Chapter Text
“Ay, Eduardo,” Olivia moaned, gripping the sink counter as Eddie pounded into her. Eddie smirked as he panted into her ear, gripping both of her thighs tightly. “Ay, amor, your nose is bleeding,” she said, wiping the blood with her thumb. “It’s fine,” Eddie insisted, “Wouldn’t be the first time. Won’t be the last.” He disregarded the bleeding as he pressed his lips to Olivia’s, feeling his tongue brush against hers. She also ignored the blood as she felt Eddie’s thumb begin rubbing circles over her clit. She tightened her legs around Eddie’s waist, rocking against him. “Don’t stop,” she said, “Just like that.” Eddie didn’t have to be told twice. He continued as he was, wanting to push Olivia to her orgasm. He tried to take his mind off of his own pleasure to prolong the experience. His mind wandered to his parents and brother sitting outside in the pews. The old priest who was probably giving some speech about God’s glory at the moment. The smell of the old church bathroom mixed with the scent of sex. The white dust of coke that was still sprinkled across the counter next to them. Olivia began to tighten and contract around him as her moans became more high-pitched. Eddie continued steadily as she finished, digging her nails into his shoulder. Now Eddie could finish himself. He pressed his lips to Olivia’s left breast as he pulled her thighs open wider, allowing him to go deeper. “Almost there,” he assured. He began thrusting quicker and more desperately as he reached his end. He slowly dragged himself in and out of Olivia as he came.
They both took a minute before Eddie pulled out. He rolled off the condom he had been wearing and tossed it into the trash before zipping his pants up. He helped Olivia off the counter and she stumbled for a second as she fixed her skirt.
“Can’t walk?” Eddie teased. Olivia punched him in the chest. “I’ll see you next Sunday,” she said before kissing Eddie on the cheek. Eddie nodded as she left the bathroom.
By the time Eddie returned to his family in the pews, the service was nearly over.
“Where have you been?” his mom asked. “You don’t want to know, Mamá,” Eddie said, “I think I got some sort of food poisoning from whatever Gabi cooked for breakfast this morning.” Gabriel rolled his eyes. “You’re disgusting,” he said. Eddie smirked.
As the choir stood for one last song, Olivia winked at Eddie from the soprano section.
So did a couple of the other girls.
As Eddie tucked the remainder of his coke into his pants, Gabriel snuck a quick sip from the flask he had hidden in his shirt pocket.
The Escuella brothers were.. an interesting pair. Eduardo himself was quite the anomaly, as a matter of fact.
Gabriel Escuella had gotten by in school easily enough. Nothing special. He never sought a higher education, and was stuck in a labor-inducing construction job that he was only sober for half the time. You never found Gabriel too far away from a bottle.
Eduardo Escuella was two years behind Gabriel, being the younger brother. He graduated at the top of his class with perfect scores. He was heavily involved with the church and spent a lot of his time helping around the community. By all accounts, Eduardo was the perfect son. Respectful, hard-working, smart. At only nineteen, he currently worked part time as a fisherman while juggling school. Obviously, he was majoring in business. A field that was just as respectable as he was. Very few people ever saw the side of Eduardo that he kept hidden. His wild, sex-crazed, cocaine-addicted side. Those who did see it were just as guilty as he was. They, too, held normal lives and a respectable reputation all while keeping their sins on the down low.
Gabriel knew about this secret side to his brother. He’d known for a long time. Sometimes he wanted to expose him for the person he truly was just so everyone would stop comparing him to Eduardo. He knew no one would listen, though. They’d chalk it up to the drunken ramblings of a jealous brother. ‘Be more like Eduardo,’ everyone always told him. The smarter, kinder, more attractive sibling. Pfft.
As the service came to an end, Eddie made a mental note to himself that he’d have to get a refill on his “prescription.” Unfortunately, his usual dealer, Diego, was out of business. Permanently. He’d been found dead in the street just a couple days earlier. Shot in the head. It was a shame. Diego was such a good guy.
