Chapter thirty three

Only one more upload till I post the epilogue!

Whose excited? Cause I know I am!

Anyways, if my Spanish is wrong, please tell me! If it's correct, I will be one happy person :p

Anyways, enjoy! <3

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(JULIO POV)

Goodbye.

There is a million ways to say it but none of them can fully comprehend the impact of those words. When my father said goodbye to my madre is wasn’t with words, but with actions. When I said goodbye to Kelsey I didn’t use actions, I used words.

I wonder now if that was a mistake. If anything goes wrong in the next hour, not being able to touch or see her one last time will be my one of my biggest regret.

Now staring at the brick building in front of me, I raise an eyebrow and calculate my next plans. Slinging my legs off my bike, I lean down and  pull the handgun out of my boot and push it into my pants waistband.

When I get my shirt pulled down and I’m about to reach for  my leather jacket, I see a light flick on and off in one of the windows. I know that's my signal to go up.

Taking in a deep breath, I shove my bike keys in my back pocket and make my way to the old buildings entrance.

When Pacho called me earlier he said he wanted to meet on the outskirts of Detroit, in some abandoned warehouse off the road. Now I wondered if this was a mistake. I also know it doesn’t matter if my fucked up father is out of prison or not, Pacho still wanted me to join his little group.

To be honest any other day I would think it was a little pathetic. I never made a commitment to this group, but when I told him I would meet him to make the drug trade, he won’t take it lightly when I deny doing it to his face.

That’s why I currently have the gun.

Pacho is a man with a great ego. A man of pride. So I know he won’t like it when I go in there and defy his wants, demands, and needs. He was a demon in it’s true nature and when I wrap my gloved hand around the warehouses rusty handle, I know this moment comes down this.

Everything comes down to this. Before I left I wrote a letter to my madre and I told Jose, that if I didn’t make it home tonight, to give it to her in the morning.

Kelsey will get the same thing. Aiden was pissed I wouldn’t tell him where I was going, even more mad when I gave him the letter, but I told him this was what I needed to do. This was the life that was laid out for me and I was going to change it.

While it may seem overly-dramatic, this is real life. People kill for no reason and people die for way less than what I was willing to go down for. That’s what all those T.V shows and books got wrong.

Sometimes life isn’t fair, it isn’t a fairy tale, and those letters are going to be the last thing I can give the people I love if tonight ends the way I don’t want it too.

When I step into the empty warehouse, I’m met to a guy around my age. When he spots me, he gives me a nod and smiles.

“Cuete?” He says as he walks closer to me. I know he is here to check me and if he takes away the one thing I have to protect myself I won’t make it out of here alive.

“No.” I tell him, my voice hard and hollow. He doesn’t stop his advance and when he comes up in front of me, his smile turns sinister.

“Sorry, Hermano, but I don’t believe you.” When he goes to reach for the cell phone at his waist, no doubt to call others, I grab his arm and jerk him toward me.

“Believe me or not, but if I do have a gun, the moment you dial your people I will have a bullet in your shoulder before you can even talk.”

The guy doesn’t move and neither do I. We stare at eachother for a few moments before he lets go of his cell phone and holds up his hands, that smile spreading on his face.

“I can take a hint. But know something, if a blood bath ends up happening tonight, you’re the first I’m going to shoot. Got that?”

I lean forward and drop my voice, the whole time keeping my eyes on the dark space around us. “I don’t take threats lightly,” I say harshly, and when I lean away from him., I give him an equally sinister smile back. "¿¡me entiendes?!"

When he doesn’t say anything, I take a step back and walk around him, not even bothering to worry if my own threat has repercussions. I’m sure they would in the future, I had no doubt about that, but I wasn’t about to change who I was because some wanna be ass hole decided to throw threats my way.

Jerking my hands through my hair, I let out a tense breath and send a silent prayer to whoever the hell gave a damn to listen. But I learned a long time ago that wishing for shit never worked.

We all had to learn the hard way that things just don’t come true with a few words and silent hope. Life wasn’t like that and when I start to walk up a pair of iron stairs, my mind goes to all the things I was leaving behind.

My family I would miss the most. They were the one thing that stuck by me when I didn’t have my shit together and was there when I needed someone to go too when I needed someone to stand by my side.

My brothers and sister was the ones I never wanted to disappoint. My father was always the one that filled those shoes and if tonight ends up with me in the ground, I know I will be there right next to him. I just hoped and wished they would  understand the sacrifices I have made and all the things that come with it.

I hoped Aiden would understand.

My biggest regret would be not being able to spend more time with Kelsey. That girl meant more to me than anything and I swore that if I made it out of this conformation alive I would kiss the hell out of her and never let go. That was what she deserved after falling for someone like me.

