Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Pablo
“Part of me knew Humberto would follow us. It’s not that I wanted to jeopardize our safety.
But it lured him from Bogotá and prevented any allies from helping him.
I knew he’d be selective about who he brought with him because as much as he wanted to find us, he wouldn’t want to violate the sanctuary of this place.
Since he intended to take it over, he’d want to maintain the privacy here so no one could find him any more easily than someone besides him found us. ”
She steps back so she can see me as we talk. “You banked on the fact he wouldn’t bring an army with him.”
“Chiquita, he had no army. If he ever had, he wouldn’t have spent thirty-six years under house arrest. He would’ve mutinied if he could. This was a small-scale attack.”
“But he had to know if he killed you, then your family would retaliate. He knew he’d never see his power without killing your uncle and everyone else first.”
“We both know that, but he’s never been a reasonable man of sound mind.
He proved that when he thought he could kill his brother and both his nephews, or that he could subjugate Papá and Tío Enrique into working for him.
Papá and Tío Enrique were born before my abuelo took control.
He and my abuela married while they were in college.
Tío Enrique came along the year after my abuela and abuelito married.
They’d graduated a month earlier. Two years after that Papá was born.
Tío Enrique was six, and Papá was four when my abuelo took control. ”
It makes me think about how I came to be heir.
Tío was married before Tía Elle. He married for the first time when I was entering college.
It was political and a disaster. We all heaved a massive sigh of relief when he divorced the lying, cheating bitch.
We assumed he wouldn’t remarry, which meant he wouldn’t have children.
But that’s not part of the story Flora needs right now, so I continue with what I was saying.
“Abuelo had an heir before he assumed his role as jefe de jefes. Tío Enrique may have only been in kindergarten, but his future was set. Papá was a preschooler, so no direct threat to Humberto at the time, but he still existed. It pushed Humberto down to third in line when Abuelo assumed his position. Humberto knew Abuelo was far too powerful from the beginning. It’s why it took him twenty years to succeed.
He had to amass a small fortune to pay all the people involved in my abuelo’s murder. ”
“And you don’t think he’s done that again? That he hasn’t been saving money to attack you and your family now?”
I shake my head. I’m prepared to share some of my family history since she’ll learn it anyway if she becomes part of it. However, I’m still cautious about what I say since she’s not officially one of us yet.
“When Humberto encouraged your father to make his first move against Abuelo, he failed. Tía Luciana left a party with Tío Esteban. She chose him, and it infuriated your father to watch them drive away. Domingo shot at the car, knowing the bullet wouldn’t penetrate, but he did it to make a point.
Tío Esteban obeyed Tío Enrique’s order not to kill him.
He still served a purpose. However, Tía Luciana wasn’t safe.
Tío Esteban couldn’t ignore that, so he drained Domingo’s accounts and would’ve hospitalized him for two months if Tío Enrique had allowed Domingo to go to one.
Instead, he had doctors who visited and nurses who worked around the clock since he was in a coma for half that time.
When Domingo refused to take the hint and targeted Tía Luciana again, Tío Enrique sanctioned Tío Esteban’s revenge. ”
“That’s when my father died.”
“Yes.”
I feel no remorse admitting that to her, but it’s still unpleasant.
“Pablo, he tried to rape a woman. He’s lucky all Esteban did was kill him.”
Our gazes lock, and her mouth drops open.
“Oh.”
She exhales the word.
“My tío did far more than just kill Domingo. He made sure the pedazo de mierda knew why he was dying. He made sure Domingo understood exactly how it would feel to do what he intended to Tía Luciana.”
She flinches, but she doesn’t turn away in disgust or anger.
“Pablo, I understand the men in our world live a violent life and usually die a violent death. Very few make it to old age.”
As she watches me, she licks her top lip before she continues. In another situation, that would be sexy as hell, but I know her mouth has gotten dry from this uncomfortable conversation.
“My abuelo is older than most, but he won’t live to a ripe old age and die of natural causes, will he?”
“That’s still to be determined. Chica, I spoke to Tío Enrique before I came out of the barracks. It was while I was getting dressed.”
“So, in the bathroom where the security cameras couldn’t record you.”
