by BL Mute
I shake Sloan’s hand before he walks out of the door. Once he’s gone, I release a breath. The cartel is getting bold. They’re slowly making their way into my territory and waiting to see if I’ll respond. For now, I’m going to leave things be. I’ll meet with my brother, and we will figure out a plan.
I saunter into the kitchen and see the twins standing at the island while Carl shuffles around, preparing for tonight. He slices cheese and arranges it on a tray with grapes, sausage, and nuts. The man is old enough to be my father and takes pride in all he can do, it’s almost easy to forget he’s a skilled and calculated killer.
“That looks great, Carl,” I praise him.
“Thanks. We don’t get your brother around much. Have to do something nice to maybe persuade him to come around more often.”
“You know why that isn’t plausible, Carl,” Lucas speaks up.
The old man rolls his eyes. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some old, weak, dementia patient. I know why it isn’t plausible, but he can pull strings we can’t. We may have everyone in Northridge Heights paid off, but that doesn’t extend to the surrounding cities. If we happen to get caught up on his territory in Westdell, I want to make sure we will be okay, and he will use those strings he has to keep shit cool.”
Lucas puts up his hands in surrender, shooting his eyes to the floor. “My bad.”
“You know we will be fine on his territory, Carl. He and I have an understanding.”
Carl arranges another bunch of cheese into a fan around the grapes, then sets his hands flat on the counter. “You, boss. You.” He points at me. “There is no relation of him to us. He has no reason to keep his word once you’re gone, and we all know that time is coming. I gotta watch out for me and mine too.” He motions to the twins.
Normally his words would strike a nerve with me, but he’s right. I’ll be gone soon. It gives me some relief that he will watch over the twins, because although they may be twenty-seven-year-old grown men, they still don’t know their thinking head from the brain in their dick most days.
“Okay. Point made,” I laugh. “Do what you do. Luke, Jules—” I turn my attention to the twins. “—let’s go discuss business while Carl puts things together for later.”
They both nod and follow me out of the room. We shuffle up the stairs, passing the theater room, sitting room, and the guest room I took Charlie to after the night at the club. I wanted her to feel safe and not on high alert being in my own personal room. The huge tub was a bonus too.
We make it to my office and gather into the room. I sit behind my big oak wood desk as the twins settle into the chairs on the opposite sides. “I have a plan, but Charlie is to know nothing until it happens, do you understand?” I look back and forth to the both of them.
They look at each other and then to me. “What are you planning?” Lucas says, speaking for the both of them.
I throw on a baby pink dress and slip into a pair of Badgley Mischka ivory flats. The toes are encrusted with crystals of all different sizes, and the sides are mesh. There are a few stray crystals lingering along the binding, making their way down the length of the shoe toward the back. Surprisingly, they’re pretty comfortable minus their pointy toe.
I examine myself in my bathroom mirror and feel something is off. As childish as it may seem, I want my hair up. I want to show off the mark Teddy left on me. I pull it all into a sleek ponytail before twisting and pinning it into a neat bun. Once I feel satisfied with my appearance, I walk out of my room and back into the kitchen.
The twins are gone, but Carl is there, pouring red wine into six glasses. He looks up as I walk in and gives me a smile. “Charlotte.” He dips his head.
I nod in return, then slide onto the barstool across from him. My fingers fidget with the hem of my dress, and my eyes bounce around the room.
“Don’t be nervous,” Carl says, as his eyes catch my movements.
I give him a weak smile. “I just have so many questions. Do they look alike? How did his brother end up in this shit too? Who’s older?” The words rush out of my mouth in a jumble.
Carl laughs. “Teddy is older by three years. His brother is thirty-two. He was actually adopted into the family he works for, the right way, when he was about five, and as far as looks…” Carl trails off for a second, looking to his side toward the doorway. “You can see for yourself.”
