Saints of the Syndicate by Natalie Nicole

Chapter 28

Sinclair

 

“Yeah. We do not fit in here. Thank fuck I brought my brass knuckles and my belt that turns into a knife.” Declan’s words filter between G and me as we stand here like sentries in La Mamacita. It’s a heavily influenced Spanish club in the Latin district of Los Angeles where our little kitten is having the time of her life on the dance floor.

We are up in the VIP section, no surprise there, looking like fish out of water. The hairs on the back of my neck have been standing up since we were at the restaurant.

First, Bethani about killed us with her ‘proper LA driving’. A.K.A..that pint-sized powerhouse can’t drive worth a fuck. I almost dislocated a damn knuckle with the exertion I had on the ‘oh shit’ handle while she was cursing in English, Spanish, and Russian. She was swerving around vehicles, and being a brake checking terror as she navigated the roads while we all watched on in horror.

I’m not afraid of much, but Bethani and driving? Fuck no. Never again. When we reached the shelter, because she wanted to see Ramona before the main doors closed for the night, I tore the keys out of the ignition while Declan and Giovanni both bolted out of the Tahoe and proceeded to puke up their guts in the nearest trash can they could find.

All our princess did was laugh and call us overgrown babies. Then she strolled into the shelter like she didn’t just shave 30 years off of our lives. At the sounds of ear piercing screams, we all trucked it into the front doors, damn near breaking them off the shitty hinges, to find her wrapped in an older woman’s arms with the biggest smile on her face and tears running down her face.

We were introduced and given a tour of the place as Ramona told us embarrassing stories about Bethani. Oddly enough, that place felt more welcoming and family oriented than any place I’ve ever lived. The culture shock was over-whelming as all of these people had absolutely fucking nothing, but they shared more joy and laughter than any of the pompous pricks I’ve ever dealt with. When we handed Ramona a check for $10,000 to help out, she hugged us with a maternal love I’ve never felt before.

Shortly after I was born, my mother checked out. She had a business deal with my father. Stay with him until she gave him a son, then she fucked right off when I was 3 months old. While Declan’s and G’s mothers tried to share their love with me, they all had their own issues to deal with, so none of us really had a loving mother figure.

After we left, we went to some packed hole in the wall restaurant called Los Locos. The food was fantastic, and everyone greeted our kitten with open arms and welcoming smiles. The problem? I’m almost 100% positive we were in cartel country, and we were spotted. That’s the problem with being in a secret society like the Trident. Our hands are in every pocket imaginable depending on how they benefit us. Some fathers have sent their sons to our school in an attempt to forge an alliance. We let their son become a member, and they pledge their loyalty to us. But we also use their products and only their products.

If this territory we are currently in is the one I think we are in, which given the sneering death glares we have received all night, well we just might be fucked.

“G. You fucking figure out which territory this is yet?” I ask from behind my glass so I’m not busted by someone who can read lips, which would surely give away who we are.

He just sends me a look that says all I need to know. Fuck!

Carina Cartel territory. We had a great relationship with them up until 2 years ago when one son that was our age got drunk at a public event and was bragging about his affiliations to anyone who would listen. Thankfully, everyone else was too drunk to care what a punk rich kid said. My fathers on the other hand, not so much. His father signed a treaty when we inducted Felix into the Trident saying if he mentioned us, he was signing his death warrant.

Felix Carina Sr. called my father’s bluff, and when they turned to walk away, I pulled the trigger from a long range rifle. That resulted in a bullet between Felix Jr’s eyes, and our alliance was officially terminated.

As my eyes wander from Bethani for a moment, I notice in the far corner a group of people that are rapid fire talking and pointing our direction. “I don’t fucking like this. We need to get out of here before shit hits the fan.”

“Well, did you bring anything?” Declan asks again with that twinkle in his eyes.

He is psyching himself up for a potential fight. That’s what he spends hours upon hours doing: training in different forms of Martial Arts. While he looks like a damn rock star, his body is a trained killer that doesn’t need many weapons to take someone out.

“Of course,” I tell him, but don’t go in further in case someone is watching.

I’ve got my custom black Dolce & Gabbana lace up ankle boots with a knife slid down each ankle and a custom hidden knife hidden in each heel. I’ve also got my shoulder holsters with a Glock 19 on each side. They are hidden perfectly under my custom fitted Armani leather jacket, which has compartments for four full extra clips.

