Page 24 of High

“Fuck off. Don’t touch me ever again.” He stormed past me and out of the room, and I watched him go, unable to do anything else.

My heart ached.

I spentthe next two hours in my office, doing the paperwork that was required to hide our drug-running operations. I needed a company to launder money through, and I had several, but one was local and happened to be a bunch of beauty salons my cousin Noa ran. She was a smart cookie, and when it came to keeping the family safe, she did exactly that. We had a deal, though. In return for her cooperation, I kept Santiago, her brother, safe.

I snorted and rose, stretching out the kinks in my back. Walking out the door of my office, I followed the hallway until I heard familiar laughter. I strode into the largest living room and stopped at the sight of Arlo and Manny curled up on one of the couches, laughing over a story Arlo was telling.

Jealousy twisted my insides hot and furious at the way Arlo touched Manny’s arm, leaning in too close for my liking. I glared at his hand and stalked forward.

“Manny.”

Manny’s laughter abruptly stopped, and he glanced over his shoulder at me, the smile leaving his face. “What?”

“Can I talk to my brother for a second?”

“Why?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. There were guards near the front door who were close enough to hear us, and I breathed heavily through my nose to stop myself from saying something I’d regret.

“Because I’m Jefe and I said so. Go upstairs, I’ll come talk to you in a minute.”

Manny’s gaze narrowed and he huffed, shoving himself to his feet and storming past me to head up the curved stairs. That boy was heading for a spanking with the way he was acting.

When I was sure he was out of earshot, I spun to my brother. Arlo was so much like me and Papá, just a slightly younger version. But unlike me, who was willing to do what it took to get things done, Arlo was more of a playboy. He lived to party and for the power of being a Reyes son.

He shoved his dark hair off his forehead lazily and grinned as he stood. “Sorry. He looked lonely.”

“Did he?” I grabbed him by the neck so quickly that Arlo’s eyes widened, and he gasped when I dragged him closer. I dug my fingers into his windpipe, and he tried to inhale but failed. “Manny is mine, Arlo. Keep your manos sucias off him, entendido?”

“Jefe, I—”

“I don’t want your excuses. Keep your fucking hands to yourself or I will remove every finger on them. Understand?” I got in nice and close to his face, which was turning purple.

The guards along the wall on my left shifted uncomfortably, but they didn’t move.

“You think I don’t know how you feel about him? You stare at him like a lovesick dog.” I shook him.

“I’m sorry,” Arlo gasped, mouth parted.

“Stay away from him.”

“Sí, Jefe.”

I released him and he fell, gasping for air. He didn’t look at me when I spat on the floor next to him. I turned and headed toward the stairs to Manny’s room. When I arrived at his door, I thought about knocking but decided against it. This was my house, and I was tired of his brattish behavior. It was time he learned who the boss was.

I jerked open the door and stopped at the sight of Manny sitting cross-legged on the bed, head bowed and shoulders shaking. I felt his anger down to my core, and I hated that I’d made him feel this way. I shouldn’t have said a word to him, and left him to be blissfully innocent, but that would have only made him angrier in the long run.

“I should hate you for what you’ve done. What you’ve all done,” he murmured.

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. “Do you?”

He shook his head and looked up at me, those liquid brown eyes melting hot. “No. I can’t hate you, and that annoys the hell out of me.”

I smiled. “Good, because I’ve always loved you, Manny. I’m doing this to protect you.”

“I’ve heard that so many times before.” He laughed sarcastically and slid off the bed to his feet. He crossed the room to stand in front of me, gaze angry. “Did Tío Luis kill my mamá?”

“No.” I cupped his cheek and stroked down his chin. His eyes slipped closed and he let out a long breath. “I am the jefe, hermoso, and it’s time you learned that. I’m going to teach you a lesson now, do you understand?”

His eyelashes fluttered open again and he pressed his lips together. “No, but make me.”