I turn on the stool and see Teddy standing in the doorway next to the same man from the club. The twins and Desi are positioned perfectly behind them as Carl slips past them and disappears into the hall.
“Emil?” I question out loud.
It all starts to make sense as I stare at them side by side. The night at Red Eye, I was so focused on Teddy and protecting him that I missed the very obvious similarities between them. Maybe that’s why Teddy got as upset as he did for me pulling a gun on him that night.
There is no mistake they come from the same blood. Their eyes have the same oval shape but possess different colors. Their cheekbones are both chiseled in the same way, hard and elegant all at once. And their lips carry the same easy pout.
Although they have so many of the same characteristics, they still have their differences too. They both have dark hair with Teddy’s glistening just a shade lighter. Teddy has pale skin, and Emil is tanned, but both are flawless. They stand only a few inches apart in height with Teddy being taller.
“Monkshood,” Teddy speaks, drawing my eyes to him. “This is my brother, Emil.”
I slip off of the barstool and extend my hand to him. “We’ve met. Sorry about that, by the way.” I can feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
He smiles, showing me a smile that mirrors the one I’ve seen on Teddy. “It’s forgotten, hermosa.” He leans and kisses the top of my hand.
I see Teddy stiffen out the corner of my eye. I quickly retract my hand and make a move to push my hair behind my ear, but quickly drop my hand when I remember it is up.
Teddy steps closer behind Emil and grips his shoulder. I can see the fabric of Emil’s shirt bunch under Teddy’s hold, only feeding my suspicion he isn’t doing it softly. “Hands off, brother,” he hisses. “She’s mine.”
Emil gives Teddy a half smile, shaking out of his hold. “No disrespect.” He sweeps his hands in front of him to the barstools sitting behind me. “Shall we sit?”
Teddy nods, then pushes past him, placing his hand to the small of my back and leading me back to my spot on the barstool. He stands behind me, keeping his hand on my hip, as everyone else settles into their spots around the counter.
“Chief said there was another overdose yesterday, on the Southside off the freeway,” Lucas starts, staring at Emil. “That’s almost the border of here and Westdell, which means not only are they trying to hustle into our shit, but yours too.”
Desi waves his hand around. “This isn’t news. We’ve already told you they burned our place on McAdams down. That was our whole reason for getting the casino on the southside border in the first place. We thought moving closer to Northridge Heights, being closer to another powerful family, would deter them. I guess we were wrong.” He shrugs.
Lucas rolls his eyes. “That’s the point. They don’t give a fuck. We need to get to the bottom of this before shit gets messy.”
“Do you have a plan?” Emil asks.
Teddy speaks from behind me, his voice vibrating down my spine as his thumb moves in soft, smooth circles over my hip. “Do you have a locksmith you could trust?”
Emil tilts his head. “Do you not?”
“I’d rather do this away from Northridge, if possible.” His hand stills on me.
Emil nods in understanding. “I have a guy, but the only payment he likes is my girls. He’s an early-sixties fat fuck. They don’t like seeing him. Maybe a little persuasion from your boys could make them feel charitable.” He winks.
I look over my shoulder and see Teddy lock eyes with the twins. Lucas seems to almost be bursting at the seams with excitement, while Jul
ius seems unfazed by whatever is going on.
“What is he talking about?” I whisper to Teddy.
Teddy lets out a low chuckle, then leans into my ear. “He deals in the sex ring, but don’t worry, it isn’t what you think. All his girls work willingly and are compensated generously. They really love Luke and Jules.”
“But he owns a casino?”
“And I own a club,” he says, straightening his body and looking back to the twins. “Lucas, calm yourself. You act like you’ve never gotten your dick wet before.”
Lucas rolls his eyes again. “I have a lot of pent-up…” He trails off and looks to me, then snaps back to Teddy. “Energy. I’d love to get out for the night.”
“Then it’s decided.” Teddy turns to Emil. “You can have my boys tonight. I have some personal matters to take care of in the morning anyway.” His hand snakes up my back and lands on the nape of my neck.