“I’m good also. So is the SUV,” Gio states.

That’s why he was adamant about taking his Tahoe. Being our guru of knowledge, Giovanni is the wild card. He has taken the time to master skill sets in a wide range from weapons and boxing like myself, to Martial Arts like Declan. But he also has mastered the art of packing a few of our SUV’s with an arsenal of shit including guns, knives, bugging devices, a few bombs, listening devices, and jammers. He probably knew there was a chance that coming here could potentially put us in the mix with either enemies or fellow associates of our fathers.

Glancing back and forth between the guys I say, “We need to get her out of here and back to the hotel.”

Unsure looks pass between them before Declan speaks again, “Yeah. But what do we tell her? I mean...wait, where did she go?”

Panic ices over my veins as I start scanning the crowd in front of us for Bethani. Flashing pink lights distort everything slightly, making it harder to identify her in her hot pink salsa style ensemble.

“Fuck. They know she is with us. The fucking pink lights are throwing me off. Giovanni?”

Frustration colors his face. “Her tracker isn’t showing up.”

I’m growling as I glare at Gio. “How in the fuck did you not think to check what fucking territory we were heading into before we agreed to this shit?”

“Error of judgment. Plain and simple. I screwed up.”

Fuck.

How have we failed her so god damned easily?

As my eyes dance around the crowd, struggling to spot her, a voice breaks me out of my frenzy. “Compadres! No need to worry. Chica is in good hands. But capo would prefer a word.” His beady stare and lust filled look as he talks about our woman has me reaching in my jacket before I’m even aware I’m actually doing it. “Tsk, tsk. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Where the fuck is she?”

“Capo doesn’t like to be left waiting. Especially from members of El SindicatoTridente.” He spits the last past with a venomous tone that has my body stiffening. Shit.

We’ve been fucking made.

And if we want to live to see another day, or Bethani, we have no choice but to comply.

“Take us to Capo. Now.” Fire fills Giovanni’s tone as he spits venom right back at the Cartel member.

Without even acknowledging us, he turns and walks away, knowing we will follow. Storming down the steps, we catch up within a few strides as the whole floor parts for us in an eerie act of respect. Realization dawns on their faces, some in mock horror and others in a calm understanding, as we stride by.

In these parts, it’s easy for them to see it. We are another big player in the underworld, therefore we are treated with respect until given the orders otherwise. Us not starting a scene and willingly going to Capo? They won’t touch us.

Reaching a guarded staircase, two bodyguards just nod at the man in front of us and move out of the way for us all to go up to a second level. Their faces give nothing away, the same as ours. We’ve played this game one too many times with our fathers in their attempts to tear us down.

Show no emotion. Do not react.

Seeing as how I can almost feel the blood pulsing through each vein as my mind pings between Bethani and this meeting, I’m not sure how well the second part is going to go.

Reaching the top, errand boy slides a key card into the slot, and once the green light flashes, the door pops open to a smaller, but more extravagant room.

Ah, El Capo’s office.

Stepping in, I can see the garish and ugly as fuck decorations that flash his wealth, but I’m not even paying attention. My eyes are on the man behind the desk.

Felix Carina Sr. The head of the Carina Cartel. El Capo.

Shit. Fuck. Cocksucking hell.

“Hola, gentlemen. Brave of you to venture onto our territory, is it not?”

His guards surround us, strategically placed around the room. Smart. We don’t reply, willing him to speak first and get to the point. He must realize we won’t cave, because he slowly stands up and walks around his desk to lean against it while crossing his arms over his chest.

“I’m only going to ask this once. Why are you here? I’ve been hearing reports all night of you three and a woman waltzing around in my territory, then you show up to my club with her.”

“Girlfriend's birthday. She lived in this area for a few years. Figured we’d bring her back as a surprise. Wasn’t aware you were stillin this territory.”

“Hmm…” he nods, mulling over my answer. “You say this woman lived here? Where does she live now?”

“With us. Her dorm was shit, and when we found out about it, we moved her into our place. She is a scholarship student at the university,” Giovanni answers in an attempt to keep the situation from elevating so we don’t end up in a dumpster.