That night, Eddie had asked around a couple of his acquaintances to try to track down someone new to buy from. He left home that evening on the basis that he was going to help one of their elderly neighbors with some labor around the house. While that was partially true, it was mainly so he could meet up with this new guy one of his friends had mentioned to get his fix for the week. His mom and dad would be gone for the night, as well as Gabriel, so Eddie would be returning to a dark and empty house.
As Eddie stepped into the house, he heard footsteps rush behind him. Before he could even react, a large arm was wrapped around him– a hand covering his mouth. He felt something cold and metal press against his right temple. He could give one good guess as to what it was.
“One word, and I pull the trigger. Got it?” A man’s voice said. Instinctively, Eddie nodded. His face had gone pale, and he could feel a nervous sweat moistening his forehead. “Anyone else here right now?” The man asked. Eddie shook his head. The man made a grunt in response before removing his hand from Eddie. Keeping the gun pressed firmly against Eddie’s head, he closed the front door and locked the two of them inside.
Eddie wanted to ask this man who he was and what he wanted, but he was afraid that the moment he opened his mouth, he’d be met with a bullet in his skull. He stayed completely still and completely silent.
The man flipped on the light, allowing Eddie to see him clearly now. He looked to be around Eddie’s age. He was only a few centimeters taller, but he was way leaner than him. His facial features were more sharp, and he had a single wrinkle on his forehead from frowning.
Eddie’s heart stopped when the man reached into his pocket. He tried his best to remain calm as his fingers brushed against his thigh. When he apparently didn’t find what he was looking for, he reached into Eddie’s other pocket. He took out the bag of cocaine that Eddie had just bought.
“Have you taken any of this yet?” The man asked. Eddie shook his head. “Good,” the man said as he put the bag into his own pocket. “If you did, I’d advise going to the hospital,” he added. Eddie was confused. “Hospital?” he questioned– his voice barely above a whisper. The man nodded. “This stuff was cut with rat poison,” he explained. Eddie’s heart sank in his chest. “Rat poison?” he questioned again, only this time his voice was louder. The man nodded again. “You got it from that asshole from Guerrero, right?” he asked. Eddie nodded. “All that fucker’s shit is laced. He’s more of a serial killer than a dealer,” the man explained.
If Eddie had snorted that, he would’ve died?
“Who are you?” Eddie asked, “If you want money, I can get you money.”
The man laughed before lowering his gun, but keeping his grip firm. “I don’t want any money, kid,” he said, “Not in the way you may be thinking.” He began looking around the house. He wandered around the kitchen counter as he took in the environment. “You can call me ‘Lobo’,” the man said, “And I wanted to ask you for a favor, Eduardo.”
Eddie was taken aback. “How do you know my name?” he asked.
Lobo took one of the bananas that was sitting on the counter and began unpeeling it. “I’ve been watching,” he said, “I’ve been laying low around this little town for a couple months now. You seem to be quite popular.” He took a bite from the banana before adding, “In many ways.”
Eddie’s face flushed pink.
“And it’s because of this popularity and charisma that I want you as my business partner,” Lobo said. “Business partner?” Eddie questioned. Lobo nodded. “See,” he said as he reached into his pocket, “I’m something of an entrepreneur, myself.” He took something out of his pocket and tossed it over to Eddie. He caught what it was and looked it over. It was a bag of what appeared to be cocaine. It had a label that read “Del Lobo” on it. “I need a little help getting my business started around here, and it seems to me like you’re the perfect man for the job,” Lobo said.
“You want me to be a drug dealer?” Eddie asked. Lobo nodded. “You already do it. Might as well sell it, too,” he argued. “And if I say no?” Eddie asked. Lobo finished off the last of the banana he was eating and tossed the peel at Eddie. “You won’t,” he said, “Because that would mean I would have to kill you. Just like I did Diego Fernandez.” Eddie’s face went pale again. “You’re the one that killed Diego?” he asked. Lobo nodded. “Gotta eliminate the competition,” he said.
