Chapter 81: Chapter 12

EVA

I finally sit down after setting everything in motion. I know we need to stay ahead of the game. I reach out and grab Niko’s arm.

“I need an aerial view of this address. I don’t care how you get it or what you have to hack, just get me the image.”

He nods quickly and starts working on a computer. I notice the guys standing around, just staring. I look up at the ceiling as unshed tears threaten to spill from my eyes.

I close my eyes, shake my head, and stand up. “Victoria Ortiz survived and she’s on a personal mission to take us down! Caden, Nate, and Jessie are unconscious at the hospital.

“Jocelyn, Cami, Mandy, and Jace are hiding in the basement. I need a crew of twenty to stay here. Everyone else, load up every SUV we have with every bullet and gun we have!”

I see guards jumping on their phones, running to the stockpile rooms, and carrying the guns out to the SUVs. Niko runs up to me, looking worried.

“I can’t find the address!”

I’m about to storm downstairs when Ronald comes running in. I signal for him to wait a minute as I rush back downstairs. This guy is going to talk!

I walk into the room, grab him by the arms, retie his hands in front, and drag him upstairs by his hair. I sit him down in a chair, pull out my gun, and point it at his head.

“Where is the house! There’s no such address!”

He quickly starts scrolling around on the map, moving up a street, then zooms in to show the area. It looks like a house, but it’s newly built.

That’s why we couldn’t find it. I have Niko print it out and send it to everyone. I instruct a guard to take him back downstairs and lock him up.

I walk over to Ronald who is signing quickly, asking what happened. I explain everything and where we’re going. He wants to come and I start to say no, but I see the desperation in his eyes.

His chance to be a part of something. I agree and see everyone standing around, ready to go. My phone buzzes with a text confirming she’s there, but with at least a hundred men.

“Gentlemen, we’re going up against a lot of guards. At least a hundred, but we have about seven hundred fifty men descending on this property. We need to surround it completely and move in! No one, and I mean not one of her men, survives! We end this today for good! No exceptions!”

“What about the guy downstairs?” Niko whispers.

“Kill him! Let’s load up!”

I’m glad I wore jeans and a shirt today. Couldn’t do this in a dress and heels! We all walk out to the SUVs and Ronald slides in next to me, with Niko on the other side.

I tell them whatever happens, they need to get Victoria and restrain her. They nod and as we drive, I check in with Tony. There’s no update on anyone.

I just show Niko and Ronald the message and lean my head back. I get a text from a guard at the basement that the hostage has been eliminated. One down, a lot more to go.

We pull over about a mile away and I run over to the head guys. They show me on the map where everyone is located. I’m handed a vest and we all put them on, load up our holsters, and strap our autos on.

Ronald looks at me with wide eyes. “Ronald, honey, this isn’t my first rodeo! I killed Rico Ortiz. You can bet your ass I’m going to take that bitch out too!”

He just stares at me and I can’t help but smile and laugh. We quickly load back up and wait for the call.

As soon as I get the call that everyone is ready, I give the order to hit it. We let the other cars take the lead as we all speed up the driveway. We see guards scrambling for cover as we start shooting.

Our men hang out the windows, shooting the autos, and start knocking them down before we even park. I jump out with Niko and Ronald, taking up defensive positions as we start taking them down one by one.

I see Ronald grab some guys and head around to a side entrance. They sneak inside. Slowly, more and more men come out and before long, we hear a woman screaming.

They got her! We see the men start to surrender and lay down their weapons. I have all the remaining men rounded up to the front of the house.

There are about seventeen men and they just kneel, facing the house. I see Ronald dragging out a tied-up Victoria by her hair. He makes her kneel to look at me.

She sneers at me and I just smirk. “Victoria, Victoria, did you really think you could win? It’s so sad. All these men, and even though they surrendered, they won’t survive.” I point to my men and a guard takes up positions behind them, pointing their guns at the back of their heads.

I look at each guy and see a young-looking guy at the end. All these guys are adults, except for him. He must be only fifteen or sixteen.

I walk over, grab his shirt, and make him look up at me from his position. He stares at me, tears falling, his whole body trembling. This definitely isn’t his deal, so why is he here?

“What’s your name, son? How old are you?”

“Eddie, Eddie Hernandez. I’m fifteen, ma’am.”

“Eddie, why are you here? Who made you do this?”

“My mom.”

I see his eyes shift as he looks over at Victoria. Tears fall as he mouths for her to help him. I look at her and she just turns her back on him.

I walk over, grab her hair, and drag her over to kneel right in front of him. I place my gun against her head. “Why, Victoria? Why force your son into this?”

“He’s nothing but a fucking pussy! He’ll never be a man or grow a pair! He’s nothing but a disgrace and I should have killed him when I was pregnant!”

I draw back my gun and swing it upward hard against her face, knocking her to the ground. I reach down, grab her by her hair, and pull her back up. I’ve had enough of this shit.

I look at the guard behind Eddie, shake my head, and mouth, not him, don’t shoot him. I scream the order and guns go off, including mine.

I watch her drop and reach down to check for a pulse. There’s still one. So, just for good measure, I stomp down, breaking her neck.

I check again and there’s silence. I just kneel and relish in the nothingness of what’s left. I look at Eddie who is crying.

I reach over, help him up, and motion for him to walk to some chairs with me to sit down.

“Eddie, why did your mom get you into this? Why drag you into it?”

“She’s got this fixation on the empire. She’s desperate to reclaim it. Listen, this isn’t the life I’ve chosen for myself, and I want no part in it. I’m also aware that you won’t just let me walk away.”

“You’re right on both counts. But I think we can arrange for you to work for us, behind a desk. None of this mess, we don’t enjoy this either unless it’s the last resort. My husband and two sons are lying unconscious in a hospital because of your mother.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me like the others?”

“Well, for one, you’re just a kid. Secondly, you remind me a lot of Ricardo. We couldn’t save him, but maybe we can do something for you. Stay with us for now, finish high school, then we’ll show you the ropes and give you a desk job with the company. You can lead a normal life but still be under our watch. If you try to leave, you can bet there’ll be a bullet in your head before you even step out of the building.”

He nods, trying to calm himself down. I hand my gun over to Ronald, thanking him for bringing Victoria to me. I sit back, watching as everyone starts to gather the bodies for clean up.

Suddenly, Niko rushes over to me, grabbing my arm.

“Caden’s awake!”