Page 61 of High

Thiago

The men from Belize left to go to their hotels an hour ago after some tough negotiations. A lot of people didn’t realize that being a cartel boss was more than shooting thieves and getting drugs over the border, it was making allies as often as we made enemies. We needed every temporary friend we could get in this underground economy, where coke and heroin made the world go around. The rich and poor wanted the same things, and we could provide them, but only if we kept up with demand. We were in competition with some of the toughest cartels.

Rafael, Tadeo, and Arlo sat on the sofa against the wall of my office, their faces nonchalant as they stared at me, waiting for me to speak. My cousins and brother were the people who I trusted most, even if Arlo had a party-boy attitude. He liked playing with fire, and that was good in some circumstances, and bad in others. But he was my brother, no matter what. I hadn’t lied to Killough when I told him Mamá wouldn’t be happy if I hurt Arlo, although it was still tempting. He’d learned his lesson, however, and since that night at the Norse Lords’ party, he’d kept his distance from Manny as much as he could.

I stroked my chin in thought and sighed. “Any troubles getting the shipments to Odin?”

Rafael leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “No, Jefe. Carlo arrived in Pleasant Beach half an hour ago, and Odin called to tell me he’s received the product. They’re going to start pushing it this week. He said he’d talk to his friends in Texas, too. He thinks he can unload some good quantities there.”

“Excellent. That’s what I want to hear. What about the product coming in near Mexicali?”

Rafael winced and wrung his hands together. “They were stopped just before they reached the border by that policía Mexicano corrupto.”

“Which dirty cop? There’s a few who give us trouble.” I crossed my ankle over my knee and leaned back in the office chair.

“Oficial Gaspar Guerrero-Vargas.” Rafael spat the name like the mere thought of the man made him sick.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Gaspar? He’s a mouse playing in a game with tigers. Keep giving him the money he wants. It’s pennies to what we earn.”

“What if he gets brazen like some of the others have, Jefe? He’s basically a child now, but when he learns the ropes—”

“When that time comes, we’ll decide what to do with him. If he has any sense, he’ll have told some friends he’s doing business with us so that if we kill him, they know who to come after. He knows we won’t risk pissing off the policía Mexicano.” I waved a hand at Rafael. I never understood why the officer annoyed him so badly. Gaspar was far from the first cop to ask for money to turn a blind eye. “Any other problems?”

“No, Jefe, everything is going according to plan.”

“Good, that’s what I want to hear. If you didn’t realize already, I’ll be teaching Manny the ropes. It’s in his blood as much as it is ours. His papá never realized his full potential, and I think it’ll benefit us.”

Rafael rubbed his hands together and glanced at Arlo, like he expected him to protest, but Arlo kept still in his seat. “I think he’s a good person to train. You’re right, it’s in his blood.”

“But?” I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair farther. “You have more to say, so say it, Rafa.”

“He’s only a kid.”

“He killed his papá’s man.”

“One kill does not make a cartel man, Thiago. You know I like Manny, he’s smart, and he has potential, but he also needs a lot to bring him up to speed.”

“And I’m happy to put the effort into him.”

A knock interrupted our conversation, and I told whoever it was to enter. The door swung open and Noa, our cousin, strode in looking as glamorous as she always did, a black notebook clutched against her chest. Santi’s sister was tall, long-legged, and olive-skinned like her brother, and she wore every single one of her outfits in style. Today’s choice was a deep violet dress that barely reached midthigh and showed off more cleavage than I’d like to see from a family member. But Noa was beautiful and she knew it, and she wore her confidence proudly.

She flicked her long dark hair off her shoulder and grinned at us. “Hola.”

I stood and met her halfway, kissing each of her cheeks. “Hola, prima. Cómo estás?”

“I’m fine.” She laughed and the sound was melodic in the quiet room. Noa was one of my favorite cousins.

The other three stood and took their time giving her a kiss on the cheek and a hug, and she spoke to them in Spanish. They conversed until she got to Arlo last, and when she was done, her attention returned to me.

She passed me the black notebook and winked. “Here’s the books as requested. I’ve finished this week’s amounts, and they’ve been cleaned through the salons.”

“Gracias.” I took the notebook from her and turned to stride to the bookshelf behind my desk, opening the secret hideaway that was disguised as books. My safe was set into the wall, and once I twisted the dial to my code, I turned the handle and pulled it open. I stored the black book inside and grabbed a wad of cash, closing everything up again before passing the bills to Noa. “Your cut.”

“Thank you,” she said in a singsong voice. “We’ve started the construction on the other salons in Miami.”

“Excellent.”

I gestured to the sofa the guys had sat down on again, and she skipped over to it, wriggling into the small spot between Rafael and Tadeo. They laughed, and Tadeo ruffled her hair, earning a glare from her.