The Devil’s Mercy

Chapter 5

Zeldric

I move restlessly from one end of the room to the other, exhaling cigar smoke and giving Lagos the illusion I’m paying attention.

On the screen, Jenkins appears coming out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel — that motion, the way she loosens the fabric to cover her breasts, hooks me and pulls my attention away like a magnet. She hasn’t left her room in two days except to tend the wounded, but I haven’t stopped watching her for a second — I’m a f*****g obsessive, what can I say. Every room in the house has cameras except the bedrooms; luckily for her she hasn’t found them, because if she had she would have smashed them without hesitation.

I blow out smoke and freeze when the image hits me; I want to storm into that room and drag her into bed right now. The thought drives me crazy. Lagos snaps his fingers to get my attention.

“Zeldric!” he shouts. “Are you listening to me?”

I collect myself, shut the screen off with my elbow and take another drag to compose myself. Lagos keeps talking. “The merchandise we stole from Urriaga is secure and ready to move. I don’t see anything more pressing, am I wrong?”

“They’re furious,” he says, pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger. “Alex is after some of our men and the police are sniffing around. The deaths of those officers aren’t helping us stay under the radar.”

I look at Héctor and Marcos; I know they played a part.

“It was them or us, Zeldric,” Marcos tries to justify. “They weren’t going to let us take Beni and the medic without a fight.”

Héctor nods and steps forward; if Marcos had acted on his own, I wouldn’t put it past him to have killed those officers in a fit or just for the thrill.

“And the medic… Jenkins,” I say, nodding. I won’t have them call her by my name—mine, in a way. I snort inwardly and let Héctor continue. “What are we going to do with her once Beni recovers? I know you swore you wouldn’t kill her, but if you let us have some fun with her for a while…” His leer and the obscene hitch of his hips make his meaning clear. “That woman is a feast. Are you going to share her?”

I rise slowly, outwardly calm though I boil inside. If Héctor—or anyone in this room—thinks they can lay a hand on her, they’ll have to deal with me first. Lagos senses the change and opens his mouth to say something, but I silence him with a look.

“Are you proposing we make a list or line up to rape her?” I spit, looking him dead in the eye.

“Rape is a strong word, brother,” he stammers. “We just give her something to calm her down and then…”

“Shut the f**k up,” Marcos snaps, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

I cross the desk under everyone’s watchful eyes and plant myself in front of Héctor. Luna, from the couch, pipes up with a lewd comment that makes my teeth grind.

I grab Héctor by the neck and pull his head toward me until his face is inches from mine.

“We are not animals,” I growl. “If you need to abuse a woman to feel alive, get out of my house and don’t come back. Understood?”

His expression changes immediately.

“Zeldric, brother, I didn’t mean—” he stammers.

“Get the hell out of my sight,” I order, turning away so I don’t have to look at him anymore.

Marcos hauls him toward the door and they’re out of the office before the situation escalates.

Silence settles heavy for a few seconds. I sit, trying to calm myself. I won’t tolerate rape or abuse. If I were the kind of man who condoned that, I’d be exactly what I hate about others. We traffic drugs, guns, people; we smuggle migrants across the border — that is business. But crossing the line into s****l humiliation without consent is different. If any of my men cross that line, they don’t belong here.

Lagos sits across from me and lowers his voice.

“He doesn’t understand,” he says. “Zeldric, look at me. He hasn’t lived what we lived. That’s why he talks like that.”

“It’s no excuse,” I reply, and I swivel the screen back to the bedroom. Jenkins is already dressed, lying on her back on the bed with that bored expression that challenges me.

“With Jenkins, though, we have the same question,” Lagos continues. “Beni is much better, the other three are almost fully recovered. What do we do with her? We can’t keep her locked away forever.”

I rub my chin, roll my neck to loosen it. I think.

“She’ll dine with us tonight,” I say quietly.

Luna almost chokes on the word and jumps up, anger and jealousy mixed in her face.

“What did you say? You’re joking, right? What is wrong with you and that woman, Zeldric? Are you turning her into one of us or just trying to impress her so you can sleep with her?” she snaps.

Lagos excuses himself and leaves the office; good — I’m left alone with Luna. I don’t like that she thinks I’ve replaced her; I haven’t. She’s loud and useful; Jenkins is a different matter. The idea of possessing something new consumes me.

“Do I owe you an explanation for my decisions?” I ask. “Because if so, I’d like to hear it. Mind your duties and let me handle the rest.”

“You’re insulting me now,” she hisses, folding her arms. “When have I ever messed up?”

“Are you absolutely sure every recording of the ambulance arriving has been wiped? The police could trace it.”

“All of it, deleted,” she replies with her usual assurance. “Anything else?”

“Yes. Stay alert in case we have to intercept another Urriaga shipment.”

“You plan on continuing to steal from him? He won’t be happy,” she says.

I shrug and smirk. That’s exactly what I want. I want him to come hunting, to make mistakes. That’s how I’ll get close enough to Leonardo Urriaga to put a bullet between his eyes. Then I’ll take the men who choose to follow me and use his network to expand. That’s the plan.