“Scholarship student?” he asks with a look of surprise on his face that I don’t understand. Looking to who I’m assuming is his second in command he says, “Don’t we know someone that used to frequent here in a similar situation?”

The guy just nods. “Si. Gabriella made friends with her here one night.”

Snapping his fingers like a light bulb went off from a memory, he turned back towards us. “Ahh yes. My sweet hija made friends with a girl from here. No familia, but could dance like no other. Nice girl in a shit situation. We tried to recruit her before she left, but my Gabriella said no, she was too nice.”

My eyebrow raises at his description. While part of that sounds like my little kitten, I can’t be sure.

“Do you remember her name by chance?” I’m pushing my luck by talking out of line, but when it comes to Bethani, there isn’t a line I won’t cross right now.

“No. Only met her that one time. Porqué?”

“I have a feeling we are talking about the same person.” I’m blunt and to the point. No reason to dick around. If he wanted us dead, we’d probably already be wrapped in plastic on our way to the desert to be dumped.

He eyes me suspiciously for a moment. “Hmm…”

Whatever he was going to say next halts as the door to his office slams open, and a loud voice has us all jumping and pointing weapons at the door. Suddenly a woman I would have once done anything to fuck comes barreling into the room, oblivious to everyone’s weapons pointed at her.

“Pappaaaa! You won’t believe who I found! Eek!”

Felix quickly waves us off to holster our weapons as he accepts his daughter's embrace. “Ay Gabriella! What have I told you about knocking before? Chicaloca.”

He stands back but looks around sheepishly like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar. “Lo siento, papa. But you won’t believe who I found! Hold on!” She then proceeds to dart back out of the room only to come back just as fast dragging Bethani behind her. I glance to Declan and Giovanni, who both look as dumb struck as I do.

Holy shit, our kitten actually is friends with the daughter of the Carina Cartel. I’m not sure whether that is beneficial to us, or if it potentially puts a giant ass target on her back that no amount of security can cover.

“Bethani is here for the weekend from that fancy college! I saw her when she went to the bathroom! Of course I had to talk to her and bring her up to say hello!” Gabriella is all smiles and talking hands while Bethani is just a timid thing standing there glancing around.

When her eyes finally land on us, they turn into the size of baseballs as mine narrow on her. She knew she was supposed to let us know if she needed to leave our sights.

“Guys? What are you doing up here?” her voice sounds dry as the Sahara Desert as the shock settles in.

“Ay! Of course! I remember her now. Bethani, you know these fools?” Felix drags her attention away from us, and I add to the growing mental list of shit she needs to explain and that she will be punished for later. My cock stirs in my pants as I think of some ideal punishments. Shifting slightly, I avert my attention to the scene laying out in front of me.

“Y-yes Mr. Carina. I go to school with them. They brought me down for my birthday…”

She doesn’t get to finish her sentence as Declan cuts her off, “We’re here boyfriends. Figured we’d spoil our sunshine with some of her favorite memories.” He ends his statement with his playboy smirk. It’s a challenge to see if she refutes his statement. My own lips quirk as she flounders, unsure of our blatant declaration.

Felix’s eyes rapidly flick between us all as he takes everything in before bursting out with a deep laugh. “Declan, you loco boy. All three of you fools are dating her? Ay, this is some funny shit.” His laughter keeps up as his men join in, while Gabriella looks at Bethani in mock horror.

I quickly become fed up with the joke and feel the instantaneous need to stake our claim. “Kitten. Come here.” I demand with a tap of my nose which is one of our public signals we discussed when going through the contract together along with the guys. Most of them are universal between us with a few exceptions of ones that are catered to each of us.

She stands still until my eyes lock with hers. I give her a ‘I’m not fucking around’ stare, one more tap to my nose, and she quickly heads our way.

As soon as she is in arm’s reach, I snatch her pretty little ass up and slam my lips against hers. Her mouth drops open quickly, submitting to my voracious demand, as I plunge my tongue into her mouth and tangle it with hers. As her hands go to slink up my arms, I break the kiss and spin her to Giovanni. Slapping her ass, she yelps as he claims her mouth in an equal fashion before sending her Declan’s way.

