Page 53 of Corrupted Bride

“Javi. Where’s Cruz?”

“What the hell do you care? I swear, you fucking baby that kid too much.”

A cold worry runs down my spine. I don’t like how he’s avoiding my gaze. “Javi, tell me where he is.”

“He’s probably with his fucking loser friends. What do I care?”

I march over and kick his water aside as he reaches for it. He curses but I shove him back and slam my knee between his legs inches from his balls. I yank the bar, dropping it down onto his chest, and he barely catches it.

“What the fuck!” He struggles to lift it, but I hold it down. “You’re fucking crazy, Marisol, you bitch! Get the fuck off me!”

“Where—Is—Cruz!” I lean against the weights and it digs into him.

“Fuck!” He looks panicked. “Get off me, you fucking bitch!”

“Tell me where!” I lean in harder, and I’m this close to kneeing him in his tiny little marbles.

“Fine! Fuck! Ruben picked him up, okay, you crazy bitch?!”

I leap back as if stabbed. Javi groans, shoves the barbell off him, and gets it back onto the rack. He lays there, gasping and rubbing his chest.

“Ruben? Why is Cruz with Ruben?”

“I knew you’d fucking overreact,” he says, sitting up with a grimace, but he’s still not meeting my gaze.

“Why the fuck is Cruz with Ruben?! They don’t even like each other.” Which is true. Cruz thinks Ruben’s a psychotic asshole (true) and Ruben thinks Cruz is a pathetic little pussy (his words, false).

“I don’t know, okay? Ruben’s been picking Cruz up every day since the wedding. Cruz doesn’t talk about it when he gets home.” Javi sounds worried. He seems ashamed as he picks up his water. “It’s Ruben, okay? If they want to hang out, it’s fine, right?” It’s like he’s trying to convince himself.

“Where are they right now?” I step toward my brother, vibrating with fear and anger.

“How the fuck⁠—”

“Javi, don’t, okay? For once in your life, don’t be a piece of shit, and tell me. Where are they?”

He meets my gaze, and in that moment, I know, I know, there’s nothing he could have done to stop it, and maybe he even tried, maybe he said something to Ruben which is about the most he’d ever do, but they’re on different levels. They exist in different worlds.

If Ruben wants Cruz, he gets Cruz, and Javi can’t stop it.

“There’s this house. It’s this place down in Del Valle by the airport.”

“Address.”

He rattles it off and I’m already texting Bass.

“Don’t do something stupid, Mari, please.” Javi sits on the bench, running his fingers through his hair. “You know how it is in our family, okay? Don’t make trouble.”

I stare at my brother, my oldest brother, a man who never once tried to help me in my entire life, who believes so deeply in the Escalante that I swear he’d happily let them cut his throat if that meant it would come with a promotion.

I don’t loathe him like I should. I don’t hate him.

I feel bad for him.

“Things are different now. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

I turn and leave. Javi calls after me but I don’t bother replying. Bass is already waiting outside by the truck. “What does that text mean?” he asks, holding up his phone, face grim. “Why do you know about that address?”

“Ruben took Cruz there.”