Chapter 15
Kincaid.
My guys surrounded the beach house. There was not a chance in hell that anyone could get to Nari, but I still kept the security app open, occasionally checking to ensure she was safe.
I promised to be gone only a few hours but hoped it wouldn’t take that long.
My goal was to spend our time here celebrating her birthday.
To know she had never once experienced something as menial as a grocery store cake and that annoying-ass song not even once in her life had me wanting to track down every family she’d spent time with and physically show my displeasure with them for depriving her of such a simple privilege.
Instead, however, I promised to make sure each birthday from here on out made up for those she lost over the years.
“You need to focus. She’s good, fam. That place is secured like Fort Knox.”
I locked my phone, dropped it in my lap, and flexed my fingers, causing my knuckles to crack when I balled them into fists.
Cast was right. I made Nari promise to stay in until I returned, and my guys were instructed to shoot first if even the slightest thing felt off. No one would have a chance to get near her, but still, I couldn’t temper the anxiety of not being there.
“We’re in and out,” I said instead of addressing his comment about Nari. “If anything feels off, you put a bullet in anything moving. This has the potential to go left.”
“You already know how shit’s going down.
Even if I don’t make it out of there, you damn sure will.
” His voice did not have an ounce of uncertainty, which confirmed what I already knew.
Cast was loyal and would trade his life for mine.
With a nod and no words, I acknowledged his declaration.
It wasn’t necessary to handle things any other way.
I delivered one last look at the building where we were parked, and I spotted four sharpshooters without having to do any heavy inspection.
Medina was an important man, so his movements were heavily guarded.
Even something as simple as a meeting with O’Neal about his bullshit handling of the city put hittas on the roof.
Unfortunately, that had me thinking about the minor details of what I was doing, which would mean me taking over the city.
Those details would be handled later, and I would have to make it work.
Cast and I approached the restaurant. I carried what I had planned on using as leverage with Medina.
We were stopped at the door, and one of Medina’s men had to send word that I was there and wanted to see him.
There was a chance that he would decline, then I would have to figure out my next move.
There were nothing short of ten trained guns outside the building and half as many inside.
When one of Medina’s foot soldiers returned, extending a hand, I shook it then pointed to Cast. “He comes with me, or I can leave.”
His eyes narrowed and moved to Cast before returning to me. “You don’t come here making demands, Akel. We respect you, but The Family has to be cautious right now. I’m sure you can understand.”
“I do, which is the reason for my visit. I assure you, I’m only here to offer a solution, but as I’m sure you understand, I have to consider my safety the same as Medina has considered his own.”
With questioning eyes bouncing between Cast and me, he eventually nodded. “This way.”
We followed him through the restaurant to the back corner, where a table was set up filled with food. Three men were seated: Martinez, Medina, and O’Neal, who didn’t look too happy to see me.
“Akel, I must say I’m not happy about the last-minute visit.” Medina was the first to speak. Martinez kept a stoned expression. He didn’t like me but was curious about my impromptu meeting. It was uncharacteristic of me, which had all their guards up.
“I apologize for not reaching out first, but this was a delicate matter which needed to be handled accordingly. Had I given a heads-up, it may have offered the opportunity for some involved to shift the narrative to protect their ass. I couldn’t risk that.
” I stared at O’Neal, who seemed extremely concerned about my presence.
“Please, have a seat.”
“No, thanks. I feel it’s best if I stand.
However, I have something for you.” I lifted the box and Medina’s brows inched in closer as he frowned.
He was a full-blooded Cuban in his early seventies with hard features, thick salt-and-pepper hair, and a body resulting from too many years of eating for pleasure and not health.
On his pinky finger, he wore a ring that matched the one on the hands in the box I carried.
He motioned to one of his guys, who accepted the offering, placing it on the table.
They all watched as Medina slowly lifted the lid.
Within seconds, three guns were aimed at me, while Cast had his on Medina.
Take out the boss; don’t worry about the soldiers.
I was sure that was his thought process.
“Is this some type of joke?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Then you better start explaining—now.”
