13. Matheus
I cross my arms over my chest.
“No. I wanted that bastard to look her in the face before she killed him.”
“Jesus fuck, Mat.” He glares at me, unimpressed. “It was meant to be a discreet hit carried out by a faceless fucking hitman, not the daughter of one of our biggest rivals.”
I drag off my sunglasses.
“Look, I sorted it, Tommy. I have Luke working on getting rid of the evidence. And Dani isn’t a threat to us, either.”
“It was bad enough when she was his employee…but his blood. His familia!”
His fists clench and he falls quiet, considering me.
“So, I’m guessing the distribution warehouse that was blown up—that was you sorting it out too, wasn’t it?”
I nod. “To?o recognized Dani and snatched her off the street. Gio sent men to help, and I rallied a few of Blanco’s soldiers. To?o caught me off guard and put a gun to my chest. He threatened me, Tommy. And guess what?” My brows hitch. “Dani killed him before he could pull the trigger.”
“This is a fucking joke,” he mutters under his breath. “Did our guys see your face there too?”
“I’m not scared of those fuckers.”
Tomás’ eyebrows drift up. “You’re getting quite the reputation for burning down buildings. I thought Dré was the impulsive one. This gives To?o’s gang more weight to recruit our own fucking soldiers.”
“There’s one more thing,” I add. “Blanco presented me with a contract. He wanted me to marry his daughter Sofia.”
“Please tell me you didn’t sign it?”
“I did––but picked Dani instead.”
Tomás balks. “Why the fuck would you do that? You studied law, didn’t you?”
I sigh, fed up with having to explain myself.
“Aside from the fact he had important information about our family, I would have asked her to marry me, eventually.” I shrug. “But…”
Tomás folds his arms, standing stoic, almost statuesque.
“But what?”
“She doesn’t want to be associated with us, because of what happened in the past. When you had the barn obliterated with all those…” I look down the empty corridor and lower my voice. “…bodies.”
My brother knows the story. I’d already explained the situation to him, which is why he gave her the green light to kill Eduardo.
He didn’t say much about it at the time and agreed to the hit, since Dani had saved my life in Blackwater. Tomás always comes through for me and that occasion was no different.
“But that doesn”t make sense.” His brow scrunches. “Sounds like bullshit to me. Be honest, Mat. Did Dani ask you to hand over Eduardo while she rode your dick?”
His comment hits me in the chest like a bullet. My nostrils flare and I swear if I didn”t have a mountain of respect for this man, I’d punch him straight in the teeth.
“Eduardo was my gift to her. Dani knew nothing about it. She didn’t even know what he looked like, otherwise he would have been dead already.”
Annoyance tightens his mouth, so he speaks with a sinister snarl.
“How about you tell me what was so damn important that you signed your life away?”
“Look, we’ll talk about it later. Dré needs us. I just wanted to let you know what’s going on in the background.”
Tomás bares his teeth, his mood darkening.
“We’re talking about it now. What information did he give you, Mat?”
“Fine.” I click my tongue and sigh. “Blanco is sticking to his theory that Papá’s murder was an inside job.”
Slowly, and methodically, Tomás fixes his diamond cufflinks.
“You signed a contract that would unite our family with that fucker, and all he gave you was a conspiracy theory. Jesus fuck, you agreed to marry her for that?”
“He had other information, Tommy.”
“Like what? What else did he tell you?”
“That”s the thing.” I chuckle, my voice hoarse and tired. “He said Elias wasn’t my father. That Papá arranged for my real father”s execution and then he took over his organization.”
His brows snap together, the shocked reaction to my revelation completely genuine.
“Did you say…real father… meaning Papá wasn’t our father?”
“The old bastard was your father all right, which explains why he kept you close and pushed me away.”
“Bullshit,” he scoffs, looking over his shoulder and then back to me again. “If Blanco is the fucking oracle, then surely, he gave you the name of your father?”
