The Viper (Untamed Hearts #1)(64)

This was all a little too Goodfellas for Chuito, but he played along rather than stiffen. He was hyperaware of Nova standing behind his brother. It was always easy to see the resemblance in them, the same broad, muscular builds, the same short, dark hair and dark eyes, but there was something harder in Nova’s face. Tino was definitely the prettier of the two brothers, because there was simply no give in Nova. This was a man who rarely, if ever, let down his guard, and at twenty-six, it showed.

When Chuito pulled away from Tino, he shook Nova’s hand. “Thanks for coming so fast. I didn’t know you had to drive. I appreciate it.”

“I needed to see everyone anyway. I like things that kill two birds with one stone.” Nova shrugged and gestured to the table. “Toma asiento. Ponté cómodo.”

Chuito sat and tried to make himself comfortable like Nova suggested, but he couldn’t tell if Nova spoke Spanish to put him at ease or leave him more on edge.

“You hungry?” Tino asked as he walked to the fridge. “We haven’t had dinner yet, but I can find something.”

“No.” Chuito shook his head. “I’m good.”

Nova sat across from Chuito, studying him thoughtfully. “So spill it, Garcia. What’s the favor? I’m dying to hear this.”

Chuito frowned. “I didn’t say it was a favor.”

“I said it was a favor.” Tino put a water bottle in front of his brother with more force than necessary. “We owe him.”

Nova gave his brother a hard look before he turned back to Chuito and said in Spanish, “I don’t like owing favors. I would have made different arrangements for the other thing if I thought it was going to come back and bite me in the ass a year later.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I told you that at the time. I wanted to help with that,” Chuito assured him in Spanish. “This is not a favor; it’s a business arrangement.”

Nova picked up his water bottle and unscrewed the cap slowly, methodically, and then said in English, “A business arrangement means I gotta benefit off the end results.”

“You will.”

Tino sat down next to Chuito, as if there had been an invisible line drawn across the table, and he was making it very clear whose side he was on. He handed Chuito a bottle of water and then glared at his brother.

Being in the middle of a family squabble wasn’t Chuito’s ideal, especially when the family was the Morettis, but he’d learned a long time ago not to show weakness. This was his last option save going back to Miami and tearing into them with his bare hands and likely ending up in prison for the effort. He was nervous, but he made damned sure Nova didn’t know it.

“There’s someone in Miami I need to put the squeeze on,” Chuito went on, using their terminology on purpose. “But I can’t be the one to do it.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not just part of Los Corredores, he’s running it.”

Nova took a long drink of water as he considered that. When he was done, he set the bottle down. “You’ll understand when I tell you that doesn’t give me very much confidence about going into business with you. My people don’t respect guys who f*ck over their organization. We usually bury pricks like that.”

“He wants to take out my cousin.” Chuito held up his hands. “You f*ck with my family, it’s war. He made the first move, not me. Angel knows where I stand on that.”

“How do you know he wants to take out your cousin?”

“Marcos wants out and wasn’t exactly subtle about making his case. He’ll make an example of him.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t, but I believe it’s a strong possibility. Angel and I have a history. I let him run Los Corredores. It could have been mine. I moved here instead, but I still have a certain level of authority. I have good contacts on the inside that tell me he wants to smoke Marcos. Even if it pisses me off. He doesn’t want any split allegiances, and Marcos’s stand is starting to cause a rift. Most of the OGs are inclined to side with him out of loyalty to me.”

“You’re a threat?”

“Yes.”

“And your cousin is a liability?”

Chuito shook his head. “He went to prison rather than sell out Los Corredores. He wouldn’t go to the heat. It’s not in him, but he does want out. He’s willing to turn his back on them. Angel doesn’t like to be ignored. It’s an insult.”

“And why should your cousin get out when the rest of us haven’t?” Nova laughed bitterly. “What makes him so f*cking special?”

“What makes Tino special? I know you want him here, and I know there’s a good reason for that.” Chuito held up a hand to Tino next to him. “He’s your brother. You want him out. Marcos is like my brother. We were raised together. We grew up under the same roof and went through the same shit. If he wants to live his life without Los Corredores holding him down, I want to give him that.”

“And you’re gonna sell your soul to me to get that?”

“Yes,” Chuito agreed without hesitation. “I will.”

“And what do you have to offer me for putting the squeeze on your Los Corredores brother Angel?”

“Angel’s got an interesting car-theft ring running in Miami. He’s learned how to wash the titles rather than just chop the cars for parts. He ships them overseas with clean titles, and I’m sure it’s been very profitable for him. If someone could get their hands into the docks where the cars go out from, they would have the leverage to make his life very easy…or very difficult.”