That girl deserved the world and back and all I gave her so far were a few words and a goodbye. But I should have learned my lesson on love a long time ago. My father once said love was the greatest con ever invented. It makes the mind weak and ones actions sloppy.

I never asked if it was why he never stuck around the house, but I know my father was wrong. This thing with Kelsey has helped me more than it has made things worse. Who knows, my father might have been right, but one thing's for sure,  I would rather accept my fate than run from it.

And Kelsey is the one thing in my life I never want to let go of.

When I reach the top, I’m met to the lamp that was flashing through the window earlier. It sits in the corner along with the two men Pacho likes to keep on him at all times.

They lean against the wall, guns resting in their hands and their eyes on me. I pass them without so much as an acknowledge, my gaze on the one man who next to my father has made my life a hell.

Pacho stands along the warehouses long, dusty windows, arms braced on the wall. His suite is pressed to perfection, a big contrast to what all his men are wearing.

Seems that Pacho and his ego thought tonight would be a perfect night to showcase his seniority. I stop halfway to him, my eyes on his shaved head and tattoos. He doesn’t turn around but I know he knows I’m here.

Suddenly the weight of the gun seems more real than ever. I don’t want to die, any man smart enough can admit that, but I think the one thing that bothers me the most is that I won’t be going for no greater purpose.

Now, any wise man can admit that.

“Julio.”

Pacho says my name as calmly as if he was talking about the weather. I know Pacho has killed before, I’ve known that for awhile. I also know the men he has in the room with him has no problem pulling the trigger either.

I have no idea if my father has ever killed, I never suspected, but one thing I do know is that I will never get in as deep as him to have to make that decision.

“Pacho,” I counter, my voice just as even as his was. I don’t want this man to see my weakness. I don’t want him to see me beg. The only thing I want him to see is my face when I tell him he can go to hell.

At his name, Pacho turns around and flashes me his smile, gold teeth and all. When I don’t return the smile, he lifts his chin and brings his hands together in a small clasp.

“And so we are here.”

“So we are.”

I don’t take my eyes off him. If a fight breaks out I want to make sure I keep my eyes on the one person I will be taking out with me. Pacho makes his way away from the window and walks over to his men. I watch as he whispers something and his two men nod their heads and fall back into the far corner.

He wasn’t stupid enough to send them away.

Because two men is better than none.

Pacho reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a little silver flask. “Mind if I indulge? I find confirmations terrible for my digestion.” When I don’t say anything, he tilts the flask toward me before throwing his head back and taking a gulp.

So typical of Pacho to not even handle his business sober. He was probably high too.

As he twists the lid back in place, he talks. “Julio,you know what I want. Your are a smart man so I hope you came to a bright decision.”

“And if I didn’t?” I cross my arms over my chest, my jacket tightening around my shoulders. My skin tingles with the wait. I was never a patient man.

Pacho’s smile shows back up but this time it has a bitter edge to it. “Well, then I’ll send my condolences.”

He lifts his hand and makes a quick circle motion. His back up men both appear at his side and one cocks his gun and lifts up till the barrel was aimed at my head. I look at the gun and back at Pacho.

“Why?” I start, taking a step forward. The second man aims his gun at my head too and when I hear him cocking it, I take another step. I was walking a dangerous line.

“There is no need for me. There are plenty of people who are willing to join your crew. Plenty of people willing to run the business you so eagerly supply. So why me?”

Pacho rubs his chin, a small smile on his face. “When your father went to jail I lost a man. People trusted him and when people trust someone, they are willing to make stupid decisions. I lost business and I don’t take kindly to money being kept from me.”

“So all of this for my father?” I shake my head. It just didn’t make any sense.“He was one man among many. And I’m sure when you heard of me you were more than happy.”

Pacho takes a step forward, his voice dropping to a whole knew coldness. “You let your anger blind you Julio. Your father is a monster, just like me, but he isn’t half the man I am. When he left, it wasn’t only the business he took. He also took my money. Like I said before, I don’t take kindly to money being kept from me.”

“Wait,” What he says doesn't make sense. If my father took money from Pacho, then where was it now? My father isn’t stupid, at least that’s what I thought.

“What money?”

Pacho wipes his hands down his suite and cracks his neck. “The business I lost? It was because your father was making side deals. He was saving money, putting it into a side account. When I heard, I had my men do some digging. Apparently your pop wanted more for you in life then this. But like I said, your anger precedes you Julio.”

I knew he was lying. He was trying to hit all the right nerves so I would react. I knew what my father was and the man Pacho was claiming he was isn’t the man I knew yesterday.

He is not the man I knew the three years before he went to jail. My father was a man too lost in his life to worry about mine.

“You lie,” I seeth, my anger starting to rise. Which is exactly what he wants.

