Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 118333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118333 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 592(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
It wasn’t her.
Styx raised his hands, his body so tense it looked like he was about to snap. “So we’re going in first.” Energy buzzed through the room like wildfire. Styx’s eyes were hard, the Hangmen Mute in full control. My pulse started racing in my neck. “Those assholes think they can touch us. Touch our fucking bitches and land and unborn kids . . .” He gritted his teeth. “They can think again. We’re gonna own those fuckers. Gonna go in before they come for us.”
“We’re getting leverage,” Ky said. He smiled at each of us, a sadistic fucking smile. “We’re taking the motherfucking bride.”
My racing pulse stilled. Adelita didn’t have many friends or family members—Daddy had kept her locked away out of sight apart from to mix with the locals, win them over so they were always loyal. I didn’t know if she was close to this cousin. I didn’t know if it would hurt Adelita if she was taken. I didn’t know shit.
I closed my eyes and took a long breath. I couldn’t keep doing this. I was a motherfucking Hangman. I knew the cartel, and I knew what Quintana was capable of. That sadistic fucker would kill us. And he’d enjoy doing it. I had to push these feelings away. I had to get on board and figure shit out on the fly like I’d always done.
“Tanner?” I looked up. All eyes were on me. My eyes narrowed as I tried to work out what had been said. Ky was speaking for Styx, the prez’s suspicious gaze locked on me. I’d fucking zoned out. Tank shifted beside me. I knew he’d be wondering what was wrong with me. I was fucking up lately. I knew it.
Styx’s hands moved. “We need you on the Klan’s plans,” Ky said. “Tell us where they’ll be and when. Don’t wanna have to deal with them too. Get word out we’ll be on the road that day. Perfect bait for the Nazis to come hunting us.” I nodded. Styx pointed at Shadow. “Shadow will be covering the cartel side of things.”
“I just gotta get plans of Quintana’s place. I never worked with him. I was one of Garcia’s men, not high enough up to meet the man himself.” Shadow cracked his knuckles, lost in thought. “The wedding is on his property. It’s a fucking fortress. Quintana’s being smart. No fucker would dare infiltrate that place. Even the people who live in the villages around there are loyal to him. He gives them food and clean water, helps them be safe. They’d die to protect him and his family. With the war, it’ll be the best fucking protected place in all of Mexico.”
My lips twitched as I fought a war inside me. I squeezed my eyes shut. Saw Adelita’s face beside me on the pillow. Her perfect brown eyes and lashes and perfect lips . . . her hand holding mine.
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“Si, mi amor. I trust you with my whole heart.”
“I know the place.” Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and saw the entire room turning their heads my way. None more so than Styx. I stood off the wall, fucking showing my six-four height and two-hundred-and-fifty-pound weight. “I’ve been there. Stayed there on and off for a few months a few years back.”
“And you just thought to tell us this now?” Ky asked.
“There was no plan to go into his place until now. No mention of going onto Quintana’s turf.” The rage from only a few minutes ago flared inside me. “I was the fucking heir to the Klan. I went with my old man on most things. The fucker didn’t let me in to most of what was happening. But yeah, I’ve been to Quintana’s place. Been to a shit-ton of the Klan’s associates’ places.”
“You know him personally?” Shadow asked.
“A little.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“You knew about the trafficking?” This came from Cowboy. I got it. His bitch was taken.
“No.” My jaw clenched. “My old man kept that shit close to his chest. Seemed he had Meister for that. We were drugs and guns. That and preparing for the race war.” A few snickers followed. I gritted my teeth.
“You can draw up the plans of his estate?” Shadow asked.
I pushed Adelita from my mind, her voice telling me not to betray her papa, to betray her, and nodded. “I can do better than that.” Tanner . . . I heard Adelita’s panicked voice sound in my head. No, mi amor . . . But what the fuck was I meant to do? The cartel was on us if we didn’t strike first. I had to keep her safe. I’d fucking make sure they didn’t harm her cousin. If this meant saving Adelita . . . I’d do it. I’d have to figure out a way of making her understand.