Eddie wanted to yell. He wanted to get angry, but his eyes glanced back over to the gun Lobo was still holding. “I’ll split the profit with you, of course,” Lobo added, “Seventy–thirty.” He waved his gun, aiming at Eddie. “So, what’s it gonna be, Eduardo?” he asked.
Eddie gulped before answering. It didn’t seem like he had much choice in the matter.
“Okay,” he said. Lobo smiled. “Good boy,” he said. He shoved his gun back into the waistband of his pants before patting Eddie on the shoulder. “I’ll see you later, then, Eduardo.”
As he was about to leave through the front door, he stopped. “Oh, and if you decide to tell anyone about this..” He turned back, quick-drawing his gun from his pants and aiming it at Eddie. “Bang bang!” He laughed at the way Eddie flinched before leaving.
Now that Eddie was aware of Lobo’s presence, he seemed to notice him everywhere he looked. At the beach, in town, at school. He could always make him out in the distance– just watching. Or maybe he was hallucinating.
“Are you feeling alright, Eddie?” Alonzo asked as he scarfed down his burrito.
Alonzo and Eddie had been friends since they were kids. His family lived only a couple houses down from the Escuellas. Alonzo was on the shorter, chubbier side. His whole family was. Whenever Eddie went over to his house, his mom would always try to feed him. She said Eddie was too skinny.
Eddie looked back at Alonzo, breaking his stare from Lobo who was leaning against a motorcycle on the other side of the parking lot. “Yeah,” he said, “I’m fine.”
“So, are you coming?” Alonzo asked.
“Coming?” Eddie questioned.
“To Emilia’s party tonight?” Alonzo clarified.
“Oh, right,” Eddie said, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Alonzo nodded. “I’m sure you two will have lots of fun together, hm?” He rolled his R’s while winking at Eddie. Eddie chuckled, trying to relax. He hadn’t had sex with anyone since he and Olivia hooked up last Sunday– that was five days ago. For Eddie, that was a long time. A few of his usual fuck buddies had asked him to fool around, but he had been so on edge ever since all this Lobo shit started that he hadn’t been in the mood. Maybe a little blow and doggy would take the edge off. He had tried the stuff Lobo had given him– just because if he didn’t he would end up going through awful withdrawals– and it was good. Really good. Eddie wasn’t sure what Lobo’s process was for his product, but it was way better than anything Diego had ever given him. He was a little hesitant to take Lobo’s coke at first, but then he figured if the man really wanted to hurt him or kill him, he would’ve just shot him when he had him at gunpoint. He had nearly gone through the whole bag already. Not to say it was a big bag, but still.
Alonzo stopped at his car. “I’ll let her know to be expecting you,” he said, “I’ll see you tonight, brother.” Eddie nodded. “I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
He continued walking to his truck after Alonzo took off.
Thoughts of Lobo had all but left his mind as they were replaced with thoughts of Emilia. He just hoped she’d be down to fuck tonight. If not, he could always ask someone else. Emilia was actually the girl Eddie had lost his virginity to when they were both teenagers. She was his first girlfriend. After a while, they decided to end the relationship and just be friends, though. Well– friends with benefits. But Eddie was friends with benefits with just about all of his female friends.
Eddie nearly had a heart attack when he finally reached his truck. After he took his keys from his pocket and looked up, he was face to face with Lobo again. He was now leaning on the driver’s door. A cigarette hung from his lips and a satchel hung from his shoulder.
“So you’re going to party tonight?” Lobo asked.
“I–” Eddie’s mouth had gone dry, “Yes.”
Lobo smirked, seeming to enjoy the way his presence disturbed Eddie. “The people at this party,” he began, “Are they addicts like you?”
