~ Unknown
Mouser
The club chatter is louder than usual. Not that it’s ever quiet in here, but lately we haven’t had much going wrong. I suppose I should knock on some wood or some shit before I jinx our asses, but I’d need to be a superstitious fucker to do that. I pick up my chilled bottle of beer and bring the tip to my mouth, taking a hefty sip.
It’s hotter than Hades’ asshole here today and to top it all off, half of the air conditioning units are busted. Meaning, we’re all sweating our bloody assholes off. Okay, not all of us. Kade and Ivy have two units up and running in their trailer to keep the babies comfortable. Plus, Hawk and Raven have two units in theirs for Raven’s little sisters who they have custody of. Kids always come first in this club. They always have and they always will.
In the meantime, the rest of us will be slowly roasting to death. I may have to convince Damon and Amara to let me borrow one of the trucks. If they say yes, I wouldn’t have any problem running down to a home improvement store and grabbing a couple of window units. It should fix everything until we can get someone out here to fix the units that’re down.
The door to the club comes busting open and I see Eduardo Diaz in all of his rich Mexican glory. Even on the hottest day, he looks like this shit doesn’t even phase him. His salt and pepper hair is perfectly slicked back while the diamond earring in his left ear glistens in the light. He even has his three or four gold chains hanging around his neck, over his white shirt. As I stare, I realize he isn’t even drenched in sweat like the rest of us. Fuck, what the hell is his secret?
“Where is your Prez?” He stops directly in front of me and asks.
I lift my head and motion toward Damon’s office. “In there, but let me escort you. Damon doesn’t like surprises.” He and Amara did go in his office fifteen minutes ago, so they must be talking business.
“Yes, well, we have a meeting. I’m a bit late if I’m not mistaken.” There’s only one thing Damon hates more than surprises . . . and that’s inconsiderate fucks who waste his time. Not saying Eduardo is inconsiderate, but he should know better than to keep a powerful man waiting.
I rise from my seat and make sure to pick up my bottle of beer. Walking ahead, I take Eduardo back to Damon’s office and knock on the door lightly. “Prez, Eduardo’s here to see you.”
I haven’t even finished speaking when the door is opened and Amara greets us on the other side. She’s healed up pretty well since she got shot. Every now and again she complains about her range of motion, but I think she’s doing good. I’m not a doc or anything. She has been seeing Sakura every week just to make sure everything is going smoothly. Since she’s a woman and we all toy with her about being anxious and emotional, but I can see she is having a lot of anxiety about her recovery. While I’ve been sure not to poke the bear, others haven’t followed in my footsteps.
I move out of Eduardo’s way so he can enter Damon’s office and start to head back to my seat when I hear a throat being cleared. “Did I say you were dismissed, Prospect?” Damon’s voice growls.
“No, Prez. You didn’t.” I respond, looking back to my commander.
“Glad you understand, now get your ass in here. Being present in a meeting like this will give you some good life lessons.” Following my order, I walk in through the doorway and shut the door behind me, leaning up against the back wall while Eduardo moves forward to shake hands with Damon and Amara.
“It’s good to see you both.” Eduardo states, extending his hand to Damon and then Amara.
“Likewise. It’s been a while if I’m not mistaken.” Damon replies.
“That it has. Things have been very busy across the border. I was just explaining everything to Sakura. It never stops.”
“Nothing ever does,” Damon states, sitting down behind his desk while Amara and Eduardo follow suit. I take this moment to sip on my beer again. If I have to be here I might as well be comfortable, doing as I was before, enjoying my fucking drink.
“I’ll cut to the chase. We were both shocked to hear you wanted a meeting with us, and considering we all have busy schedules, how about we move this along.” Amara states in an authoritative tone, adding a smile at the end to soften it up a bit. Actually, she probably smiled as a way to say, ‘I have shit to do, motherfucker’.
Eduardo bursts into laughter. “Ah, how much I like you. You’re a spicy one.”
“Of course, I am. I’m Latina,” Amara rolls her eyes.
Eduardo cocks his brow, “Oh, you are?”
She nods, “Yes, half-Mexican, half-Irish.”
“Mmmm, that explains the tone of your skin. It’s a bit lighter than I’m used to seeing.”
“I might look pale now but give me a week and I’ll be as dark as you.”
“You are a taunting one. Shit, if I were twenty years younger I may make a play at you.”
Amara giggles lowly, “I’m sure you’d try.”
Damon clears his throat, “What is it you wanted to meet for, Eduardo?”
Eduardo breaks the intense gaze he has on Amara and looks back to Damon. “My cousin and I have a business proposition for your club. One that I’m hoping you’ll consider.”
“I consider everything, friend. I just don’t accept what isn’t smart for my people.”
“As I’m sure you know, Francisco is running for office in Mexico. His campaign will start soon and I will be handling all of his . . . businesses which he doesn’t want to be affiliated with during his campaign. That being said, I’ll be forced to spend most of my time in Mexico starting in August. I’m hopeful we can reach an agreement where your club will . . . put an end to certain individuals who’d like to riot up against my family and the great changes we’re trying to bring to Mexico.”
Damon is silent for a few moments before he shares a look with Amara. He clasps his hands on top of his desk, “Eduardo, you know I like you, but I don’t get involved in politics.”
“All due respect, I’m not asking you to.”
Damon brings his brows together, “Then what are you asking?”
“I’m asking you, to be my iron fist. You see, I am not a naïve man, Damon. My problem is not solely in Mexico. We have smaller cartels on this side of the border that want the corruption to continue in our great country. They smuggle drugs, guns and much more under our noses, trying to undercut our business. But it’s not just about the money, it’s the morals of what they’re doing. The Lopez Cartel is the only cartel in Mexico. Everyone else is a mediocre wannabe who will face penance for their crimes against not only my family, but our great country.”
Damon stands up, indicating the meeting is coming to a close. “Eduardo, we are allies but this sounds like politics to me and we don’t mix with that shit.”
Now Eduardo sounds off, “Let me be clear, we want you to be our enforcers to those who wish to fuck with us both. You know as well as I do that they don’t just cause issues on my side of the border. They fuck with your shit too, and I’m willing to pay you handsomely for eradicating them. I could just leave it the way it is and wait until they’re a bigger problem for you.”