Not to be outdone, the bastard quickly scoops her up to lock her legs around his waist as he palms her ass. My fingers itch to slide up that short little dress to see if she is wearing any panties and tease her until she is begging for us. But our little vixen will have to wait awhile for that fun. She has watched others at the club we took her to, but we haven’t let anyone see her while we fuck her senseless.

Call us selfish bastards, but no one except us gets to see our kittens facial expressions when she is in the throes of ecstasy. Those are ours alone, and I’ll slit a fuckers throat if they think they are privileged enough to see her like that.

A little moan escapes Bethani as Declan sets her down. I bring her back to me and wrap my arms protectively around her while glancing at the now dead silent room in front of me.

“Isn’t that right, kitten? You're ours and we’re yours.”

The shining glint in her eyes and flawless smile as she stares at me is nearly enough to knock me off my ass. Instead of investigating the feeling, I simply tilt her chin my way and place a kiss on her nose. “Well?”

She just turns back towards the room and answers, “Yes. They're mine and I’m theirs. I fought it, but they are persistent jerks when they want to be.”

Her devilish smirk at the end has me scowling at her. She is provoking the bear and she knows. Dipping down, I whisper in her ear, “You’ll pay for that later, kitten.”

I’m met with another gorgeous smile and small one shoulder shrug as she gives me a provocative retort, “Bring it.”

My nostrils flare but, before I can comment, someone clears their throat and we are brought out of our little bubble. Felix is still wide eyed at our exchange, but he composes himself back into his stoic, crime lord boss self.

“Well then. Seems like all affairs are in order. If that’s the case, let’s head down to the booth so our gorgeous girls here can dance and have fun. How about that?”

I just nod along with the guys as we are motioned to follow one of the private guards that Felix keeps on his payroll.

As we walk out the door, my hand tightens around Bethani’s small one. The need to keep her close as we enter this uncertain territory riles up every protective instinct in my gut.

“Sinclair?” she asks.

“Hmm? Sorry kitten. Zoned out. What did you ask?”

“I asked how you know Mr. Carina?”

I almost want to snort at her regard towards him. The blatant naive look on her face tells me she has no clue of his business ventures and that settles some of the uneasy guilt that has been there since we heard her mumbling our Syndicate hymn in her sleep. We still haven’t figured out that connection, but we are waiting until this weekend is over to really dig into it.

Wrapping an arm around her waist as we reach the bottom of the stairs, I glance around to see if anything is amiss. “Just an old business associate of our fathers, kitten. Nothing to worry about.” I pause as we reach the ropes to be escorted into Capo’s private VIP area overlooking everything. “You just enjoy your time with your friend, and do not forget to let us know if you need to wander out of our sights.” My voice drops, which sends shivers through her body. “Be a good girl, kitten, or daddy will tie you up again and whip your ass.”

-----

The girls are back on the dance floor as we sit in the rounded booth with Felix. Our eyes never stray far from the girls as the guards keep their heads on permanent swivel. The extra protection is calming, but I’m wary of how long it will last. Thankfully Felix doesn’t make us wait long before broaching topics that need to be discussed.

“Gentlemen. The way you leave this club tonight all depends on how you answer. You are all obviously aware of our failed allegiance with your fathers.” We just nod because there is no reason to answer. “While I may be upset with your fathers, I can hold no ill will against you. Especially you, Sinclair.”

His gaze narrows on me, but I remain neutral while sipping my drink. Setting it back down, I glance towards Bethani before returning my gaze to his.

“I figured you already knew. Which is why I’m slightly surprised I’m still standing.”

He just hmm’s in agreement. “Thought about it. Still am at the moment. But I realized also you boys are in a similar situation as mi familia. What is that American saying you all have? Loose lips sink ships? While I loved mi hijo, he was a stupid boy. Loved to flaunt too much for his own good. Thank god for his older brother, otherwise I’d be screwed. My sweet Gabriella is too good for this life.”

He stops to take a sip of his drink as his gaze hits his daughter. A fatherly love shines through his eyes and the green monster of jealousy sinks its claws into me. I’ve never felt an ounce of love from my father. I always just feel how I’m worthless in his eyes. Seeing Felix’s love and devotion for his daughter reminds me that many families aren’t always as similar to the ones I’ve been surrounded with. My eyes flick back as Felix resumes talking.

