I don’t budge. Instead, I pull my gun from behind me and point it at her. Emilio steps out from the driver’s side, his hands at his waist, like he’s exasperated from the ordeal already.
“He cannot come with us, Patrona. The Jefe won’t like it,” Emilio says to me in Spanish.
“I don’t care. He’s my cousin. He comes with me.”
Patanza paces forward, raging. “What if I shoot you, huh? He doesn’t give a shit about you anymore, Gia! You never should have come back! You’re the last thing on his mind!”
“I don’t believe you.” I steady my gun, the anger seeping to my fingertips, ready to pull the trigger. I can’t shoot her—won’t shoot her. She’s like family to him, but she doesn’t know that I won’t shoot. She thinks I’m a threat to them both now—that I’ll do anything to stay alive. And maybe I will. “Take us to him.”
Emilio sighs again. “You know we can’t do that, Patrona.”
“Yes, you can. This is not a request. It’s a demand. I need to see him. Immediately.”
Emilio shifts on his feet, head shaking. Patanza keeps her gun pointed my way, mostly trying to get at Clark.
Emilio murmurs something to Patanza, and she glances over at him, grimacing. Finally, after several expletives, she lowers the gun, and Emilio pulls out a burner phone, turning his back to us and walking a short distance away to make a call.
Strapping the gun around her, Patanza storms toward me, getting in my face. “If you do anything stupid, I will end you myself, Gia, and I mean it. Don’t fuck with me right now,” she growls through clenched teeth.
I challenge her stare, narrowing my eyes. “I’m here for Draco. That’s it. Don’t hurt me, and I won’t hurt you.”
Her nostrils flare and then her gaze shifts over to Travis. “Who the fuck is he?”
“My uncle’s pilot. He flew us here.”
“He can’t come with us to Jefe’s territory,” she spits out.
“We know. We’ll find a way for him to catch a ride home. You won’t have to worry about him.”
Her eyes finally shift over to Clark, who has a smirk on his lips. “What the fuck are you looking at?” she snaps.
“Never seen a woman so aggressive,” he chuckles. “Or that good with a gun. Makes me wonder what else those hands can do.”
“Fuck off.” She turns her back to him, walking to Emilio, who wraps up on his call and then turns with a loud, tired-sounding breath.
“All right, Patrona. Get in the car,” he says.
“What?” Patanza steps in front of him, her back still to us. “Is he sure about this? We don’t even know the men she’s with! For all we know they’re trying to turn him in! We can’t take her to him!”
“The Patrona I know would never do that,” Emilio responds. “He may be angry with her, Patanza, but even I know she would never do that. When I described the dark-haired one, it’s like he knew exactly who I was talking about. He’s a Nicotera.”
She huffs, turning back around and looking Clark and Travis over. “Whatever. But we’re taking the guns.” She comes to us again, demanding them.
I don’t hand mine over. She challenges it, holding her hand out, eyes furious. I keep mine gripped in hand.
“Perra estupida,” she spits.
Clark willingly hands his guns over, winking at her in the process. He’s getting under her skin, something he knows how to do to anyone all to well.
“Your bag, too,” she demands. He hands it to her and she takes it, heading for the trunk of the car and opening it. She tosses the bag inside and then puts the safety on the guns before putting them in too.
She comes back and pats Clark and Travis down, then orders us to get in the backseat.
I lead the way, letting Travis in first. I climb in next and Clark follows, slamming the door behind him. After Emilio talks to the guard in the booth, he and Patanza hop in the front and buckle in, leaving the private airstrip immediately.
“What makes you think I can’t just take one of Gia’s guns and shoot you both in the back of the head?” Clark asks, like he’s truly curious.
“I fucking dare you to try it,” Patanza grits through her teeth, glaring back at him.
“Clark, please just shut the fuck up,” I mutter, shaking my head.
He laughs. “It was just a question. Are we not allowed to ask questions around here now? I know it’s not a free country, but damn.”
I sigh.
Patanza’s jaw flexes.
“Either of you got a cig?” he inquires, and they both look at each other before focusing on the dirt road again and deciding to ignore him.
“Mexicans,” he mumbles, laughing to himself and staring out the window. “Always gotta be so fucking serious.”
26
GIANNA
We take Travis to an airport close to the border. After Emilio talks to someone, working privately to get him through without his passport, Travis is on his way with the wad of money Clark gave him earlier and nothing more.