Desi laughs to himself. “Always a pleasure, Hale. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Teddy nods and tips his head toward the door where Carl has quietly appeared, telling him and the twins to leave. Carl sweeps his hand in front of him, escorting them out of the kitchen.
Once they’re gone, Teddy steps in front of me and embraces Emil in a hug while whispering in his ear too low for me to hear.
“Siempre,” Emil replies. Always…
Growing up in Arizona, so close to the Mexico border, I’ve learned a few phrases and words. I’m no expert, but I swear the way he said it sounded different. It wasn’t spoken as a goodbye, but more like a promise.
When Teddy turns back to me and Emil approaches, I push away the thoughts. “It was nice seeing you again.” I smile.
“You too. Keep my brother out of trouble.” He grins, then exits the room.
I listen intently to the tapping of their shoes as they fade down the hall. They are shortly followed by the opening and shutting of the front door. Once I know they’re gone, I slap Teddy’s arm.
“Really! Emil?” I don’t give him any explanation.
He shrugs. “I had to make sure I could trust you before I told you. If anyone else was to find out, they would look at it as a weakness. They would use him against me, and I don’t want that to happen.”
I nod and suck my lip into my mouth, biting it in between my teeth.
Teddy hunches enough to level his face with mine. “I told you not to do that.” He tugs my lip free.
“And what if I don’t listen?”
A wicked smile spreads across his lips before he hikes me over his shoulder and starts walking to his room. He smacks my ass as he walks, and I let out a squeal. “We’re alone tonight, Monkshood. Scream as loud as you want.”
I wake to the sound of Teddy opening his closet door. “What time is it? Where are you going?” I ask, stretching my body across his bed.
“We have some errands to run before the twins come home. It’s 5:00 a.m.”
I smile at the emphasis he puts on “we.” “I’ll go get dressed.”
I leap from his bed and wrap the sheet around my body, then walk back to my room. I go straight to the closet and pull a pair of basic jeans with a white T-shirt off their hangers and slip them on. I push my feet into a pair of black flip-flops, then walk back to his room.
When I open the door and step back in, he’s dressed and ready to go. He has on black slacks and a belt with a silver buckle, a crisp red button-down shirt, and shiny black shoes. For a second, I think about going back to my room to change, but in a way, we look like we belong together. Even though his clothes are dressier and mine more casual, we still blend together perfectly.
“Ready to go?”
He nods while dragging his eyes all over my body.
We walk out of his room and to the front door. Teddy reaches in front of me and opens it. It almost feels odd that Carl isn’t here to do it. I’ve gotten so used to him being around every turn, ready to make a move before you can even think of it.
Once we are outside, I look back to Teddy. “Who is driving since Carl isn’t here?”
He beams at me and holds up a set of keys in his hands, then shuffles past me to a smoky-gray Challenger parked right next to my GTO, a little further away than where the SUV normally sits. He hits the fob, and the lights flash as the locks disengage.
He opens my door for me, grabbing a black duffle back from the seat, before throwing it in the back. “Today, I’m going to teach you how to run things.”
I glide into the front seat and buckle my seat belt as he closes the door.
As he enters the car on the other side and starts it, I face him. “What do you mean run things?”
He places his hand on the back of my seat and looks behind him, backing up enough to turn around in the drive. “One day I’m going to be gone. I need to make sure no matter what you’re taken care of and know how things are done around here.”
He slips the car into drive and cuts the wheel, hitting the gas and flying down the driveway.
The mere thought of him ever being gone renders me speechless. I lived years of my life never even knowing him, but now that he is here, I don’t ever want to envision my life without him. I squeeze at my chest as my heart palpitates and more thoughts rush through my mind. Of course, I can halfway admit to myself I love him, but it’s only been a little over a month of me being here. He can’t honestly think I would be the best person to take his place.
