“Fuck off, Rudge.”
The room fell quiet as Styx and Ky walked in with Chavez, the president of the Diablos, and Shadow, the ex-Quintana cartel member that got Sia and Cowboy out of Mexico a while back.
Styx sat down; Ky sat beside him. The prez immediately started signing. Ky spoke aloud. “Shadow got word that Quintana is planning on taking us out in a month.” I tensed. The temperature in the room instantly dropped. “A planned attack that’s aimed on sending most of us to Hades.”
“Why a month? Why so far away?” AK asked.
“There’s a wedding,” Ky said, this time speaking for himself. My blood, which had been running hot in my veins, turned to ice. Styx looked to Chavez.
Chavez nodded. “Quintana’s cousin has a daughter. She’s getting married in a few weeks in his estate. After that, the cartel are moving in. Joining the war.” Chavez nudged his chin to Shadow to take over.
I sagged against the wall in relief. It was Adelita’s cousin. My heart was a fucking bass drum in my chest as it recovered from thinking it was her. Feeling someone’s eyes on me, I looked up. Hush was staring at me from across the room. I quickly looked the fuck away. What the hell had I been thinking, telling him about Adelita? I had no fucking idea. I’d lost my mind.
It’s not Adelita getting hitched, I told myself again. Calm the fuck down. It ain’t her. A surge of pure rage swept through me, lighting me the hell up. She wouldn’t do that to me. I was coming back for her. I’d told her so. Made her a promise.
The thought that she’d go against that . . . that she’d fucking take someone else between her legs—
“Quintana has men coming to Texas. Men who are planning to take y’all out. Specialist men. Men that don’t fail. I don’t know much more than that, but they’re coming after the wedding. And they’re coming in strong. Klan have been flying solo until now . . . That’s all about to change.” I breathed out through my nose, trying to stop the fire that was burning through my veins at the thought that I could have lost her. That, after all the planning and shit it had taken me to get to a place where I’d be able to go get her, bring her the fuck home to me, she’d throw it away by marrying someone else. After I’d left the Klan for her, my damn family, after I’d got into a club that could protect her, keep her safe . . .
It wasn’t her.
Styx raised his hands, his body so tense it looked like he was about to snap. “So we’re going in first.” Energy buzzed through the room like wildfire. Styx’s eyes were hard, the Hangmen Mute in full control. My pulse started racing in my neck. “Those assholes think they can touch us. Touch our fucking bitches and land and unborn kids . . .” He gritted his teeth. “They can think again. We’re gonna own those fuckers. Gonna go in before they come for us.”
“We’re getting leverage,” Ky said. He smiled at each of us, a sadistic fucking smile. “We’re taking the motherfucking bride.”
My racing pulse stilled. Adelita didn’t have many friends or family members—Daddy had kept her locked away out of sight apart from to mix with the locals, win them over so they were always loyal. I didn’t know if she was close to this cousin. I didn’t know if it would hurt Adelita if she was taken. I didn’t know shit.
I closed my eyes and took a long breath. I couldn’t keep doing this. I was a motherfucking Hangman. I knew the cartel, and I knew what Quintana was capable of. That sadistic fucker would kill us. And he’d enjoy doing it. I had to push these feelings away. I had to get on board and figure shit out on the fly like I’d always done.
“Tanner?” I looked up. All eyes were on me. My eyes narrowed as I tried to work out what had been said. Ky was speaking for Styx, the prez’s suspicious gaze locked on me. I’d fucking zoned out. Tank shifted beside me. I knew he’d be wondering what was wrong with me. I was fucking up lately. I knew it.
Styx’s hands moved. “We need you on the Klan’s plans,” Ky said. “Tell us where they’ll be and when. Don’t wanna have to deal with them too. Get word out we’ll be on the road that day. Perfect bait for the Nazis to come hunting us.” I nodded. Styx pointed at Shadow. “Shadow will be covering the cartel side of things.”
“I just gotta get plans of Quintana’s place. I never worked with him. I was one of Garcia’s men, not high enough up to meet the man himself.” Shadow cracked his knuckles, lost in thought. “The wedding is on his property. It’s a fucking fortress. Quintana’s being smart. No fucker would dare infiltrate that place. Even the people who live in the villages around there are loyal to him. He gives them food and clean water, helps them be safe. They’d die to protect him and his family. With the war, it’ll be the best fucking protected place in all of Mexico.”
My lips twitched as I fought a war inside me. I squeezed my eyes shut. Saw Adelita’s face beside me on the pillow. Her perfect brown eyes and lashes and perfect lips . . . her hand holding mine.
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“Si, mi amor. I trust you with my whole heart.”
“I know the place.” Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and saw the entire room turning their heads my way. None more so than Styx. I stood off the wall, fucking showing my six-four height and two-hundred-and-fifty-pound weight. “I’ve been there. Stayed there on and off for a few months a few years back.”
“And you just thought to tell us this now?” Ky asked.
“There was no plan to go into his place until now. No mention of going onto Quintana’s turf.” The rage from only a few minutes ago flared inside me. “I was the fucking heir to the Klan. I went with my old man on most things. The fucker didn’t let me in to most of what was happening. But yeah, I’ve been to Quintana’s place. Been to a shit-ton of the Klan’s associates’ places.”
“You know him personally?” Shadow asked.
“A little.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“You knew about the trafficking?” This came from Cowboy. I got it. His bitch was taken.
“No.” My jaw clenched. “My old man kept that shit close to his chest. Seemed he had Meister for that. We were drugs and guns. That and preparing for the race war.” A few snickers followed. I gritted my teeth.
“You can draw up the plans of his estate?” Shadow asked.
I pushed Adelita from my mind, her voice telling me not to betray her papa, to betray her, and nodded. “I can do better than that.” Tanner . . . I heard Adelita’s panicked voice sound in my head. No, mi amor . . . But what the fuck was I meant to do? The cartel was on us if we didn’t strike first. I had to keep her safe. I’d fucking make sure they didn’t harm her cousin. If this meant saving Adelita . . . I’d do it. I’d have to figure out a way of making her understand.
I gotta, princess, I said in my head. For us.
The room was waiting for me to speak. Exhaling, I said, “I can tell you the hidden passages.” Shadow raised his eyebrow in surprise. “Quintana’s place is full of them. They lead out to an exit that isn’t as closely guarded. Of course, it might be on that day. But it’s gonna be the only way you’ll get in and out. If you succeed at all.” My neck ached with the tension in my muscles.