The Viper (Untamed Hearts #1)(47)

“What did that mean?” Katie called from the bedroom.

“Nada,” Chuito answered for him and jerked Marcos’s arm so hard he nearly face-planted on the tile in the kitchen. “Come on, man, you better hope she doesn’t learn Spanish.”

“I bet I could teach her.” Marcos poured himself more coconut rum. “She’s smart.”

“What is it about this chica?”

“I like her. A lot.” Marcos took another long drink, wincing over the sweetness of it. He went to look in the fridge, considering orange juice to mix with it like Katie had done. “I hate this shit. Is there a real liquor store in this town?”

“Just tell me about Angel.”

Fuck the orange juice. He just drank it straight again, because he didn’t want to think about the Angel situation.

“You get your mother out of the house. I’ll deal with the rest when I go back.”

“Why? What’s going to happen?”

“That would be my problem.” Marcos raised his eyebrows. “We stopped being a team a long time ago.”

Chuito leaned back against the counter, his body tense as he eyed Marcos critically. “You’re planning on doing something stupid.”

“My issue.” Marcos gestured to himself, because he wasn’t going to let Angel win at using him as a pawn against his cousin. “I told you what you need to know. Now get out. Let me enjoy Katie while I can.”

“I can’t just get out, Marc,” Chuito snapped at him. “I can’t drop it.”

“Yes, Chu, you can.” Marcos drank again. “I’m not giving you another option.”

Chuito ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up in dark spikes. “There’s no way that chica is going to put up with you for a week. I can barely stand you, and you’re practically my brother.”

“Okay, you keep telling yourself that. Me and Katie, we actually get along really well.” Marcos looked at his glass, eyeing the melting ice cubes. “My mother would have liked her.”

“Marcos—”

He glanced up, seeing his cousin standing there with the stricken look on his face. Aunt Sofia talked about the dead a lot. Marcos and Chuito never did, but for just a moment, he considered a different life, one where he could have taken Katie home to his mother. “She would have liked her a lot. I know it. She’d be proud of me for finding a girl like that. A teacher. She helps kids turn out like Juan was supposed to turn out.”

Chuito put a hand over his eyes and took a deep breath. “Please just tell me how I can help you.”

“You can’t. Sorry.” Marcos sighed. “Sometimes I miss the good ol’ days. Us against the world. It made it easier, somehow.”

“It’s still us against the world.” Chuito dropped his hand and gave him a hard look. “I’d smoke Angel tomorrow for you. Easy. I’d smoke just about anyone for you, Marc. You tell me the problem, and I’ll take care of it.”

“I know.” He walked up and patted his chest. “That’s why you got to go.”

“Why are you doing this?” Chuito sounded as lost as Marcos felt. “Why won’t you let me help you?”

“Because you think we owed it to my mother and Juan to get even,” Marcos started, hating that his voice cracked. “And I believed you. For a long time I thought that was true. Now I’m not so sure. I’m starting think I owe it to Juan to make sure his older brother doesn’t lose any more of his soul to this bullshit.”

“So, what? You give up yours instead?” Chuito shook his head, his gaze suddenly hard. “No. I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not giving up any more of my soul. Not for you,” Marcos assured him. “And I’m certainly not doing it for Angel.”

“Do you think he’s going to try to take you out?” Chuito asked, his voice anguished. “Is that what you’re trying to say to me?”

“I don’t know what Angel is going to do.” Marcos shrugged and then took another drink. “Go home, Chu. Go take advantage of a pretty chica crawling in your bed every night.”

“Life isn’t just about f*cking a pretty chica, Marcos.”

“Yes, it is.” Marcos gave him a smile as he thought about Katie. “And if you did it with the right one, you’d know that. I know why you won’t screw your neighbor, and it’s not because her father’s a preacher.”

“Why, then?” Chuito laughed manically. “You tell me why, genius?”

“Because you’re afraid she’ll stop giving you a reason to be so angry, and you can’t handle that. Anger is the only thing that’s kept you going for the past eight years. I’m so tired of it.”

“Fine, you know what, go do something stupid and reckless and give Angel a reason to smoke you.” Chuito pushed away from the counter and walked past him. “This chica has made you more crazy than usual, as if that was possible, but I don’t care anymore!”

“Good!” Marcos yelled as he followed his cousin out of the kitchen. “I hope you mean it!”

“I do! You know what I’m tired of? I’m tired of trying to help someone too f*cking stubborn to help himself!”