City Culprits (Book 1)

by Brittany Nicole Allen

  “I feel guilty for adopting her out to another family. Everything that has happened in your lives is because of my husband. Your parent’s deaths, your sister Angel’s death. The safety of your son. It’s all because we chose to hand her off to someone else. Sometimes I feel like no one could have been prepared for the burden of protecting a kingpin’s child.”

  “It wasn’t a burden to our parents. They knew the risks. If I know my parents right, they would do it all over again. But we don’t know who is responsible for their deaths or the death of our sister.”

  “You really think it has nothing to do with my husband? Her father?” Minnie asked.

  “I really don’t know. I just ask that you keep my son away from all of it until I’m free.”

  “I promise. I won’t let Braydon anywhere near it.” Minnie said looking at Braydon.

  Zamora did in fact help her father’s business. She became a very valuable asset. They used her to get close to people that they could not. She used her sex appeal often. Now Carlos was quickly making his way to the top being able to take out those standing in his way, thanks to his daughter Zamora. She killed for her father without question and without any remorse. Her heart turned cold when she worked for him. Sometimes Zamora would change her appearance so they did not start to recognize her as Carlos’s daughter. Zamora seemed to rather embrace the Rivera name. When they were home, Zamora spent a lot of time with her nephew. He was the only real good thing in her life. He kept her humanity alive.

  Carlos and his men and Zamora met with a Spanish man about a business proposition. He looked to be in his late twenties. His name was Eric.

  “You must be Carlos’s daughter.” Eric said to Zamora.

  “Yes. I am Zamora Rivera.” She said to him.

  Eric suddenly had a look of suspicion on his face.

  “I don’t normally meet like this with people I have not done business with yet. But I hear that you have a business proposal for me. What is so important that you won’t leave my men alone to get a hold of me?” Carlos asked Eric.

  Eric kept glancing back at Zamora while talking to Carlos. Zamora quickly took notice giving him back the same look.

  “It’s actually from my boss. It has to do with guns.”

  “We don’t deal in guns.”

  “I think you’ll change your mind. My boss would rather have you as an ally than an enemy.” Eric said.

  “Who is your boss?” Carlos questioned.

  “I will tell you only if you accept the offer.” Eric told him.

  “What’s the offer?” Zamora bluntly asked.

  “You sound familiar. Have we ever met before?” Eric asked her.

  “I don’t recall that we have.” Zamora told him.

  “What is the offer?” Carlos wanted to get to business.

  He passed off a folder with papers inside to Carlos.

  Eric looked at Zamora again. Axel noticed them eyeballing one another. He tried to figure out what was going on.

  “I’m going to have to talk this over with my people.” Carlos said passing off the folder to Alex to hold onto.

  Eric stupidly brought up the wrong conversation.

  “What was your adopted name?” He asked Zamora.

  “Doesn’t matter. I took the Rivera name back.”

  “Why do you ask that of my daughter?”

  “I was just curious as to why you took it back.” Eric said to Zamora.

  “It’s not really any of your business.” She told him.

  “No it isn’t.” Carlos said loudly to him.

  “You’re right. I apologize for asking.” Eric told them.

  Zamora became curious of him.

  “Who’s your boss?” She asked him.

  “Like I said, I’ll tell you if you accept the offer.” He told her.

  “And like I said, I will have to talk about it with my people.” Carlos told him.

  “Of course. I understand.” Eric glanced at Zamora again.

  “Why do you keep looking at me?” She asked him.

  “No reason. I’m just surprised that you took so quickly to your father’s life style.”

  “I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions.”

  “I’m sure you can.”

  “I think it’s time for you to go.” Carlos told him. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “I only asked because word on the street is that Paco Ruiz is looking for a woman named Zamora Cortez. She killed 5 of his men and he wants her to pay the price.”

  “Is that so?” Zamora’s suspicions were now confirmed.

  “I’ll be waiting for your answer Mr. Rivera.” Eric said heading toward the door.

  Eric suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. He lost his breath. A blade was thrown into his back. Zamora’s. He slowly fell down to the floor.

  “Funny thing about that Eric…is Paco never mentioned to anyone on the streets the reason why he wants Zamora Cortez.” She said while walking over to him.

  “Only Paco’s crew knows.” She pulled out the knife from his back and checked him for tattoos. She found the one she was looking for.

  “You’re MS-13. Paco sent you here to get close. Do you really think I am that stupid?” She whispered to him.

  “You’re-dead.” He tried to say.

  She pulled him up by his hair and softly whispered. “Not even close.” Before slitting his throat.

  Zamora wiped the blood from the blade on Eric’s clothes and put it back on her.

  “You are one crazy ass chick.” Axel joked.

  “Paco sent him here to confirm his suspicions that Zamora Rivera is really Zamora Cortez. He wanted you to accept the deal so he could get close to me. If you signed off on the deal, you can’t back out of it. That’s why Eric wouldn’t tell you his boss’s name until you accepted the offer. He knew if you knew it was Paco, you wouldn’t agree.” Zamora was tense. “You really should be more careful father.”

