Cruz Gallardo

"all right, all right," he nodded, hands raised in faux surrender, "i'll talk to him. he thinks he's got a reputation to uphold too, not that i'm saying his supersedes yours, but you know how he is." caleb was fairly confident that there were few people in the world who could try to teach javier to show respect. his cousin didn't bend to the will of others, no matter who they were.

"i get it. but trust me when i say he's not a loose canon. i know what you think, cruz, but he's more of an asset to this family than a liability." caleb was probably putting his own head on the line a little here trying to get cruz to cut javi some slack. really, he just needed attention and eyes to be averted from his cousin until all of this shit died down.

"well, colour me intrigued," he said as he met his brother's eye. "i take it you're gonna be mysterious for now?" he let out a small laugh, not one of amusement, more because he expected cruz to be holding some cards close to his chest. and he didn't blame him. caleb gave him a brief nod, understanding what was being asked of him. "my lips are sealed."

A humorless smirk touched Cruz’s lips as Caleb called him mysterious. As if this were a game. As if he had a choice, but unfortunately he didn’t. Not until he knew for sure where his brothers loyalty really was. "Can't be careful enough these days." he muttered, the words deliberate and cold. "We have too much to lose to take chances." Caleb thought Javier was misunderstood. Javier thought he was untouchable. And Cruz? He knew the truth: loyalty was currency, and most people were spending it too fast and too easily these days. Some even threw it out the window. Soon, very soon, the rats would show themselves. And when they did, he’d be waiting.

A leather covered menu was handed to the gentleman seated by the window, greeted with a friendly smile and tired eyes. “Here you go, Sir. What would you like to drink?” Her quip sounded gentle and kind, while she waited for his response. To her surprise he had made up his mind rather quick, much unlike most guests ever had. “The kind of man who doesn’t waste time. Very well.” Her joke was not meant to offend, yet Frida had no filter and often stepped on someone’s toes without intention. “I’ll have you know, Sir, most of our clients say it’s the best in the city but you’d have to try for yourself in order to be able to judge.”

A corner of his mouth lifted, not quite a smile but an acknowledgment of the absurdity. He’d eaten in places with gold-leaf decor and truffle-infused everything, only to leave hungry for something simple but tasty. This diner, with its chipped laminate counter and the faint smell of grease and coffee, felt more honest than any of them. Cruz nodded, sliding the pack back into his jacket pocket. "Noted." He closed the menu. "I’ll risk the chili burger. Let’s see what the fuss is all about. And a black coffee."

“don’t you ever say that to me,” javier mutters, low and sharp, his voice edged with something that isn’t just defiance but insult. “don’t you ever tell me i’ll be the downfall of this family. not after everything i’ve done for it. not after what i’ve done for you, for uncle joaquin.” his eyes cut through the haze between them. "i've always done everything you ask. i’ve kept it clean in the papers, i've protected marisol's reputation god knows how many times, gone after every director and producer you felt wronged by. babysat those doped up starlets and kept them in line—don’t act like i don't put this family first."

his hand twitches at his side, a sharp exhale through his nose as if trying to smother the heat before it burns too far, too hot. “¿quieres hablar de familia esto, familia aquello? what about my wife? she's been smeared and shut out, she's not getting any work. all while you sit there pretending it isn't your problem. she's family, is she not? or are you trying to get back at me for something? because a single phone call from you, cruz, and it ends. that's all it would take... but you haven't lifted a finger."

for a moment, it appears as though he might keep going, like the dam might break and the fury pour out in full. but, then javier draws in a breath, straightening his shoulders, burying it all back under. his voice drops lower, harder, the calm of someone ready to compromise because the stakes cut too close. “i’ll do what you want. i'll contact one of our guys at the precinct and see if they’ve got anything—rumors, leads, a scrap of evidence we can work with... but, don't ever say those words to me again." javi doesn’t flinch as he says it, doesn’t let on that he already knows there’s nothing to find, because he made sure of it the night he and caleb left that halperin kid in pershing square.

Cruz sighed, although he wanted to roll his eyes at his cousin‘s tantrum. All this fuss about the career of his wife. How fortunate Javi was, if that was his only concern in life. Cruz on the other hand didn’t have the luxury to only think about himself or his personal feelings with all the responsibilities he had: keeping their name clean, making sure no one stepped out of line, sealing deals to make the family grow, keeping an eye on the books and businesses amongst so many other significant aspects that affected the whole family and syndicate - some of them being matters of life or death, not just a career.

„Are you done with your assumptions and accusations, Javier? Because I am.“ He wasn’t just annoyed now, he was starting to really get pissed off. How could he be so self centered? As if Cruz didn’t have any other worries and things to do. „it is indeed the least of our problems at this point. We’ve got a shitload of other, more pressing matters to handle, than your little wife‘s career - which, if I remember correctly, she ruined herself. Cause and consequences, Javier.“ Cruz took a deep breath to calm himself, his stern gaze never leaving his cousin. Even Javi had to learn, sometimes it took more than a name and the right amount of money to fix something. In fact, some things couldn’t be reversed, no matter how much was paid for it.

