The lie of a brother

The drive back to the mansion was supposed to be routine. Evander and I were discussing the details of our meeting when something—or rather, someone—caught our attention.

Up ahead, El Rado stood near the entrance of a high-end café, dressed sharply, his expression unreadable. Evander immediately straightened in his seat.

“I should say hi,” he muttered, motioning for me to slow down.

Instead, I did the opposite. I parked the car immediately, my grip tightening on the wheel.

Evander frowned, looking at me in confusion. “What was that for?”

I took a deep breath before answering, “Because we need to trust nobody. You said so yourself.”

He sighed but didn’t argue. “That doesn’t mean El Rado is our enemy.”

“Doesn’t mean he isn’t either.”

Evander exhaled sharply, clearly displeased with the direction of this conversation. “Look, I get that he’s been distant. He’s on missions of his own. He moves differently than the rest of us. But that doesn’t make him a traitor.”

I could tell I was hitting a nerve. He wasn’t just defending El Rado—he was defending his loyalty to Sabastian. If I kept pushing, it would start to seem like I was pointing fingers without evidence. And that wasn’t what I wanted.

“I’m just saying it’s weird,” I murmured, easing up. “That’s all.”

Evander studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed, shaking his head. “I get it. But don’t jump to conclusions without proof.”

I nodded, though my gut told me I was onto something.

And then, just as I reached for the gear shift, something—or rather, someone else—made us both freeze.

“Pedro?”

We said it at the same time.

The blood drained from my face as I gripped the steering wheel harder, my knuckles turning white. Evander’s reaction was no less intense. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing.

This wasn’t possible.

Pedro wasn’t just a random face from the past. He was a traitor, a ghost that should have never resurfaced. Evander knew him as a man who had betrayed Sabastian. But for me, it was much deeper than that.

Pedro was the one who had dragged me into this mess.

Rage bubbled inside me, hot and uncontrollable. My vision blurred as I stared at him, walking casually across the street.

“This is impossible,” Evander muttered, shaking his head.

“No,” I said, my voice cold. “This is real. And no one will believe us unless we have proof.”

Evander wasted no time, pulling out his phone and snapping pictures.

“It won’t be enough,” I whispered bitterly. “They’re walking down the same road, but they aren’t meeting together. No one will believe us based on this alone.”

Evander didn’t look at me as he continued taking photos. “You’re wrong. Pedro is a known traitor. If El Rado notices him like I captured and isn’t doing anything about him, that’s enough reason to be suspicious.”

I swallowed hard. “And what if it’s all a coincidence?”

Evander lowered his phone, his voice dark. “In this business, there are no coincidences.”

He tapped his phone screen a few times, sending the pictures directly to his private files. Then he turned to me.

“We have to tell Sabastian.”

I hesitated.

“No,” I said, making my decision in an instant. “I’ll do it.”

Evander studied me, then nodded. “Alright. Your call.”

We arrived at the mansion, and to my surprise, Sabastian was already waiting for us in the courtyard. His arms were crossed, his stance firm. It was clear he had been expecting us.

Evander sighed. “I’ll talk to him first. You come in later with the big news.”

I nodded, grateful for the plan. But just as Evander stepped out of the car, Sabastian’s voice rang.

“This isn’t a separate mission.” His piercing gaze met mine through the windshield. “Both of you, report to me. Now.”

Damn.

I forced myself to keep my expression neutral as I stepped out, following Evander toward Sabastian.

The conversation started as expected—Evander laid out the details of the meeting, the caretaker’s information, and the mystery surrounding the fake cargo. I chimed in when needed, nodding in agreement at all the right moments.

But the entire time, my heart was pounding.

Evander knew I had something heavier to share. And the second he finished his report, he glanced at me, silently signaling that it was time.

I swallowed and steadied myself.

“The mission was interesting,” I started, keeping my tone light. “The caretaker was impressive—his knowledge, his network... it’s no wonder you chose him.”

Sabastian’s expression softened slightly, pride flickering in his eyes.

And then I asked, “I haven’t seen El Rado in a while.”

His face hardened instantly.

“He’s on a mission,” Sabastian said, his tone dismissive. “He should be in L.A.”

I tilted my head. “What if he’s back?”

He shrugged. “Then that’s his choice.”

His words were detached, almost uninterested.

I took a deep breath. “I was going to tell you—he is back. We saw him on our way here.”

Something in Sabastian’s demeanor shifted.

“What?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

His gaze darkened, his entire posture stiffening.

And then I pulled out my phone and handed it to him.

Evander had sent the images to me right before we entered the compound.

“Pedro?” he said, his voice low and dangerous as he examined the picture.

“Why is that bastard freely walking?”

I could see his grip tighten. His breathing slowed, controlled—but I knew better. Sabastian was furious.

“They met together?” he asked.

I hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

His expression darkened further. “He saw him and did nothing about it.”

The anger in his voice was rising.

He pulled out his phone and called Evander; his tone clipped. “I need to see you. Now.”

Evander arrived within minutes. The air was thick with tension as Sabastian interrogated him.

“Did they enter the same place?”

“No,” Evander admitted.

Sabastian exhaled sharply, some of the tension easing from his frame. He rubbed a hand down his face, thinking. Then, after a beat of silence, he asked, “Did he see the car?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. He didn’t look in our direction.”

Sabastian nodded, then dialed a number.

We all stood there as the phone rang, then connected.

"Hermano,” Sabastian greeted casually.

“Brother,” El Rado’s voice came through, smooth and easy.

They exchanged pleasantries, keeping up the facade.

Then Sabastian asked, “Are you in the country?”

“No, not yet,” El Rado replied. “I’ll be back before the auction, though.”

“Oh, I see.” Sabastian said…”Yup, I hope everything is good over there.” He asked, his voice somewhat at alert.

“Oh, no, no. I am good; I just wanted to check on you and wonder when you will be back.” He replied to him. ”Don’t worry, brother, very soon.” He said.

The call continued with more meaningless chatter before it ended.

Sabastian didn’t say anything for a long moment.

Then, quietly, he muttered, “I hope this is all just a coincidence.”

Evander exhaled, clearly wanting to move past it. “We should focus back on the cargo.” Evander said as he made sense, but immediately Sabastian replied, “I spoke to the caretaker before you guys arrived.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

Sabastian smirked slightly. “I already have a plan.” He said, looking at me.

Evander looked at me too and then looked at me again and smiled

Evander caught on immediately, his eyes widening. “Ohhh.”

I was still lost. “What?”

Evander glanced at me, then at Sabastian. “It’s dangerous.”

And then both of them turned to stare at me.

Realization hit me like a freight train.

I was part of the plan.

In fact, I wasn’t just part of it.

This mission was centered around me.