  “That sneaky son of a bitch.” Carlos said.

  “You need to get rid of Eric. Make it look like an accident. Better yet, make it look like the Jamaicans did it. That should keep them busy for a while.” Zamora suggested. “If they think we were the ones that killed him, he’ll know he’s right about me and we tried to cover it up.”

  Carlos laughed. “You impress me more every day.”

  “Zamora is a part of her father’s cartel. She has been doing a lot of the dirty work.” Que told Tyson.

  “You have confirmation of this?” Tyson asked before lighting his cigar.

  “She told me herself.”

  “That explains how the Rivera’s are taking over so quickly. They’re using Zamora as a pawn.” Cassius said.

  “It’s working in their favor. She killed one of Paco’s men again yesterday.” Que said.

  “What do you mean?” Tyson asked.

  “She wouldn’t give me the details…but Paco tried to find a way to get close to her and she figured it out.” Que told him.

  “Why do you think the girl trusts you so much Que? Why does she trust you with her secrets?” Tyson was very curious.

  “I don’t know. Why do you ask? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Of course. It works in our favor, but I’m surprised that she hasn’t caught on yet that you work for us. Why would she put her trust in another Jamaican?”

  “Probably because I knew her prior to you all coming into the city. I convinced her that I had nothing to do with you.” Que said.

  “Let’s keep it that way.” Tyson demanded.

  “There is one thing that might spark your interest though.” Que grinned.

  “Which is what?”

  “She invited me to see her new home.”

  “You are going to have access to the Rivera’s?” Tyson was thrilled.

  “That is correct. I will know where they live. I will know every inch of their home.”

  “That is great.” Tyson laughed.

  “What do you want me to do?” Que asked.


  “Gain all of their trust. Convince them the same way you convinced her.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “So you ah…really became… part of your father’s cartel.” Nikkya didn’t know how to say it.

  “Yeah.” Zamora quickly answered.

  “Why?” She wondered.

  Zamora sighed like she wanted to avoid the answer.

  “It’s complicated Nikkya.”

  “Is it?”

  Zamora turned to her.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  Nikkya shut her bedroom door, not wanting anyone to overhear.

  “It’s dangerous Zamora. You’re playing a dangerous game.”

  “It’s not a game. It’s the life I was born into.”

  “No. You weren’t. You were adopted into a family so you wouldn’t have to live it.”

  “I’ve always lived it Nikkya. Everything my adopted father taught me was because of who I really am.”

  “This isn’t you.”

  “No? I’ve killed people Nikkya. It’s always been who I am. I was born a Rivera. I was born into the Rivera cartel. I’ve had enemies since before I was even born. They’re never going to stop. This is safer for me. Being in my father’s business, it’s best for all of us.”

  “That doesn’t even make sense.”

  “I wish I could make you understand.”

  “Have you killed anyone else since our last conversation?” Nikkya wondered.

  Zamora looked Nikkya in the eyes.

  “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.” Zamora told her.

  Paco continued to glance at the clock on his phone while sitting at his desk. Wondering why Eric hadn’t returned back yet with an answer. Lupe was on his laptop again.

  “Where the hell is Eric? He should’ve been back hours ago.” Paco said out loud.

  Lupe noticed the tension in his cousin’s voice.

  “Do you want me to call him? Maybe something happened. It’s unlike him to not call if a problem came up.” Lupe suggested.

  “I will do it.” Paco said while picking up his phone.

  He called Eric to receive no answer. He left a message on his phone.

  “What the hell is going on?” Paco asked himself.

  “You think the Rivera’s figured it out?” Lupe asked.

  “I don’t know how that would be possible. Unless he screwed it up.”

  Paco thought for a moment.

  “Track his phone.” He ordered.

  Lupe put in Eric’s number trying to trace his phone.

  “Well that’s weird.” Lupe said softly.

  “What is it?” Paco asked concerned.

  Lupe had to double check thinking there was a mistake. He re-traced the phone again only to receive the same outcome.

  “What is it?” Paco asked again.

  “The signal is coming from…inside your car.” Lupe said slowly.

  “What are you talking about?” Paco got up to see for himself.

  “See?” Lupe pointed.

  “That’s impossible.” Paco said to his cousin.

  Paco had sent Quickz and Lucky outside to check the vehicle. It was dark and quiet. They both had their guns in hand. Walking slowly and cautiously to Paco’s car. The windows were heavily tinted making it impossible to see the inside. Quickz slowly opened the passenger side door while Lucky aimed his gun.

  “Nada aqui.” Lucky replied.

  (Nothing here.)

  “Compruebe la parte posterior.” Quickz told him.

  (Check the back.)

  Lucky hesitantly opened the back door revealing a body on the floor. Eric’s dead body.

  “He’s dead.” Lucky said putting down his gun.

  Quickz moved himself over to see who was inside.

  “Eric. What the hell happened to him?” Quickz wondered.

  Paco was still sitting at his desk when Lucky and Quickz dragged in Eric’s dead body.

  “What the hell is this?!” Paco yelled as they brought him in. He made his way over to them.

