the roadways. Colorful bags and dresses hang from windows, handmade clay pots edge the sidewalks, and food vendors make their way up and down the road until we turn again, and everything disappears other than rolling hills and trees.
A few more turns and we are stopping in front of a basic-looking house. “Aquí?” Here?
“Sí.” He nods.
I draw in a breath and step out. I stride through the white picket fence, then stop and survey the narrow two-story house one last time before continuing down the brick walkway and knocking on the door.
The door creaks open and a man with a black mustache steps out, looking me up and down. “You got some nerve, estúpido.”
I hold up my hands. “I’m not here to cause any problems. I have an offer for you.”
“Offer?” he scoffs. “You killed my best man and now want to offer me something? You should be kissing my shoes and begging me not to kill you.”
I lick my lips. “I have something I know you’ll want.”
He rubs his chin and gives me a fixed look. “And what could you have that I would possibly want? Last time someone came to me with an offer, my best soldier ended up dead.”
Before I can think too long, I hurry and rush the answer out. “Territory. We’re willing to give you the southside along with all of the business there, if you’re willing to help us.”
“I could have that territory if I wanted it badly enough. Now, leave before I paint my sidewalk with your brains.”
“You’d be a fool to try and fuck with me, Sebastian. You know better than anyone what us Hales are capable of. Unlike Teddy though, I have nothing to fucking lose. I’ll kill you and anyone else here I can find before you can even touch me.”
He laughs. “And have you forgotten what I’m capable of?”
I stuff my hands into my pockets. “I haven’t. That’s why I’m here.”
“Well, I don’t want what you’re offering, so go ahead and leave my city. Watch your back on the way out.” He winks.
As he goes to close the door, I place my foot in the crack, blocking its way. “What if I give you all of our guns too?”
He pulls the door back open slowly. “If you’re willing to do that, then maybe we can talk.”
I nod. “I’ll keep running the club, but all of the illegal shit will be yours. Emil has an escort business that makes him some good money too. I’ll put in a good word with both of our suppliers, spread the word, and make sure everyone knows you’re the one dealing shit.”
He tips his head. “All of that for what. What do you want from me?”
“I need Emil out of the picture. I want to move back into my place and not worry about him retaliating. The only stipulation I have is keeping the drugs out of town.”
“Ah, because you got his right-hand man locked up, huh?” I nod as he studies my face intently. “Fine. I’ll handle it, but I’m telling you now, if you make anything messier than it needs to be, I’ll have you killed.”
I grin. “Understood.”
He huffs and slams the door in my face. I take a minute to go over everything in my head. I