Pacho shrugs, a thoughtful look on his face. “Like I said Julio, you only see black and white. Never the gray,”

He looks at his men and then back at me. “Your father isn’t my worry now. He went to jail, served his time. The only reason I didn’t come for you sooner was because your mother was willing to sway me to keep her son safe. But  revenge is sweet. I realized having the son of the man who crossed me in my crew would be a beautiful sight to see. I also assume your father didn’t try to stop you from joining. He knows what will happen if he crosses me again and let’s just say that outcome won’t be pretty.”

He takes a few steps forward and comes to the end of his speech.

“Now the only thing I need to know only one thing now. Are you in Julio? My crew would love to have you.

”I don’t know if he was lying, if anything he said about my father was true, but what I came here for wasn’t a revelation about my father. I came here to become a free man and to leave all this shit behind.

It was going to come down to this moment.

“Pacho,” I say, my hand moving to my waist.

“You can go to hell.”

The moment the words leave my mouth I draw my gun, aiming it straight at Pacho. His mens fingers tighten on their triggers and I give them a quick glance. “Wanna bet I can pull mine first?”

Pacho stares at the gun I have aimed at his chest and raises his hands a little in the air. “Now Julio don’t make a stupid decision.”

“Pacho, you are going to let me go. You are going to leave my family alone and you are going to stay as far from us as you can.”

“Or what Julio?” He asks, that smile showing up again. “You gonna kill me? You don’t have the guts to pull the trigger.”

“No, but I do.”

Pacho freezes at the new voice and I almost drop my gun. At the edge of the stairs, the ones I took to come up here, a man emerges from the darkness. The moment the lamps light shines on his pierced eyebrow I know who he is.

Though I didn’t need to see his face to know it was him.

“Julio,” Pacho says, directing the name to my father. “How nice of you to join us.”

My father steps into the light, his gun aimed at Pachos back. I don’t move, my mind still trying to run over the fact my father is now in the room with us.

“I have no idea. You think-” My father cuts in before Pacho can finish. “Shut the fuck up and turn around. I want to see your face when the police beat down the door. I say they will be here in two minutes.”

“What you doing here?” I ask my father, changing the direction of my gun from Pacho to his men. One has his gun aimed to my father the other has his gun aimed on me. I decided to aim mine at the one wanting to put a bullet through my head.

“I cut a deal with the feds. Give them Pacho and they will let me out early. I just had everyone so fucking fooled it’s almost comical.”

“Why?” Pacho asks, his eyes hard on me. My father spits on the ground, aiming for Pachos shoes. “I always hated your ugly ass. Plus, I realized, I would rather turn you in than deal with a few more months in Prison. Tough love.”

My father looks from Pacho’s back and meets my eyes. “You are an idiot son. But, I guess the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Get out of here and go back to your women before the police show up.”

“Did you do it?” I ask, needing to know the truth.

In the distance I hear sirens and I realize this night was coming to an end. Whatever happened next wasn’t up to me, but the one thing I needed to hear before what ever happened next happened, was my father telling me the one thing I always needed to hear.

“I’m not the man you think I am Julio. I’m still a monster. But I never wanted to be the person you see staring at you today. I did what I had to do, for the family and for you, now it’s your turn. Go you little shit, before I change my mind.”

There are these moments when time seems to slow down. When if you look back you realize the mistakes you made. So as Pacho’s men realized what was about to happen and dropped their guns, hurrying down the stares, I knew Pacho was never going to let my father win.

He was never going to let my father have the upper hand.

That’s the moment I realized the mistake I made.

I never suspected Pacho to have a gun on him.

“You take what’s mine,”  Pacho suddenly says, jerking the gun from his suit pocket and aiming it right at me. “I take what’s yours.”

The gunshot goes off the moment I hear the police slam through the warehouses doors. My father screams something and another gunshot goes off. Suddenly, I find myself laying on the cold ground, a cold pain erupting from my abdomen.

Above me, the lamp I saw earlier falls to the ground and a bright light flashes before everything goes dark. I hear the sound of a radio being buzzed next to me and then out of nowhere hands are being pressed to my stomach.

“You little shit, if you die I swear to God I will get you for making me deal with your mother's wrath.”

My father hovers above me, the flashing of red and blue lights from outside highlights his face. Someone asks him something and he answers.

Somehow I know this is it. I can literally feel my damn life slipping through my fingers and I have so much to say. So much I need to know.

I need to know why my father even bothered to care and why all these years in prison and before-hand he kept it a secret. I also want to know why it took the police so long to fucking get here.

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. Images of my family, my friends, and Kelsey come threading through me. Emotions can’t find me in this numb place I’m hovering in and out of and before the paramedic moves my father out of the way and takes his place, there is only one thing that comes out of my mouth.

“Kelsey.”

And then everything goes black.