Eddie was a little caught off guard by the bluntness of Lobo’s question. “Well..” he began, “Most of them, yeah.”
Lobo nodded. “Sounds like a good advertising opportunity,” he said. He threw the butt of his cigarette on the pavement and stomped it out. “How did you like the sample I gave you?” He asked.
“It was..” Eddie blushed, “Good.” He wanted more. Really, he needed more.
Lobo chuckled. “Something you would recommend to your friends at this party?” He asked.
Eddie nodded, biting his lip nervously.
Lobo smirked as he handed the satchel he had over to Eddie. “Take these,” he said, “Give one out as a sample, and charge the rest for 2,000 pesos each.”
Eddie’s eyes went wide. “2,000!?” He questioned, "Diego only charged 400.”
“Ay, but Fernandez’s wasn’t as good as this, was it?” Lobo asked.
He had a point there.
“Price is 2,000,” Lobo said, “Either they pay it, or they’re stuck with no drugs.” He patted Eddie on the shoulder like he’d done Sunday night. “Do me proud, Eduardo,” he said before walking back towards his motorcycle.
Eddie felt nervous as he pulled up to Emilia’s. The satchel Lobo had given him still sat in the passenger seat of his truck. When he opened the door to get out–
“Boo!”
Eddie only shook his head and chuckled.
“Aw, what? That didn’t scare you?” Emilia asked disappointedly.
“Oh, sorry,” Eddie cleared his throat, “Ahh!” His tone was sarcastic. Emilia shoved him. “You asshole,” she said.
Eddie jumped down from his truck and placed both of his hands around Emilia’s waist, pulling her in for a kiss. Emilia smiled. “I’m on my period, Eddie,” she said. “Like that’s ever stopped me before,” Eddie said. Emilia bit her lip and pushed Eddie away. He was about to shut the door to the truck when he remembered Lobo’s assignment. Eddie felt a little nervous as he reached over to grab the satchel. “Ay!” he chuckled when he felt Emilia goose his ass.
“Sorry,” she said, “Couldn’t help myself.”
She raised an eyebrow at the bag as Eddie shut the truck door. “What’s that?” she asked.
“Just a little something to get the party going,” Eddie said as he gave her a peek into the bag.
“Holy shit!” Emilia said, “Where did you get this?” She grabbed one of the pouches and turned it over. “‘Del Lobo’,” she read the label, “This isn’t Diego’s.” Eddie shook his head. “It’s from a new guy I met,” he explained, “We only get one freebee, though. You’re all going to have to pay for the rest of these.” “Is it good?” Emilia asked. “Oh, yeah,” Eddie nodded, “Trust me. It’s real good.” “How much are they?” Emilia asked. “2,000 each,” Eddie said, “But it’s worth it. Trust me.”
Eddie could tell Emilia seemed a little put off by the price. Even so, she shrugged and put the pouch back into the bag. “Alright,” she said, “I guess we’ll see just how ‘worth it’ it is.”
The two walked into the house where a bunch of the other young adults from the town were already hanging out. Drinking, dancing, and playing music. Alonzo was in the corner pouring tequila over a taco. It was clear that he’d already had a little too much to drink.
“You said we get one free, right?” Emilia asked. Eddie nodded and handed her one of the pouches. “Everyone! Eddie brought the snow!” The crowd cheered. “I’m gonna go stash the rest of this in your room,” Eddie whispered. Emilia nodded.
To no surprise, Lobo’s product ended up being a hit with the others. Eddie had a lot of people coming up to him, asking about buying. A few of them were hesitant because of the price, but said they’d be in contact once they got the money. By midnight, the entire satchel had been cleaned out and replaced by bills and coins.
The satchel sat in the bottom of Emilia’s wardrobe as Eddie removed her bra. A towel had been laid across the bed as a precaution so the blood wouldn’t make a mess on her sheets. Alcohol and coke ran through their systems as Emilia pulled Eddie’s pants to the ground.