  “We found him on the floor of the car like this.” Lucky told him.

  Paco looked at Eric’s body. It was covered with dried blood. He kneeled down to look him over.

  “Who the hell is stupid enough to do this?” Lupe asked angered.

  “His throat is slit.” Paco said noticing that first.

  “You think the Rivera’s figured it out?” Lupe asked.

  Paco continued to look Eric over without answering his cousin’s question. That’s when he noticed his hand.

  “What is that?” Lupe asked seeing the same thing.

  “This is the Jamaicans mark. They sliced his hand.” Paco said angered.

  “The Jamaicans? Why the hell would they do this? He was on his way to meeting the Rivera’s.” Lupe said.

  “I don’t know.” He sighed. “This doesn’t make sense. There’s no possible way that Tyson could have known Eric was MS. Unless they’ve been watching us.” He said while standing up.

  “Take care of him.” Paco ordered Lucky and Quickz.

  They picked up his body, walking out of the room.

  “What do you want to do cousin?” Lupe asked ready for whatever Paco wanted.

  “Do we know where they set up shop yet?”

  “Si. It’s a much smaller one. Tyson is being more cautious this time.”

  “Obviously not.” He said referring to Eric.

  “You want to retaliate on one of his men?” Lupe asked more like a suggestion.

  “Bring me back one of his men. Alive. I don’t care who and I don’t care how. Just do it. That son of a bitch wants to continue this war with us; then we’ll show them exactly what war with us is like.” He ordered.

  “Didn’t they learn their lesson the first time?”

  “Clearly not if they took out 20 of our men.”

  “We will make them pay cousin.” Lupe reassured him.

  Paco picked up his machete. Putting his finger on the tip of it like he was seeing how sharp it was.

  “I’m sick of these, new crews, coming into my city, thinking they can just take it over. Like they don’t have to work for anything. We own this city! The city of Utica belongs to MS-13. The Jamaicans or the Rivera’s…aren’t going to take it from me. I will burn everything that belongs to them. I will slaughter every part of them if that’s what it takes.” Paco said.

  “You know I am with you with whatever you decide to do.”

  “I know you are cousin. You are the most loyal to me. That’s why you are my second in command. Now go send our men to retrieve a Jamaican. I’m looking forward to it.” Paco said.

  “I am about to visit the Rivera’s. I thought you would like to know that.” Que told Tyson over the phone in his car. He had Tyson on speaker.

  “That is good to know. Don’t give them any reason to suspect that you are not who you say. Zamora cannot have any suspicions about you.” Tyson reminded him.

  “I will handle the girl. You don’t need to worry.”

  “Good. Make sure you do whatever it takes to get Carlos Rivera to put his trust in you. If he figures it out…you are a dead man.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already know. That is not going to happen.”

  “You better hope that it does not. For your sake. Carlos Rivera tortures his victims till their last breath. I suggest you proceed with caution.”

  “I can handle the Rivera’s.”

  “I have no doubt you can. Keep me updated. Especially on the girl.” Que told him.

  “I understand.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” Tyson said before ending the call.

  Que waited a short moment before finishing the drive to Carlos’s home. He slowly drove up to the front gate. Someone asked what his business was there over the speaker.

  “The Rivera’s are expecting me. My name is Que. I’m a friend of Zamora’s.” He stated.

  The gate opened a few seconds later.

  “Damn. Nice pla
ce.” Que said to himself admiring the luxury home.

  The guards outside told him where to park. They immediately searched him after getting out of his car. Que made sure to keep his gun inside his car. Hiding it underneath his seat.

  “You may go.” The guard told him pointing toward the front door.

  Que knocked on the door. It was a few minutes before someone answered. The maid answered the door, letting him inside.

  “I will get Zamora.” She said politely.

  Zamora came walking down the stairs a few minutes later.

  “Hey Que.” She hugged him.

  “How have you been?” He genuinely asked.

  “I’ve been better.” She admitted.

  “And your hand?” Que noticed her gloves.

  “I’ll be fine.” She said quickly.

  “This is ah…quite the home you got here.” Que said looking around.

  “Yeah it’s roomy.”

  “I thought you were never going to let me see it.” He faintly smiled.

  “Yeah well my father is a very careful man. He doesn’t trust many people. It took a lot of convincing.” She told him.

  “Well damn. He’s not gonna like…try to kill me or something right?” Que asked joking but nervously.

  “Only if you give him a reason.” She laughed.

  Que almost starting doubting the whole thing but it was too late to back out.

  “So where’s little man; how’s he doin?” Que wanted to know.

  “He’s playing upstairs with Annabeth. He’d probably be really happy to see you. As well as Nikkya.”

  “Well take me to them then.” He told her.

  Zamora led Que upstairs. He looked around with his eyes while walking up. She took him to the playroom. The children were doodling on the mini chalkboard.

  “Knock knock.” Que said seeing Braydon.

  The children looked up.

  “Que!” Braydon yelled running over to him. His face was full of excitement.

  Que picked him up.

  “Hey little man.” Que smiled rubbing the top of his head.