Chapter 93

Chapter 93
Diego

It’s been a week since the deal went down. Dante, Victor, and Benny are back from vacation, while the next three have already started theirs today. I sit in the living room, the morning light spilling across the polished floor, with Dante, Victor, and Benny standing around me like loyal sentinels.

I glance at them, my tone casual but probing. “So, how was it?”

Dante answers first, smiling. “Very restful. Caught up on some sleep.” Victor nods in agreement. “Same, same.” Benny grins. “Yeah, thanks for that, boss. I feel like I’m ready to tackle anything.”

I smile faintly, the corner of my mouth twitching. “That’s good to hear. We don’t have anything pressing at the moment. But we do need to keep an eye on Earl from the East. He hesitated too many times during our meeting with the Texas leaders.”

Dante hums, shaking his head. “He was always lily-livered. I don’t even know how he managed to win out as leader.”

I scoff, leaning back. “Nepotism at its best. He inherited his seat—never had to fight for it. I’m sure his father wished he had more sons.”

They chuckle, the sound light but edged with truth. Victor nods. “We’ll keep an eye on him, boss.”

“Good, good. Now get back to work,” I say, teasing, though the command is clear.

They roll their eyes and salute comically before leaving, their laughter fading down the hall. Silence settles over the room, and I sink back into the couch, my thoughts turning inward.

I think of how far I’ve come. I started young, and unlike others, I had to fight for my seat, prove I was worthy of it. Leo resisted me, but I didn’t want to seem a tyrant, so I allowed him to manage business on a smaller scale. Greed consumed him—it was never enough. His taking Landon was the last nail in his coffin, though he never realized it. Pride and ego blinded him, convinced I wouldn’t have the heart to take him out. I wonder if, wherever he is now, he’s reconsidering everything.

Antonio… he was the closest thing I had to family after growing up alone most of my life. And then he broke that bond most unforgivably. I wish he had come to me, spoken to me like a man about his misgivings. I would have tried to assure him, to make him believe everything would be okay. But he didn’t. And now, it would be a while before everything took on a real semblance of normalcy.

My fingers brush over the piece of paper in my hand—Landon gave it to me last night. Antonio’s location, down to his cell number. It’s time to put an end to this. I’m sure Antonio already knows it’s coming. He has to. But whether he’s aware or not, it doesn’t matter.

I pull my phone from my pocket and dial the jail. When the call connects, I say, “Warden, please.”

The woman on the line asks, "Who's calling?" 

“Diego Fuentes.”

There’s a pause, a sharp intake of breath, before she tells me to hold. The tinny hum of hold music fills my ear for a minute before the warden’s booming voice cuts through. “Mr. Fuentes! To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Denton. I need to speak with an inmate. I need them to do something for me, and I’ll need you to look the other way.”

Denton hums. “Name of the inmate?”

“Charles Brenner. And switch the call to unrecorded, please.”

“Okay. Give me a few moments to get him up here. I’ve already switched off the recording for this line.”

Ten minutes of hold music later, Denton returns. “Mr. Fuentes, I have Charles here. I’m putting him on.”

Charles’s voice comes through, rough but familiar. “Hello, Mr. Fuentes. What can I do for you?”

“Charles, my man! How the hell are you?” I ask jovially.

I hear the smile in his voice. “Well, I could be better, but no use complaining since no one cares.”

I chuckle. “Indeed. And that’s a shame. Listen, I have a job for you.”

“What do you need, boss?”

“I need you to kill someone for me. He’s in your jail, same block. Pod 24, Bunk 1.”

“Got it, boss. You want it clean or dirty?”

“Clean. Keep the mess minimal. I’ll give him that much—for all the years he was loyal.”

“No problem, boss. Deadline?”

“No deadline. Just as quickly as you can. Payment is twenty thousand on your commissary.”

“Thanks, boss. Pleasure doing business, as always.”

“Thank you, Charles. Call with confirmation when it’s done.”

“Got it. I’ll reach out soon.”

I disconnect the call, exhaling slowly. The weight of it presses down on me. I wish it didn’t have to come to this. But Antonio made his bed. Now there’s nothing left for him to do but lie in it.

Landon comes into the room just as I’m ending my call. He raises a brow, that sharp, knowing look cutting straight through me, before he crosses the space and settles into my lap like it’s the only place he belongs in the world.

“Just tying up loose ends,” I murmur.

“Antonio?”

I nod. “Yeah. Putting everything in motion.”

Landon accepts this with a slow blink, his head dropping onto my shoulder, the weight of him warm and familiar. His lashes flutter, heavy with exhaustion.

“Why are you so tired?” I ask, brushing my thumb along his arm.

He furrows his brows, giving me a look that’s half accusation, half amusement. “As if you don’t know? Who’s the one who can’t keep their hands to themselves?”

I laugh, the sound rumbling from deep in my chest. “You can’t strut around me so seductively and expect me not to touch.”

Landon frowns, his lips pressing together. “One day, Diego. That’s all you’ve given me this past week—one day of rest where you didn’t touch me. And that was days ago.”

The frustration in his voice tempers my laughter. I sober, cupping his jaw gently. “I’m sorry. I’ll wait for you to let me know when you’re ready before I touch you again.”

He gives me a disbelieving look, eyes narrowing, and I can’t help but chuckle. “What? When have I ever lied to you? I’ll wait until you initiate it. I promise.”

A beautiful smile breaks across his face, softening his features. “Good. I’m going to hold you to that.”

I grin mischievously, my finger tracing from his cheek down the curve of his neck, lingering just long enough to make him shiver. “I’m not worried. I don’t think you’ll be able to hold out too long yourself.”

Landon slaps me lightly on the arm, his lips curving into a mischievous grin. “Fine, we’ll see who gives in first.”

I chuckle, the sound rumbling low in my chest. “I’m remarkably stubborn, so it will be you.”

That sparks a playful back-and-forth, our voices overlapping in mock arguments, teasing challenges, and exaggerated declarations of victory. His eyes glint with amusement, his brows furrow in mock seriousness, and I can’t help but laugh at the way he tries to look fierce while perched in my lap.

The warmth of his body against mine, the cadence of his laughter, the way his hand lingers on my shoulder even as he pretends to scold me—all of it fills the room with a lightness I rarely allow myself.

As we bicker, I find myself watching him more than listening, memorizing the curve of his smile, the spark in his eyes, the way he leans into me as if this is where he’s always belonged. And in that moment, I know with absolute certainty: I wouldn’t have this life any other way.