Page 43 of High

“Ah, so you learned it so you’d know what we were saying about you?” I laughed. “Afraid we’d talk about you in front of your face, Killough?”

“No. Rather, I like to communicate with the men that I get my product from. Spanish is a useful language. It also helps when I’m faced with the Reyes Cartel, apparently.”

“Vete al infierno. Did you understand that?” I smiled.

Killough chuckled again. “I did, and I don’t need to go to hell, Reyes. I am the devil.”

“You have nothing on the devil.” I made a show of giving him a once-over. “I have no idea why people are so afraid of you. Is it the scar? From what I heard, you got it because one of your friends betrayed you. None of my men are that stupid.”

I got what I wanted. It was small, but the tic in Killough’s jaw was unmistakable because I’d watched him so carefully, and pride swelled inside me. Finally I got the reaction out of him I’d prodded for. His smirk didn’t move, though, and he glanced in the direction his lover had disappeared for a brief second before he tsked. “As much as I enjoy this, I have a meeting with Odin.” He buttoned his suit jacket and straightened. “Like I said, if I catch Joaquin selling, he’ll regret it, as will you.”

Odin stalked out of the barroom and stopped just behind Arlo and Rafael. He had a tumbler in his hand full of amber liquor, and he’d ditched his leather jacket somewhere. “Are you done?”

“Yes,” Killough said shortly, eyeing me in distaste. “We’re done. Shall we?”

Odin waved his hand toward his office door, and I watched them head in. Killough’s men took their positions like the guard dogs they were.

I rolled my eyes and looked at Rafael. “El no tocará a Joaquín.”

“He better not touch him,” Rafael growled out, glaring at Odin’s office door. “Or I’ll make him regret it.”

“We both will. Come on. I’m going to take Odin’s offer and spend some alone time with Manny. You should enjoy the alcohol while we’re here. I heard Odin has a good selection.”

We turned and Santi straightened from his spot in the doorway. He stepped closer and smiled at Rafael, but all he got for his troubles was a grunt before our cousin strode past him and into the barroom. Rafael had always been angrier at Santi for choosing the Lords over us. They’d been close growing up, so it came as a betrayal to him.

“You underestimate Killough’s reach, you know that?” Santi said after he’d ripped his gaze away from Rafael’s retreating back. It wasn’t hard to see the hurt there. Arlo skirted around us and followed him. As far as I knew, the only time they talked was when we had business with the Lords.

“How so?” I grinned at him and stepped closer, patting him on the shoulder.

“You are so obsessed with hating him. You think he’s only got his hands on the East Coast. You’re wrong. Parts of America belong to him that you have no idea about.”

“Killough has a habit of getting in my way.” I looked into the room that Santi shielded and found Manny easily enough. He was sitting in one of the armchairs near the stripper pole in the center of the room, Arlo right beside him, with the soldiers guarding him from behind. His attention wasn’t on anything Arlo said, rather on Morrissey, who sat at the bar laughing as he conversed with his own bodyguard.

“Mm-hmm.” He gave me an unimpressed stare.

“Why is he here anyway? What kind of business are they doing?”

Santi laughed. “You know I would never tell you about the Lords’ business, but luckily for you, he’s not here to make a deal with Odin. His assassin, Ardan—”

“The one you were fucking.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, the one I fucked. He came into Pleasant Beach a few months back and was going to kill a hitman here without Odin’s permission, and even Killough was unaware of it. While Ardan made apologies, Killough is here to make sure there’s no hard feelings.”

“If that had been my man, I would have killed him.”

“Maybe, but Ardan is a good assassin. If he wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t even know he was there.” He shrugged. “Killough’s got a soft spot for him. They have history.”

“Maybe I should take him out. I’d love to see Killough’s smug fucking face then.” I smirked.

He rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the threshold, straightening. “You wouldn’t get anywhere near him. You are good, cousin, and your men are good, but not as skilled as Ardan.”

I snorted. “I’m surprised Odin let him live.”

“Odin respects Killough. They have a mutual agreement to stay out of each other’s way. Mostly. Situations like these call for apologies and finding a way to make up for the misbehavior. Killough’s many things, but if he or his men are in the wrong with someone he’s not enemies with, he’ll make amends. He’s a good businessman.” Santi gestured toward the barroom, and we walked in together slowly so we could finish our conversation. “Maybe instead of knocking heads with him, you should come to an arrangement.”

“No. Killough and I are exactly where we need to be. I have my own allies.”

He grabbed my arm, stopping me. “The Russians? Are you sure Markow will always keep his end of the bargain?”