“Any who. Can I ask what brought your attention to Miss Bethani? She doesn’t seem like the type of woman to attract your tastes.”

I ponder an answer, but Declan beats G and myself to speaking. “She isn’t. We usually don’t give a fuck who they are or how much of daddy’s money is lining their pockets. She caught our eye the night she was assaulted at our club.”

My fists clench at the memory and I tamp down the rage that we still haven’t found the piece of shit.

Declan continues, “We saved her from her dick ex. Had our doctor treat her. She was pissed when she woke up and called us all sorts of names then stormed off. Giovanni ended up putting a tracker on her phone to make sure she was ok. Went to the dorm she was staying in.” He gives a dark laugh before downing a shot. “Fucking shit hole. Anyways, we convinced her to live with us and packed her up. She wasn’t the biggest fan of ours at first, but you see how that ended up. We are all in a relationship with her.”

“Shit hole? I’ve seen your campus. How did she live in a shit hole there?”

Now it’s my turn to give a dark laugh. “Our fathers had her placed in a run-down basement of the storage building. She was under the guise it was a great opportunity, but she has been given shit for treatment since she set foot on that campus. Until we found her, of course.”

“Your fathers can be some real pendejos sometimes.”

We all snort at that. “Sometimes? Try all the time.” I deadpan.

“I sense some hostility in the ranks?” His look is inquisitive, and it's a question I know we have to answer honestly. I glance to G to give the floor to him. He just rolls his eyes but gives a more diplomatic response, “We’ve always known our fathers are bastards, Felix. But recent events have us questioning quite a bit more of their ruling.”

That really peaked his interest.

“Care to elaborate, Giovanni?”

Sighing, G just settles back into his chair. “While I know none of us feel comfortable just divulging this information, we are also aware that you will kill us if we don’t. Correct?” Felix just nods in response. He is still pissed his son is dead and if it was anybody else, they would be dead. The only thing saving us currently is the iron clad contract he signed to get his son into the Syndicate.

Sighing, Giovanni continues, “They tried to go behind our grandfather’s backs and set us up with arranged marriages. Also the stuff behind Bethani’s acceptance to the school is questionable. Apparently they have this whole scheme that entices young men and women in similar situations to her to go there. None last long though. For some reason she is the sole scholarship student that has ever lasted more than a month. They have a vested interest in her that we haven’t figured out yet. But there are also all the records we don’t have access to that would make our lives easier.”

Felix contemplates the answer, studying our various expressions for any tell that it’s a hoax. He must realize we are telling the truth before he speaks. “Well your father had shady business deals before this. How do you think those flyers got hung up around here for your school?”

“Wait. What?” We all ask in unison. What the fuck is going on here?

Felix just nods. “Sí. That’s how my boy was accepted into your folds. They were on a mission for some reason. Asked to hang up flyers to ‘help diversify’ the university. I didn’t believe a word out of their mouths, but played along. My counter was having my son accepted, and they easily agreed. After I signed that ridiculous contract of course. I never did get the chance to figure out their reasoning though, which we all know why. Ever since our dissolved alliance, your fathers have tried to railroad me in some of my routes. Quite frankly, I’d assume to get rid of them, but they are so well protected it makes me look like a nobody.” He chuckles at the last part, but I can’t focus. My mind is swirling at this information.

“Well what the fuck does this all have to do with our sunshine?” Is Declan’s pissed off retort. I can feel the anger starting to radiate off him with hearing about this new evidence.

“Something isn’t adding up,” G mumbles before looking at Felix. “Felix, what are your thoughts about a secret alliance?”

My eyes flare at his question. Where are you going with this G?

Apparently Felix is on the same wavelength as me. “I’m intrigued. Go on then.”

Squaring his shoulders, G addresses us all. “It’s all glaringly obvious of our distastes for them, right?” We all just nod and wait for him to continue. “There is obviously a scheme here for some type of power play that they are hell bent on. What it is, we don’t know. But we can all guess Bethani is some sort of odd link to it all. I hacked Washington State CPS a while ago. Seeing what she went through…”

He stops to gather himself while Declan and I stay still. The barely there thread of control is ready to snap at the words he delivers next.