The next morning, Eddie woke up spitting hair out of his mouth. Emilia’s thick curls were suffocating his face as she slept on his chest. He pushed the hair away and moved to get up, only to be stopped by a massive headache. Emilia stirred awake as Eddie held his head.
“Good morning,” she said. Eddie hummed. Despite the pain, he smiled. “Good morning, querida,” Eddie said. Emilia sat up and stretched. “I’ll go get you something for that hangover,” she said as she swung her legs off the bed. “You’re an angel,” Eddie said. “I know,” Emilia said.
Once it no longer hurt Eddie to move, he migrated to the living room with Emilia. The house was still a mess from the night before, and a few people were still laying around. Including Alonzo who was already in the kitchen.
“Well, look who’s alive,” Alonzo said as he prepared breakfast.
Miguel– one of the other party guests– was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee as he flipped through TV channels. Eddie took it upon himself to help Emilia clean up from the night before while Alonzo prepared them all food. As he did so, he kept momentarily glancing over at the TV. Miguel had it set on the news where the weatherman was talking about an upcoming hurricane. Then, the station changed to a different story.
“Twenty-three year old Flaco Hernández is still at large. It has been three months since Hernández’s father, fifty-six year old, Francisco Hernández, was found strangled to death in his own home in Sinaloa. Officials believe that the father and son had gotten into a physical altercation over the drugs that were found in the Hernández residence, which ultimately led to the death of the father,” the news reporter said. A photo was shown on the screen. It showed three people– two women and one man. The women were both visibly older than the man by at least ten years. “If you see Hernández– pictured on the left– or anyone fitting his description– dark brown skin, 180 cm tall, 76 kg, brown eyes, and brown hair– be sure to report it to your local authorities.”
Eddie’s heart dropped to his stomach. The man in the photo looked exactly like Lobo.
“That’s insane,” Miguel said, “I like getting fucked up as much as the next guy, but you don’t see me killing my papá over it.”
Later that night, Eddie was sitting in his room, playing his guitar, when he heard a familiar voice at his window.
“How’d you get on?” Lobo asked.
Eddie stopped playing and jumped. “What are you doing here?” He asked. “My parents and my brother are home.”
Lobo shrugged. “I need to see the profit,” he said. He then pulled himself up and into Eddie’s room.
“Are you insane?” Eddie whisper yelled.
“Yes,” Lobo said, “Now hand over the bag.”
Eddie sat his guitar down on his pillow and reached under his bed for the satchel. “Sold out,” Eddie said as he handed it to Lobo. He took the bag and began counting the money in it. He smirked as he did so, seeming satisfied. All the money he was owed was there. “See?” He said, “This is why I chose you as my partner.” He counted off some of the money and sat it next to Eddie. “Your cut, as promised,” he said. He then put the satchel around his neck and turned to leave.
Eddie took the money Lobo had left him. “I’ll see you later, then,” Eddie said, pausing before adding, “Flaco.”
Lobo stopped. His face was red with anger as he turned back to Eddie. He took his gun from his pants and aimed it at Eddie. “The fuck did you just call me?” He asked.
Eddie gulped, but didn’t back down. If this guy wanted to fight, Eddie wasn’t afraid to fight. “Flaco Hernández,” he said, “That’s your name, right?”
“How do you–”
“Your face is all over the news,” Eddie interrupted, “I’m not an idiot.”
Flaco growled. “So, what?” He asked, “You gonna rat me out to the police?” He lowered his gun and leaned over, getting in Eddie’s face. “Because if you want all of your body parts, and all of your family’s body parts in one piece, I suggest you don’t.”
Eddie let out a shaky breath as he tried to keep his composure. “I won’t,” he said.
“Good,” Flaco said as he stood up straight, “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Eddie nodded as he watched Flaco leave through the window.
“And remember what I said,” Flaco added, “You can call me ‘Lobo’.”