“That was delivered to my home the night my wife and I celebrated our marriage with family and friends. O’Neal must explain the reasoning behind it, considering he’s responsible.
I have my assumptions, which I’m positive will give you the answers you need.
But I think he should explain why he killed one of your top-ranking men. ”
All eyes moved from me to O’Neal.
“You can’t possibly think I would be that careless. To kill one of your men—what would be the point?”
He was already sweating, and his pupils dilated with fear. As I suspected, he hadn’t planned on me piecing things together.
“You wanted to start a war between me and the Gallardo Cartel. Likely because I called you on the fact that you hold the title, but Martinez holds the power.”
Martinez growled under his breath, now extending his gun toward O’Neal. “Es esta la verdad?” (Is this the truth?)
“Hell no. Why would I—”
“Silencio!” (Silence!) Medina’s fist slammed hard against the table, causing the china to rattle from the impact. Seconds after, his angry eyes found mine.
“What proof do you have?”
“I need to reach into my pocket without one of your men putting a bullet in me.” Medina nodded and allowed his eyes to sweep the room, confirming that he approved my request. I pressed play on the recording from the night we pulled up on Darian.
The recording was cued to the section where she mentioned O’Neal’s name.
“The tattoos, he had them on his face too. There was a cross on his left temple. Oh, and when he was leaving, he called some guy named O’Neal and told him it was done. That’s all I heard because he was walking away from me while he finished the call.”
I ended it there, and all eyes were on O’Neal within seconds. Martinez rushed him, knocking O’Neal backward so he tipped over in his chair but didn’t move because the barrel of a gun was then pressed against his head.
“No aquí, primo.” (Not here, cousin.) Medina was quick to speak up as he stood, adjusting his jacket. Martinez struggled to keep from pulling the trigger, but he obeyed orders and backed away. O’Neal, being the pussy he was, tried his best to cover his ass.
“How do you know that’s real? He could have gotten anyone to make that recording. It could be his fucking wife, for all we know. Are you really going to take his word and make it final?”
“Yes. Akel is an honorable man. I don’t have to like him, but I’ve always respected him. He’s fair and has never been an issue for our Family . . . unlike you.” Medina’s eyes went dark and O’Neal kept his mouth closed.
“You give me your word?”
Medina was offering me one last chance to validate what I presented.
I looked at O’Neal, and he was clearly spooked.
Something was off about this, especially considering how Martinez reacted so quickly.
It was as if he already knew the outcome and had been waiting for this moment. That’s when it clicked.
Muthafucker! O’Neal wasn’t behind this. Martinez was.
He had more reason to get rid of O’Neal than I did and was using me to make it happen.
It was too late to change the course of things, and it would be too hard for me to convince Medina that his own blood was behind the loss of another Family member.
I decided to play along and use this to my advantage.
I would eliminate O’Neal and force Medina’s hand with the strong-arming the Cubans had been attempting over the past year.
“I do.”
He extended a hand, but I hesitated. My eyes briefly cut to Martinez, and that was the minute I knew for sure.
“One last thing.” Medina’s sharp stare was hard on me as I continued. “I’ve handed over the man who disrespected your Family. He took one of your own. I need something in return.”
“I’m not in the position to negotiate with you, Akel. Respect will only get you so far.”
“Understood, but what I’m asking is fair. Your Family has been pushing hard lately. That creates a problem for me.”
“I will not back down. This is our city.”
“I’m not asking you to completely back down, only that you not be as visually aggressive. There has to be a level playing field, or it creates a rift with the other Families.”
“I don’t give a damn about them.”
“But I have to. I want us to agree amicably, but I will not hesitate to use force if required. That will cost us both. Can you agree to back off some? That’s all I’m asking.”
“Fuck that. Esta es nuestra ciudad, primo. No negociamos con él ni con nadie más.” (This is our city, cousin. We don’t negotiate with him or anyone else.)
Medina delivered a look to Martinez that had him silent once more, but he was seething because he wasn’t the one calling the shots.
“I will agree. War costs time and money. It’s not beneficial to either side. My people will back off some.”
I extended a hand. “As long as you honor your word, we have a deal.”