“That”s what I need to talk to Mama about. Dani was kidnapped before he got to finish.”
Tomás scratches his jaw, considering me.
“He said your real father was murdered and Elias took over his organization. Yeah?”
He takes a step back and fingers his collar.
“It couldn”t be…” Tomás frowns. “That fucker murdered him. Papá planted the bomb that killed Uncle Angelo? The bomb that destroyed my life until––”
My brows hitch, waiting. “Until?”
“Carina,” he replies simply.
My chest tightens. I’ve known Tomás all my life. Although I was too young to remember the bomb, I do know the explosion screwed him up. It messed with his head and killed his hero.
Because of that alone, I’m certain he had nothing to do with Angelo’s assassination.
“So, if Angelo was my father and you didn’t kill him…”
“Of course I didn’t kill him,” he growls.
“Blanco thinks you assassinated my father all because Elias was testing your loyalty.”
Tomás pinches the bridge of his nose and turns away from me. In a blur, he grabs my arm and pushes me into a vacant side room, slamming the door shut behind us.
“That motherfucker doesn’t know anything,” he grits out, his typically controlled demeanor slipping. “You know what, Mat, I never spoke a word about that day…not even to the long string of shrinks I had to visit. I couldn’t say it out loud because I hated myself. But…yeah, I put a bullet in his skull straight after the bomb went off…and it haunts me, even to this day. Angelo ordered me, a fucking kid, to give him a quick, honorable death…to put him out of his misery. He was dying for fuck’s sake. I didn’t pull the trigger for any other reason than my uncle begged me. So, whatever bullshit Blanco thinks he knows, he doesn’t.” He exhales down his nose. “And that’s strictly between me and you. I don’t want to talk about it ever again. As for Buffy, there’s no fucking way you’re going to marry a Blanco puta.”
My hackles rise.
“Don’t, Tommy. Don’t call her that,” I warn. “Elias made me feel like an outsider my whole life. Dani makes me feel…content in my own skin. The same way Carina makes you feel inside. Don’t disrespect her again.”
He exhales loudly after my confession. “Carina was never the enemy. I always knew that. As for Dani and Carlos Blanco, I don’t trust either of them.”
“Do not go after her, Tommy. I’m warning you. If you hurt her––”
Tomás gets in my face, his voice low and threatening.
“If she hurts you, brother, or any other member of our family, I won’t send men after the woman. I’ll strangle her with my own fucking hands. I’m responsible for this family, don’t ever forget that. And even if Angelo was your father, you’re still a true blood Souza. You’re one of us and…always have been.”
“Except I was never given a family ring like the rest of you guys, Tommy. I’m just a uni-grad with a sniper rifle.”
Tomás’ hand settles on my shoulder, heavy and dominant.
“You’re my familia, Matheus. My brother. I watched over you when Papá didn’t. I sent you shipments of product to sell while at university, even when Papá told me not to. I included you, Mat.”
I frown, all the memories of my late teenage years flooding me. The happy times we’d spent together at Mama’s place, carefree inside her secure compound.
My brothers were like any other brother, doing normal shit with me. Not gods of war and drug trafficking lords.
Later on, we’d had over-the-top yacht parties. Speed boat races on the ocean. Late-night phone conversations. Random flights to Vegas for messy weekends.
“Whereas the Blanco girl, she means nothing to me,” he continues. “She”s a devious bitch getting revenge for something she thinks happened in her past. She’s coming after us and you’re too love struck to see the danger. Pull your head out of your ass, Matheus.”
My veins jump and my temper sparks. Pushing my face into his, I grit my teeth and do my best to control my impulses.
“I’ll tell you this one last time. She’s out of bounds, Tommy, and under my protection. Don’t fuck with her, or?—”
He glares at me. “Or what, Matheus?”
I take a sideways step to give both of us space and drag a hand down my face.
“I’m asking you, as my brother, to step away from this. She’s loyal to me and if you go after her, then you and I will have a big fucking problem, patrón.”