Mason:Inked Reapers MC(27)

"Tick?" the greeter asked, looking confused.



"Uh … yeah. It's a nickname." I shrugged. "When we were kids, he had a  nervous tick in his cheek," I explained, ignoring the daggers Tick's  glare shot at me. He hated when I explained the name to anyone, so  probably more so that I was telling the cartel. "Long time ago." I waved  off the topic.



"The other men?"



"They should be here tomorrow. We spread out." He seemed appeased by my explanation and guided us to the house.



"My name is Julio, Bernardo's brother. You'll be spending the week with  us, please let me show you inside. Bernardo is out on business and will  meet with you at dinner." Tick and I exchanged a look then grabbed our  bags from the van before following him up the stairs into the house.



Bernardo hadn't given me the impression that he held much class, but by  the look of his house the man had expensive tastes. Marble flooring  covered the foyer. A crystal chandelier dangled from the vaulted  ceiling, small rainbows playing on the walls from the sunlight peering  in through the massive arched windows on the second floor.



"Yeah. Thanks." Tick looked around the place and gave me a look that  reminded me of when we were kids walking through the museum in the city.  Our moms would take us on one of those free days they had a few times a  year, and Tick would worry about breaking something because his mom  told us that if we broke something we'd have to pay for it. And if we  didn't have the cash, we'd have to live there until we earned the money.  As a kid, I'd thought it an empty threat, one we'd never have to face,  but now as an adult I had a horrible feeling tracking my every thought.  It was a reality for Lucy. I'd left her behind with Jayson. I'd left her  in his tortuous hands. I'd actually walked away, knowing he'd be using  her body while I was gone. Could I have sunk any lower?



All for what? The club? For money? Fuck. I could have sent her and my  mom away on a plane far away from Jayson. Forcing Lucy would have been  necessary, but at least then I would know his fucking hands wouldn't be  anywhere near her. Instead, I sent her back, told her to hold tight  until I finished this last fucking run.



"Hey. Get your head out of your ass." Tick gave me a shove as we headed up the winding staircase toward the second floor.



"You can use this room." Julio pushed the doors open to a room that looked like it belonged in a museum, not a house.



"Wow. You guys really make bank." Tick whistled and walked into the room, tossing his duffle bag on the nearest loveseat.



Julio gave a half grin. "My brother does well enough. His wife,  Carmella, likes the finer things. If it were up to my brother, we'd all  be living in a warehouse working round the clock." The way he said  Carmella's name struck me as different. Julio spoke perfect English,  with only a small hint of an accent. His polished look, his elegant  mannerisms-at first I'd guess he was gay, but after seeing his eyes  light up at the mention of Bernardo's wife, I realized the truth of the  situation.



"When did you say Bernardo will be back?" I slid the bag from my shoulder.



"Sometime tonight. We'll have dinner when he returns. If you need  anything just pick up the phone. It rings the kitchen and someone can  bring you whatever you need."



"Thanks." Tick nodded and started looking around the room. I gave a nod  and Julio disappeared through the doors, closing them behind him. "Well,  fuck, look at this place." Tick held out his arms and nodded.



"Don't' get too comfortable," I warned him. "We have shit to do. First  we figure out how to get back through border patrol. I'm sure Bernardo  will have a plan, we just need to make sure it's safe. We aren't going  to have the firepower his men usually do."



"Yeah. He has men to do this run over the border, why drag our asses  down here for it?" Tick asked for the third time, and for the third time  I shook my head, unable to answer.



"I don't know. I don't like it though, so keep your eyes open." I eyed  the bed in the next room. It had been a long drive down, and that bed  looked almost as inviting as Lucy sitting a few feet away from me. "I'm  getting a few z's before Bernardo comes back," I announced, and headed  in that direction, already starting to kick off my boots.                       
       
           



       



I'd rather jump back in the van and head home to Lucy, but I'd have wait  it out. Then I'd get to her as fast as possible and get her the fuck  away from Jayson. Good standing or not, we were gone as soon as I got  back.





***





Bernardo never showed for dinner. Julio made some excuse for him as we  sat down in the expansive dining room. Wearing my usual shirt and jeans  with my leather cut, I felt under dressed among all of the crystal and  silver being passed around the table. Even though Tick and I ate alone  with Julio, the full table had been set and utilized.



"Your president, Marcus." Julio wiped his napkin over his lips. "He's a good man? Honest?"



I looked at Tick, wondering how to respond. Tick stuffed his mouth with a  forkful of chicken dish we'd been served. "I don't think you get to  where he is in life without being at least a little dishonest, but yeah,  I guess he's an honest man."



Julio gave a slight nod and reached for his glass of wine. "But he's not  above stepping on people as he climbs the ladder, eh?" What the fuck. I  didn't do politics.



"He was president when I joined the club, so I don't know about that."  It would be better not to be having the conversation at all, but if I  had to answer the questions, I would have to tread lightly.



"Ah." Julio's eyebrows raised. "And you?" He gave Tick a pointed look.



"Same here." Tick shoveled in another mouthful of food and gave me a worried glance.



"My brother. He's stepped, stomped, killed, whatever he thought necessary to get to where he is."



"I can understand that. This business you're in, it's not so safe." I  looked at the glass of wine in front of my plate and wished for a beer.



"To say the least." Julio snorted.



"Bernardo isn't just away on business," Tick finally chimed in, placing  his silverware on his now empty plate. He rested his elbows on the table  and covered his fist with his hand. His eyes focused and determined.  "We aren't down here for a simple run over the border." He nodded in my  direction.



Julio studied him silently, looking between him and myself. His  expression didn't give me any hints about his thoughts as the moments  ticked by. "No," he agreed, and sat back in his chair. He gave a wave  and three men walked into the room. Each dressed as fine as himself and  all armed with a machine gun slung over their shoulders.



"Julio … " I started to stand, but he waved me back into my seat.



"Don't worry about them." He said something to them in Spanish that I  couldn't understand and they all nodded and each moved to stand in one  of the three doorways of the room. "They keep others out."



"What for?" The pleasantries were over.



"Marcus and I, we've been in discussions about your dealing with my brother and this other gang-"



"Club," Tick interjected.



"Yes. Club." Julio waved. "My brother-he wants to pit you two against  each other, see who's the stronger and let that club keep the territory.  He wants to expand further and further north, into territories that are  already taken by other cartel leaders. This means there will be a war  between them. It has taken decades to build these territory lines, these  truces. It's a delicate thing between these men. My brother wants to  spit on all the work and all the blood that has gone into it because he  is greedy."



"What does this have to do with us?" I demanded. The sagging feeling in  my stomach that I had when we climbed into the van nearly a day ago  suddenly returned with more force.



"My brother is to be relieved of his duty." Julio folded his hands over  his plate and delivered the news as though he were telling us that he  wanted ice cream for dessert. "Marcus and I, we've come to an agreement.  He'll have full territory rights."



"Why bring us down here for that? The Disciples aren't going to let that happen so quietly back home."



"The Disciples are a shitty group of men. I've been there, met with that  Jayson. I've also seen that whore house in the back of their club.  Abused women being raped daily." He paused for a moment, standing from  his chair as a woman dressed in a short red dress walked into the room,  brushing past the guard. Her chestnut hair swept up into a neat bun on  the top of her head showed her long neck and glimmering earrings. She  glided right to Julio and placed her hands on his chest before reaching  up on her tiptoes to place a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Carmella, you  were to wait upstairs," he chided quietly.