“She went through hell. No clue who her father is, mom is a lifetime drug addict and prostitute. She was found multiple times scrounging trash for food, and was lucky to have clothes that ever fit properly. Her mom constantly moved from one shit hole to another. Places that were more likely to be infested with mold and roaches than have heat and water. Drugs, needles, and other paraphernalia was constantly scattered about. Tons of men constantly coming and going…” He trails off and the look of pain crossing his face tears my stomach apart. There is more to this than he is letting on, and now I see why he hid this from Declan and myself.

Felix adjusts himself, settling his elbows on his knees and steepling his finger’s below his chin. “Go on Giovanni. I must know this. Por favor.”

Gio’s gaze strays to Bethani and locks on to her as he delivers the final gut punch. “A few of those fucks sexually abused her when her mother couldn’t afford the drugs. Her so called excuse for a fucking mother never let them actually rape her, but she kept promising her to one of them for his trafficking ring if he hooked her up. Before that happened, a guy named James Williams, some big executive up there that hit a rough patch, slept with her mom. He ended up keeping tabs on them to make sure they were alive. The last time he went there, he broke down the door when he heard Bethani’s screams. Her mom was passed out with a needle in her arm, and the dealer was trying to do more with Bethani. James called the cops and got her out and into the system, where she floated until she hit 17 and filed to become a legal adult. Once the ink was dry, she took a bus, and that’s how she ended up in your territory, Felix.”

“Miosdios! Fucking scum!” Felix stands and starts to pace.

Declan is just off in a world of his own while G’s eyes are closed. I’m barely able to choke out a deserved sentiment to him, “Thanks for sharing, man. Understand why you kept it from us now.” He doesn’t acknowledge me, but I know he heard me by the deep inhale and exhale. Turning, I speak to Felix, “Like Giovanni said, we have no idea what sick scheme our fathers have going on. But if it involves her, we will do whatever it takes to protect her from them. You want info, we will give it to you. If you want to lay low until we format a plan against them, that’s fine. Just having your back in this would be enough for now. I can have G ship you a burner here to the club that we can keep in contact with. Otherwise we act like we still hate each other to keep shit kosher.”

“You know, most people treat my daughter differently because of her wealth. You boys know it as well as I do how we are all treated differently. Your Bethani was one of the first people to give my daughter a dose of how a person is supposed to treat another, despite their financial differences. That’s why my daughter felt so strongly about keeping her out of our world. Thought that she was too sweet to be corrupted by it. Apparently we were all wrong. Her poor soul has been corrupted by forces out of her control.”

He stops and sits back down before giving us a formidable look and continuing, “Bethani has no clue about my position. She just thinks that I’m a businessman. I’d prefer we keep it that way, gentlemen.” His tone is no nonsense and leaves zero room for discussion. I just nod in agreement.

“Understood, sir. She is still unaware of our positions also, so keeping with the theme seems best for now.”

“Sí. I’ll agree to this alliance. But the agreement is simple. We four are the only ones that know about it. Keep contact to a minimum unless it’s through the burners. We give each other updates if we find anything. If we seek each other’s services, then we shall figure out a form of payment. Keeping her safe is the current priority, so I’ll reach out to a couple of my contacts to send silent security to help keep tabs around campus. No cost.” I go to speak but am cut off. “I’m serious Sinclair. My daughter considers Bethani familia because of how wonderful she treats her. Keeping her safe will make my daughter happy, so cost doesn’t matter. Besides, I have a few pieces of blackmail to utilize anyways.” His laugh has us all chuckling. We know the value of a good piece of blackmail against an enemy. “But before we can agree to anything,” his demeanor shifts to that familiar darkness we are all accustomed to. “Heed my warning though gentlemen. If you even think of screwing me over, I won’t think twice about gutting you and displaying you for all to see. I’ve been screwed once by your infamous last names. I refuse to go through that again. And when your sweet Bethani asks why. I will tell her the truth. So don’t even think about fucking me over unless you want to die.”

His words are cut, dry, and to the point. He will kill us and not think twice about it. While I have no active plan of screwing the guy over, the thought of Bethani seeing us dead leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I mull over his words along with the guys.

Finally, I stand and motion for the guys to follow suit. When we get near Felix he stands up.

“So gentlemen, do we have an agreement?” he asks us.

After looking at the guys for approval, I stick my hand out to his, and with a wicked grin, we shake. “God damn right we have an agreement.”