My own motherfucking cousin double-crossed me.
I turn and find Cillian watching us with his arms folded over his chest.
“I want in,” he says.
“He’s my family.”
“He had my place shot up, and three of my guys were killed,” he counters. “I want fuckingin. And when you find Lincoln, I want that too.”
Finally, after staring each other down, I nod once. “You and Declan and that’s it.”
“I can live with that.”
“I don’t want you to go,” Violet says, shaking her head, as I hug her goodbye.
“I’ll be back in a few hours.” I tip her chin up so I can kiss those perfect lips. Fuck, I miss her. She’s right here, in our house, but I’ve hardly touched her in the past twenty-four hours. “I have to take care of this, baby.”
“You’re leaving thecountry.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours,” I repeat because there’s nothing more to say that could appease her. “You won’t even know I’m gone.”
“Fuck, Mateo.”
“Look at me.” I brace her gorgeous face in my hands. “He played thefuck around and find outgame, and he just lost. I don’t give a rat’s ass who he is, he doesn’t get to survive this, Savage.Youcould have been killed last night. Fuck, his own wife could have been killed.”
“What will happen to her?” she asks, concern in her big blue eyes.
“She’ll be taken care of.” I kiss her nose and then her lips, and what I intended to be a soft kiss turns desperate. “Stay here. Bobby and Lucky are right outside.”
“We’ll stay,” she assures me, and with a nod, I turn to leave, but we spot Diego hugging Rose, and I pause.
Even Violet comes to a halt, and her hand squeezes in mine.
“Okay,” Rose whispers, and steps out of Diego’s arms and hugs herself.
Violet and I share a look before I stride to the door.
When Diego and I are in the elevator, I adjust my sleeves. I’m in a suit for this.
It’s official business.
“I have to go kill my cousin tonight, a man that I respected and considered an ally. Don’t make me kill you too.”
Diego shakes his head but doesn’t say anything.
“What the fuck, man?” I ask, his friend now instead of his boss.
“I don’t even know. I can’t explain it.”
“Tread very carefully.”
“That’s the plan.”
It’s just before dawn when we arrive at Javier’s compound. My brothers, our number twos, and Cillian and Declan, along with twenty-five soldiers, made the trip down here, and that’s all we’ll need.
Similar to the other night, Julian jams the security and comms inside, and then we breach, moving fast. Most everyone is still asleep, and the guards that are lazily manning the perimeter are quickly taken out.
The teams have been given express instructions to not kill women or children, but any man who fights is fair game.