“Yes.”
“What did Enrique say?”
“For now, your grandfather lives, but it’s only by Tío Enrique’s grace that he does.
Ernesto could’ve done far more to protect you, little one, but he didn’t.
He could’ve sent you away the moment Humberto came sniffing around, but he didn’t.
He could’ve had guards at your place to ensure you got home safely every night.
His guards would’ve prevented mercenaries from staking out your building. I wouldn’t have gotten in so easily.”
“But you would have anyway.”
I nod. She knows nothing would’ve stopped me since I was on a mission. But it might not have felt so urgent if she’d had guards.
“You said you went to the lab alone. Your abuelo allowed that. He didn’t send guards with you and didn’t insist Humberto did either.”
“Humberto wanted to keep that location secure.”
“That just proves neither Humberto nor Ernesto had men they entirely trust. They both knew the risk to sending any other men because those men might’ve revealed their secrets.
They might’ve gone to Tío Enrique or sold that information to someone else.
That Humberto didn’t have that kind of loyalty is unsurprising, but your grandfather should’ve. ”
Flora’s taking in everything I’m saying, and she knows it’s the truth.
“Deep down, Ernesto knows he’s not as powerful as he projects.
He could’ve negotiated terms with Humberto that limited your time.
We’ve said he indentured you to Humberto, but that’s not true.
Indenture has a fixed time period or an amount that the person must earn to be released. Your service was indefinite.”
I certainly won’t say Humberto enslaved her, but her grandfather sold her to Humberto in no uncertain terms.
“Chiquita, I know you didn’t trust my family.
It makes sense considering no one gave you the full story of your father’s role in harming mine.
Yours told you a warped version of the truth.
However, Ernesto knew he could’ve gone to Tío Enrique.
He could’ve scheduled a meeting with Papá or Alejandro one of the many times they’ve been down here.
It meant humbling himself, but he knew Tío Enrique would’ve helped you.
Not to thwart Humberto, but because women and children aren’t supposed to be caught in the middle of this.
Ernesto didn’t care about you enough to do that. ”
She listens to everything I say. She’s crushed by the realization of how neglectful her abuelo has been. It was intentional neglect—dereliction of duty in my mind.
“Chiquita, I’m certain by now your grandfather knows you’re with me, even if he doesn’t know where we are.”
“Wait, would Humberto have told my abuelo where we went?”
“No, definitely not. Your abuelo is the last person Humberto wanted to know about this secret compound. Chiquita, your abuelo hasn’t called Tío Enrique. Not to demand where I brought you or to ask for help.”
“Maybe he doesn’t trust Enrique to help him. Maybe he’s searching for me on his own.”
I can’t help the sadness I feel as I shake my head again. I don’t want to say—and she doesn’t want to hear me admit—her abuelo’s done nothing to find her. Instead, I draw her back into my arms and hold her tighter.
“Your abuelo will live as long as he serves as a vassal to Tío Enrique. If he’s uncooperative or refuses to pledge his fealty, then he’s outlived his purpose.”
“Fuck, Pablo, that sounds so goddamn medieval.”
If only she knew what lurked beneath the barracks.
If she understood the true nature of a cartel, she’d know it’s a fiefdom where Tío Enrique is the king.
My cousins and I are the princes below him, and those who serve us do so at our will.
They pledge their loyalty to Tío Enrique as vassals.
They have men beneath them, but they all ultimately owe their lives to Tío Enrique.
“Chica, you may not know all the inner workings of how cartels operate, but your abuelo certainly does. The reason your family became tied to mine was because your abuelo thought he could oust mine. He started a war he could never win. The ceasefire came when our abuelos agreed to marry their children to each other. It was never a truce because neither of our abuelos trusted each other to maintain peace.”
“Once your abuelo died, why didn’t mine try to take over during the transition?”
“Because Tío Enrique and Papá arrived here and wreaked havoc for two months straight. There are buildings that’re still in rubble because my family owns that land now.
They’re a reminder to anyone who thinks of rising against us.
They practically wiped out every other cartel.
Not only in Colombia, but Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. ”
“The countries that supply you. The ones who could stand in the jefe de jefes’ way.”