Mason
I’m pacing the hallway outside my father’s office door like a tiger in a cage. Finally, Vincent Montgomery, senator of Arizona, man who can’t be bothered unless you’re a political donor, deigns to open the door. “I’ve been waiting for you,” I tell my father.
“What do you need, Mason? I hope it’s not about Luciana Sincere. I have already expressed my thoughts about you and her being together, and it will not work. I’m tired of explaining the same thing over and over.”
“You mean it will not be convenient for you,” I growl.
I follow my father as he enters his office with the smell of cigars and whiskey, wood bookshelves, and an antique desk imported from Mexico. The Persian rug on the floor gives it this ancient orthodox feel, like I traveled back in time. I have asked him to talk toEl Diabloabout Lucy and me, but he refuses. It is not the first time I have asked but this time I need to drive my point home.
He sits down behind his desk with his hands clasped on the shiny wood table. His gold ring on his pinkie finger gleaming under the light. “She is not the girl that you can be associated with in that way and in my current position as senator, it will have people looking into the Sincere family, who are really the Mendoza cartel. Are you crazy? It is bad enough we have to hide who we are and what you will inherit once I’m gone.”
My father took my mother’s family name, as did all the Kings of West Hillside. Our real last name is Cortez, as in the Cortez Cartel.
“I’m not going into politics. And the shit you have me clean up for our family is for your benefit. So you don’t have to get your hands dirty. I’m not going to end up marrying a girl like you did Mom and have to hide who I am. There is nothing wrong with Lucy Sincere and you know it.”
“What about Lucy Sincere?” My mother enters my father’s office dressed like the first lady, her brunette locks swept up in a chignon and her tailored blazer over white silk slacks pressed to perfection.
My father waves his hand toward me. “He wants to be with her, Brenda. Officially. And he wants me to ask her father for permission. Lucy Sincere is not the young woman for our son.”
“Oh please, Vincent. They have been close for years, and we have strong ties to the Sincere family.”
My father slams his hand down on the desk, making her jump. “I said it’s out of the question. He can fuck around all he wants, but not with that young girl. Her father will lose his shit if he finds out you have been fucking her,” he roars.
I get up with my hands fisted and lean over my father’s desk, seething in anger. He wants to control me but not when I have to kill and torture for him. When government leaders are suddenly killed, or people disappear for his gain or for our cartel family, that’s fine by him.
I’m tired of doing what he wants and not having a voice. I’m not going to lose Lucy. She hates my fucking guts because of me listening to my piece-of-shit father.
Because of him, I have hurt her repeatedly. Every time I am near her, he threatens me with my mother. My father is no saint and has a mistress in our house in Mexico.
He says he will bring his mistress as a housekeeper so he can fuck her whenever he wants. I won’t do that to my mother. I can’t make her suffer just because she is shallow and loves the facade of being the wife of a senator with money. I get she is a superficial bitch that cares about money and what people think. She loves the fact that I’m this football star that gets good grades and likes to overlook the fact that I’m the heir of the Cortez Cartel and a trained killer. My mother loves the lie but she has shown love for me and I do love her.
I clench my teeth, holding back the rage coursing through my veins as I glare at my father, looking him dead in the eye. “Guess what? I did fuck her. You can have your meeting and look your childhood friend in the eyes knowing something he doesn’t.”
My father loses his shit and swipes his desk, throwing everything on the floor. Picture frames shatter when they connect with the travertine tile.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?Eres un hijo de maltrato,a son that only behaves when punished. Do you know what you have done?”
He grabs a lamp and throws it against the wall, shattering the glass bulb to pieces and denting the wall. My mother bolts from the room like it just caught fire, scared of my father’s temper.
“You think you stand a chance in defending yourself againstEl Diablo? Let’s hope you weren’t the one to deflower his only daughter. What makes you think he would spare you? He doesn’t think anyone is good enough for her. You were supposed to protect her from guys that would take advantage of her, not the other way around. She is not for you, Mason.” He swipes his hand through his straight black hair. “She is not someone you screw and cast aside or marry and keep in the dark.”
He takes a deep breath and removes his tie before sitting back in his chair. He lowers his voice as I stand with my fists still clenched and continues his rant. “She is born with a crown on her head, not a woman that needs to be crowned. She is a cartel princess that will run her share, just like you and her brother.”
I’m not fazed by his outburst. I used to fear my father when I was younger. As I got older and stronger, I realized I could overpower him physically. I listen to his thought process, his reason for not accepting my desire to be with Lucy, but it means nothing to me if I cannot get what I want. And that is a chance to be with her.
“You can tell him I didn’t ask his permission to be with his daughter because of you.” I turn around, but before I leave, I look back at him. “Don’t play matchmaker with me and Gloria or any daughters of the pricks you play golf with for votes. I’ll make sure I air out what type of whores they sired. Especially Gloria. That bitch fucks anything with a cock and a loaded bank account.”
I leave with him swearing out loud and the sound of another vase hitting the wall.
Chapter Eleven
Mason
It has been a month since my chat with my father and things are heating up with the Southside GuNz. They’ve been showing up randomly in the east, throwing their sets and spray tagging billboard signs and businesses all over Hillside. We are in the parking lot near a gas station in a remote side of town in the east. Hector called us saying that he was delivering a drop for Aiden when he switched cars to meet up at another spot. When he returned, he called us that something was wrong.
“They tagged up my ride,Carnal.” Hector tells Aiden.
He’s one of the East Hillside members. Hector is what we consider an old-school, running with the East Hillside when Raymond started. His brothers, the twins, went to school with us our senior year. We got them a scholarship to another school out of state so they wouldn’t be tempted to follow in their brother’s footsteps. Khalani was grateful Aiden pulled that off and sent Jessica and her parents to go fuck off upstate somewhere away from Khalani.