“We didn’t part ways because of any disloyalty. If it were that simple, I would’ve buried his ass, not worked with him again. No, we split because he’s hard-headed, reckless, and impossible to negotiate with. He always wanted things his way, even when it was obviously not the smartest choice.”
He let out a humorless laugh as he continued. “I’ll give him this… he’s clean, efficient, and never late with a payment or short on a shipment. That’s the only reason I tolerate him and decided to go into business with him again.”
I nodded, taking it all in, then shifted gears. “I want to discuss the mule I hired for that run.”
But Alejandro raised a hand, cutting me off. “Hold that thought… because so do I.”
He straightened forward, eyes sharpening with interest.
“I want to meet this superstar who has transported millions of dollars’ worth of product in a few damn weeks with zero slip-ups. You and I both know that’s nearly unheard of. Usually, we’re busy cleaning up a disaster by week one. But this girl?” He smiled, a hint of admiration creeping into his expression. “She’smoving like a pro. And you know what’s more astonishing? I don’t even know who the hell she is. What’s her name? How does she look?”
I reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, located Ajori’s photo from my gallery, and flipped the screen toward him.
“This her,” I pointed out.
Alejandro leaned in to inspect the image, and I immediately noticed his entire demeanor had shifted. The color drained from his face, his breathing became rapid and shallow, and his jaw locked so tightly that I could hear the grinding of his teeth.
I frowned. “You good?”
He didn’t answer. His voice came out strangled, quiet, like he had to force each word out between his teeth.
“What’s this girl’s name?”
“Ajori,” I answered slowly, sensing something was off.
His eyes darkened with a newfound intensity, and not the typical cartel darkness but something much more personal.
“And she’s the one who’s been doing these runs? She’s the mule?”
I blinked, thrown off by the tone. “Yeah. Why? What’s wrong? You know her or something?”
Alejandro didn’t respond. Instead, he pushed back from his desk and ripped off his jacket mid-step. Before I could process what was happening, he grabbed the front of my shirt, yanked me up, and slammed me against the wall with such force that the frame behind me rattled.
“Motherfucker! That’s my daughter!” he spat, as he shook me, catching me entirely off guard.
Daughter? The fuck?
“You’ve been having my daughter risk her life hauling drugs across the state and being surrounded by men who would kill her without a second thought! Tell me you didn’t know this shit, Domino! Tell me!” he roared.
I stared at him, dumbfounded, mind racing. “Your… your daughter?! I didn’t even know you had a daughter, Alejandro!”
He shoved me harder, anger radiating from him. “That’s because I don’t speak on my family!” he snarled, spit flying with each syllable. “But that’s beside the point! You—You didn’t do a damn background check?!”
It clicked.
Fuck… Ajori’s father missing details.
On some real shit, I thought she had a deadbeat… a runaway… hell, a ghost as a father. I damn sure didn’t think Alejandro Reyes, the man who whose name carried weight across borders, and not just streets, was related to her.
“Answer me!” he barked, shoving me again, his voice a potent mix of fury and fear.
“Me and Marcos did look into her!” I shot back, breathing hard. “But she kept the father section blank. I figured she had a bum-ass daddy. I didn’t think the nigga was you! And no one forced her!” I snapped, pushing his wrists away from my body. “Even if I had known the truth, she probably still would’ve chosen to go through with it! She did it for her brother! He needs a heart, and from the way she talks, it sounds like he doesn’t have much time left."
Alejandro staggered back like I shot him, then braced a hand on the desk, chest rising and falling fast.
“This… this is all my fault,” he muttered. “All of it.”
I frowned, genuinely confused now. “What the hell is going on, Alejandro? I feel like I’m missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.”