“What about the twins? They’ve known you longer, they’re loyal. Why would you not offer something like this to them?”
He gives me a sad smile as he nods to the man in the guard shack and the gate swings open. “The twins are my family, and they’ve run with me for a long time, but they don’t like dealing with the logistics of shit. They prefer to be the muscle and reap the benefits of that. They like what the Hale name brings to them, but they don’t like the groundwork. Pushing money, making deals, all of that. And quite frankly, they’re better at doing what they do now. They didn’t have much structure growing up, so when they’re left to do things on their own or make big decisions, more often than not, they make the wrong ones.”
I open my mouth but close it tight, making sure I pick the right words before I speak. “So, you want me to be the one to basically boss them around?” I lean my head back and laugh. “I bet Lucas would love that.”
He chuckles with me. “Lucas is the one who suggested it. What you don’t understand is I’ve known you longer than you’ve known me. I like to think I’m good at reading people and picking out where they excel. You, my beautiful Monkshood, thrive in chaos. You’re calculated and think quick on your feet. That’s a characteristic that can’t be taught; it’s inherited. Lucas agrees.”
I chew my lip and really think about what he’s saying, then push it all away. “Well”—I grab his leg over the console—“it’s a good thing you being gone isn’t something we have to worry about anytime soon.” I smile at him as I squeeze his leg, inching my way closer to his dick.
He looks at me, then reaches for my hand and stops my movement, lacing his fingers between mine. He smiles an almost sad smile before nodding and turning back toward the road.
The sun starts to peek as we pull up to a long stretch of road that seems to go nowhere. A barn-looking building sits to the left with its huge doors closed as Teddy stops the car.
“Are you scared of heights?”
I giggle at his question because up until this point, he’s seemed to know everything about me. I shake my head.
“Good. I want you to meet the man we get our supply from.” He steps out of the car and comes to my side, opening the door.
I take his hand and hoist myself up, then look back to the building. A man exits the side door and comes up to Teddy. He has on tattered blue jeans and a grease-stained white shirt that almost glows against his tan skin.
“Mr. Hale.” He smiles.
Teddy takes his extended hand and wraps him in a bear-like hug. “Good to see you, Joseph. Is everything r
eady?”
Joseph nods, then grabs a rag from his back pocket and wipes his hands. “Just got her fueled up. I’m ready when you are.”
Teddy nods and steps to my side, placing his hand at the small of my back. “This is Charlotte, my wife. She’ll be making the trip with us.”
I snap my head toward him and look at him with big eyes. He reads my face easily and gives me a cool look, implying I go with it.
I let out a nervous chuckle, then turn back to Joseph and give him my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
He shakes it, then steps away. “I’ll open the doors so we can head out.”
Once Joseph disappears again, I look back to Teddy. “Wife?”
His eyes lower as he looks at me up and down. “It’s only a matter of time before it’s true. No better time than now to make it known. This man we are meeting with is a criminal. He has a taste for taking things that don’t belong to him. But he knows I would kill if he tried to take something of mine.”
Something in his voice tells me he’s serious. He would kill for me. “Well…” I look to the big rolling doors of the building as they open and smile. “I expect a ring.”
I walk away without another word.
The plane lands on another private airstrip in Mexico. Luckily, the flight wasn’t too bad. It only took about three hours to get here. The landing though… I’ve never flown a day in my life until today, and honestly, it may be the last. The change of air pressure in the cabin and the minor turbulence were manageable, but the bumpy landing that makes you think the plane is going to fall apart at any second scared me. I don’t like being at the mercy of a machine with no control.
I walk down the steep steps in front of Teddy, so glad to finally be back on land once my feet hit the ground. He pushes me forward lightly to a car waiting a few feet away.
“Are you ready for this, Monkshood?” he whispers behind me.
I open the door and slip into the back seat, scooting over so he can sit beside me. “I feel I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
