El Diablo (Killer of Kings 6)

He didn’t like the sound of this. Offers from Boss hadn’t gone over so well for him. He still didn’t have his sister and he’d been with Killer of Kings nearly a year. “What is it?”

“I’m feeling generous today, so you have a choice. I release Alesha to you, but you continue to work for Killer of

Kings.”

“I thought you were done with me. You threw me the fuck out.”

“You needed to cool off. Do you need more time for that?”

Xavier took a breath, calming his emotions. “No.”

“Good. So, I can release Alesha to you and you continue to work for—”

“Fine, I’ll do it,” said Xavier. “I’ll work for you. Follow all your orders.”

“I wasn’t finished,” said Boss. “You take that offer or you get the location of your sister.”

“What do you mean? You’re making me choose?” He was shouting, but he didn’t care at this point. “I was supposed to get information on Graciella after agreeing to work for you the first time.”

“I gave you some information.”

“An alias? A port of entry? What good did that do me?”

“I could have found her with that information. Make your choice, El Diablo. I don’t have all day.”

Since he was ten years old, he’d vowed to find the sister he was separated from. His entire life, she’d been in the back of his head. As an adult, he’d devoted countless resources into finding her. His sister had become an obsession.

Now he was being forced to make an impossible decision.

Boss was an evil bastard.

“Do you get a kick out of this shit? Does it give you a hard-on to tear me apart?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you should be kissing my ass for offering you anything. This is your get out of jail free card, so I’d shut the fuck up and take it before it’s gone.”

Xavier didn’t have to think about it. “I’ll take Alesha. Just make it happen.”

There was silence on the line.

“Interesting.”

“Where is she?”

“You’ll continue working for Killer of Kings?”

“We’ve already been over the details,” said Xavier. “You’ve kept her from me for nearly two months, and I don’t want to wait another day.”

“Put Viper on the line.”

He tossed the phone back to the driver and then ran both hands through his hair. He hadn’t tied it back today, too rushed to find out what Boss wanted from him. His mind wandered. Did Boss expect him to choose his sister? Was he disappointed he’d be working for him again? He wasn’t sure what game Boss was playing, but he wanted no part of it. That man was screwing with his life, everything important to him, and it didn’t make sense.

“We’ll be there in ten,” Viper told Xavier after putting the phone away.

Xavier watched the scenery flash by his passenger window, half in a daze.

“I thought you wanted to find your sister. That’s how Boss got to work for him in the beginning, isn’t it?”

He nodded.