Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Roman
H e stands in the middle of the field, his back turned, eyes fixed on the goalposts. The empty expanse makes my skin prickle. The stillness of the stadium feels out of place for a meeting like this.
“Is this supposed to be more inconspicuous?” I ask as I approach.
Andrés turns to face me, a slight smirk on his lips.
“I’m not sure a guy like me and a suit meeting on a football field on a Saturday will go unnoticed.”
He shrugs. “I don’t care if people see us,” he says. “I care if there are ears listening. And here,” Andrés waves around the field, “there are none.”
Fair point.
“So—”
“One moment,” he interrupts. “We have one more arrival.”
I follow his gaze and see a man walking across the field toward us. He’s dressed similarly to Andrés in dark slacks and a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He has the same dark brown hair and cold brown eyes. The closer he gets, the more their similarities become evident.
“A relative?” I ask.
“My brother,” Andrés says. “Adrián,” he introduces. “Adrián, this is Roman. Alejandra’s…” he considers me. “What are you to our cousin? You’re the boyfriend, right?”
I don’t like the way he asks that, as if ‘boyfriend’ isn’t sufficient. Maybe it isn’t. We’re young, but Allie is endgame. I won’t rise to the bait.
“Yep,” I tell him. “I’m the boyfriend. Nice to meet you.”
I hold out my hand and shake Adrián’s as he scrutinizes me.
“You’re also the son of the chief of police in Sun Valley,” he comments. “So, do you want to explain why you’re asking my brother to commit a crime?”
I cock my head. I hadn’t considered that angle.
“I’m not asking your brother to commit a crime,” I tell him. “I’m asking him to help me commit one. I don’t have the resources to get to Miguel now that he’s behind bars. But I assume you do?”
The brothers exchange looks. “We might,” Adrián hedges.
“Okay. That’s all I need. If you can get me to him, or him to me, I can take it from there.”
They don’t look convinced. “You’re what, eighteen?” Andrés asks.
“Nineteen.” In another two weeks, but he doesn’t need to know that. “Your point?”
“You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, kid,” Andrés says. “Allie tells me you play ball. You want to go pro after college.”
I nod. “That’s the plan. But that doesn’t change the fact that this needs to be done. Miguel needs to be put down. He was given a deal he didn’t deserve, and I’m not going to sit back, waiting for my girl to fall apart when that fucker is inevitably set free.”
Andrés rubs his chin. “There’s no going back after something like this. Taking a life, no matter how deserved, it leaves a stain on the soul. One you can’t wash away.”
“I can handle it,” I tell him.
Adrián chuckles beside him. "Me gusta este cabrón. Alejandra eligió bien." I like this fucker. Alejandra chose well.
My chest puffs up at his statement. I don’t need their approval, but it doesn’t hurt to have it.
"Sí, lo hizo. Pero él es joven. No sabe en lo que se está metiendo." She did. But he's young. He doesn't know what he's getting into.
Irritation prickles beneath my skin. He’s talking about me like I’m not here.
“Te entiendo,” I tell them. I understand you . “I don’t care if you think I’m too young. I know exactly what I’m asking. Alejandra means everything to me. She’s the air in my lungs and the blood in my veins. My heart beats for that girl, so will you help me or not?”
Both men sober as they consider my request.
“Sí,” Andrés says. “We’ll help.”
“But there will be a price,” Adrián adds.
“Name it.”
Adrián chuckles. “It doesn’t work that way,” he says. “We help you, and when the time comes and we need a favor, you help us. Tú entiendes?” Do you understand?
Loud and clear, and I don’t like it. But I’m not in a position to decline.
Jaw clenched tight, I nod. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Good,” Adrián says. “You’ll meet a group of our men here,” he hands me a card with a scribbled address. “Tomorrow night, 11:00 PM. Don’t be late, and come alone.”
“Your men?” I question with a frown as I look over the address, ignoring the anxious knot in my chest.
“Yes,” Andrés repeats. “My men. Do you have a problem with that?”
Shaking my head, I tuck the card in my back pocket. I assumed Andrés would be there but this works just the same. “No. It’s fine.”
“Good. Now go home. Get your shit in order. Everything should go smoothly, but if it doesn’t,” he shrugs his shoulders, “it’s always better to be prepared.”