Chapter 23 - Diego
TWENTY-THREE
DIEGO
I followed Notch down into the kitchen and then doors came out of nowhere.
They slid out of the wall and latched behind me, locking me in with at least sixteen different white-ass men that towered over me.
I peeked over at Notch and he nodded his head before the guys parted like the Red fucking Sea.
And when Stone came into view, he held out my cell phone.
“Here,” he said.
I furrowed my brow as I took my phone back. “Thanks.”
He nodded. “Have you heard anything from the cartel?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m clearly just now getting my phone back.”
“Don’t get smart,” Texas said curtly.
I looked up at him. “No, seriously, this is the first time I’ve seen my phone since Stone took it from me.”
“And you haven’t heard from them any other way?” Notch asked.
I scoffed. “Yeah, no. We aren’t passing notes via carrier pigeons.”
“Be serious for a second,” Stone said as his face fell.
I shrugged. “Okay. Even if we did have carrier pigeons, I don’t have any windows for it to work.”
Some of the guys chuckled, and even Stone cracked a smirk. For once, it felt like I was part of a group that was trying to help me instead of rallying against me. But the longer they stared, the more I realized what they wanted me to do.
So, I unlocked my phone and checked on things.
“I…still don’t see anything,” I said.
Stone groaned. “Fuck.”
“Are we expecting something?” Notch asked.
Bronx snickered. “Any sort of retaliation. It’s the Banderas Cartel for crying out loud.”
Asher blinked. “You work for the Banderas—”
I held up my hand. “I assumed my brother’s position via a contract he signed that I didn’t know about. There’s a big fucking difference.”
“A what now?” Frost asked.
I looked over at the one guy I hadn’t laid eyes on yet.
“When someone the cartel trusts poses an interest in joining up, they have to sign a contract. And in that contract, it stipulates that if the person dies and they need their position filled, the cartel will choose a ‘next in line’ from their family pool.”
“Huh,” Stone said.
“But,” I said as I turned back to face the group, “we need to be prepared for anything. The cartel will retaliate. I blew out their fucking tires, so they’ll do something. And the fact that we haven’t heard anything means they’re planning.”
“Possibly stalking,” Notch murmured.
I pointed at him. “Bingo. Which means we have to be more vigilant than ever that we aren’t being followed or watched when we leave.”
Frost shook his head. “No, we just need to work under the assumption that we’re being watched at all times.”
Asher nodded. “I like that plan better.”
I sighed. “Whatever works. The point still stands.”
Stone walked up to me. “Because of everything that’s happened, we’re working on—”
“Aaaaare we sure we want to tell him this?” Texas asked.
I stared Stone down. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”
But he licked his lips and continued. “We’ve been working on getting a new weapons dealer that isn’t in Mexico, and I think I’ve found someone. So, you can understand why I’m wary about telling you this.”
I shook my head. “It goes nowhere, you have my word.”
His eyes gave me the old one-two. “Right. Well—”
“Wait, you already found someone?” Notch asked.
“Since when?” Asher asked.
Then, Stone turned to face Asher. “It’s actually someone I found through you guys. They’re with the Irish Independence Alliance.”
Asher shrugged. “Seems like we’ll be seeing more of each other, then.”
“And there’s one more thing,” Stone said as he turned back around to face me.
“What’s up?” I asked.
Then, he did something I never once expected.
Stone smiled. “I’d like to nominate a new prospect to the group to be voted on by all members present.”
I crooked an eyebrow. “So, am I excused?”
Notch patted my shoulder. “Not just yet.”
Stone chuckled as he backed up toward the throng of men staring at me.
“When I first met you—hell, when we all first met you—none of us trusted you. None of us thought you’d be worth your damn weight in salt.
But the moment you put your life on the line for the mother of my unborn child, I knew you were family.
I knew you were willing to go the distance and do whatever it took to protect those protecting you.
And that speaks to all of us, no matter how you came into our lives. ”
My eyes widened. “Wait a second, you’re not saying—”
“Shh,” Notch said curtly, “just enjoy it.”
My jaw slowly unhinged as Stone looked around at all of the guys. “I nominate Diego Hernandez as a new prospect for the Lost Boys M.C. All those in favor? Say ‘aye.’”
And as tears rushed my eyes, everyone—and I mean, everyone—raised their hands.
“Aye,” they all said in unison.
Even Puck, which shocked me as our eyes connected.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked him.
And when he nodded, I had to wipe at the tears cresting my eyes.
“Sorry,” I murmured.
Puck chuckled. “We’ve all been there, no worries.”
I cleared my throat. “Are you sure you want this, though?”
Stone snickered. “Puck isn’t the only cog in this decision.”
I kept my eyes locked with Puck. “But for obvious reasons, he might not be on board with this. I want to make sure he is.”
Then, Puck himself grinned. “And that right there is why we’re making this decision.
You give a shit. You care. And that’s paramount.
Sure, I’m not happy about you and my sister being a thing.
But she’s my sister. I’m never going to be happy that she’s got some guy in her life that’s more important than me.
But even I can see that you make her happy, and I sure as hell can’t control who you date, or who she dates for that matter. ”
And as I stood there, Puck stalked toward me as his face twisted into one of psychopathic protection.
“But if you hurt her—if you prove us wrong–or if you do anything to ruin any part of her that was so meticulously crafted by the life she’s lived, I get dibs on how you’re killed. Understood?”
I nodded before a smile spread across my face. “Understood.”
“Now,” Stone said as he walked over to the fridge, “who wants a fucking drink!?”
Beers were passed out and Notch started slinging drinks around to those that wanted something stronger.
We all took a shot of whiskey as a crew, knocking our glasses together before Notch helped me into a leather jacket with the word “prospect” sewn down the length of the left arm.
I couldn’t believe it. Even as I looked down at my jacket, I still couldn’t process what the fuck had just happened.
But of course, nothing lasts forever.
“Uh, guys?” I asked.
Stone knocked his beer against Asher’s before they chugged them back.
“Guys?” I asked a bit louder.
Bronx held his tequila in the air. “Three cheers for Diego! Hip Hip!”
“Hooray!” everyone exclaimed.
“Hip Hip!”
“Hooray!”
“Hip Hip—”
“Guys?” I exclaimed.
They all silenced and turned to me as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “I think the cartel’s texting me.”
Stone tore through the crowd and looked down at my phone. “You got a text.”
I nodded. “Just now.”
Stone snapped his fingers and all of the guys gathered around. “All right, open it.”
So, with trembling fingertips, I opened up the message and read it out loud.
Unknown: We know everything was a set up. I told you to not fuck with us. Consider that pretty little piece of ass our next target. I bet she’ll look beautiful going up in smoke.
“Let me see that,” Puck growled.
My face paled as my eyes met Stone. “He’s talking about Ruby.”
Stone nodded. “I know.”
“Going up in smoke? The hell does that mean?” Puck hissed.
“An explosion,” Notch said.
I looked over at him. “Oh, fuck.”
“What?” Asher asked.
I looked back over at Stone. “A car bomb. It’s their fucking signature move. I can’t tell you how many of those my brother laid for them. It’s a car bomb.”
“We have to go,” Puck said flatly.
He tossed my phone back to me and rushed for the kitchen doors.
“Where are you going!?” Stone exclaimed.
“To get Ruby! She’s at fucking class right now!”
I reached out and caught his arm, stopping him in his tracks. “You didn’t drive the van back? How the hell did you get to this meeting?”
He slowly turned and looked me dead in my eyes. “I caught a cab. She’s still got the van.”
And the second those words fell from his lips, I tore out of the kitchen quicker than him.
We had to get to Ruby before she got out of her night class.