The color of his eyes turned darker, out of anger and frustration but he still didn’t raise his voice, even if he felt like a parent trying to educate his bratty child right now. „Not everything is about you and your wife, Javier. Sorry to break it to you. We’ve got an alliance with the most powerful family in the industry to uphold and make sure we stay alive and out of la cana, because, without the Halperin‘s help and if everything goes south with our business, there’s no way anyone could help your wife‘s fucking career…“ He took a sip of his whiskey, not from the glass but the bottle and that was never a good sign. „A single call from me was by far not enough for them to even consider working with her again, by the way.“

He let the words sink, slamming the bottle back onto the desk, while his raging gaze bored into Javier‘s. „You see, once again you’re wrong, but instead of just asking, you choose to insult me and make me regret I even tried.“ Cruz stood up and walked towards the large window, but his gaze still didn’t leave his cousin, holding his breath for a moment, before he continued: „The Halperins were working on the next big thing. Historical drama, several parts, their most expensive production so far. It was going to be huge. And if I do what they’re asking, they’d even consider her for the leading role. But obviously, that project has been put on hold now, since they’re mourning the loss of their son, as you can imagine.“

„You see primo…their problems are ours too and that boy’s death does indeed affect all of us in more ways than one.“ He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his eyes cold and calculating. For a moment the tension in the room grew so thick it felt like the house was about to blow up. For once, Javier seemed to back off of bit and Cruz didn’t expect that but part of him was relieved. It wasn’t like he wanted to fight with his cousin but he had to see the bigger picture at all times. It was the only way to remain on top of their game. „The onlything I want, Javier, is for you to consider the fact, there are far bigger things in motion than what meets the eye. And to think before you overreact.“ Finally, he calmed down a little, the look in his eyes softened just slightly. „Don’t give me a reason to and I won’t have to.“

caleb gladly took the cigarette, retrieving a small lighter out of his pocket to light it up. he inhaled slowly before letting a cloud of smoke disperse around him, shifting his gaze back to cruz. "you go it." and he would do what he could in terms of digging into the halperins. sure, they were connected to their family, but they had so many skeletons in the closet that it couldn't be that hard to unearth something he could use.

"makes sense. half of the cops are just clockin' in for the extra pay-check and not doing enough for it. some new blood would be good. i can add that to my list of to-dos if you got other things to be getting on with." caleb had heard whispers about some other members of their noble police force who could be swayed in their direction for a decent price.

caleb scoffed a laugh at the mention of his cousin. "ay, you know javi. he doesn't mean the disrespect, it's just like another language to him. take it with a pinch of salt, i do. lo sé, si no lo hiciera, me volvería loco." caleb tried to make light of it, but didn't lay it on too thick. he knew cruz wouldn't take well to that. "i'll talk to him though, remind him who's calling the shots."

But he wasn’t just talking about the police but that was to be revealed soon enough. A smirk curled around his lips at Caleb‘s scoff. „Me vale madres! I can‘t have him overstepping all the time. Got a reputation to uphold. And if it’s not me, someone else is going to teach him some respect. They just might not give him the special family treatment he got from me.“

Whether their cousin meant the disrespect or not didn’t really matter. As the head of the family he had to put him in his place now and then before it got out of hand. „Disrespect is not another language in our world. It’s a death wish. People disappear or worse for saying one wrong word to the wrong person.“ it wasn’t a threat, just a matter of fact.

His eyes searched for his brother‘s as he leaned in, his voice low. „Between the two of us, hermano. We‘ll soon see who we can still trust and who’s not as much on our side as they claim to be. Not a word to anyone, including Javier, estamos? “ The glint in his eyes was almost dangerous, making clear he was up to something.

“papers are saying it was the werewolf,” it was said almost conversational. “same as the others this year. moonlight killings. you’ve seen the headlines... the city’s eating that story up.” he let the corner of his mouth lift just barely, not quite a smile, more the ghost of one. “that kind of noise? it’s going to keep the the cops busy and chasing shadows for weeks. no one has figured out who this guy is.”

and it sure was a story. javier may have been getting a little ahead of himself, but he's fully convinced and that he and caleb played their cards well. from the scandal rags to the L.A. times, everyone was talking about how the werewolf struck hollywood's golden family. there was no telling if they believed it, but it was juicy story. johnny halperin was a nuisance and if the werewolf story didn't stick, it would just be assumed he'd gotten himself into something deep with his partying and drug habits. either way, javier and caleb would be in the clear. the only thing left was thwarting cruz's suspicion.

he glanced toward the window, like the view outside had more weight than cruz’s glare. “you and i both know these things… they have a way of sorting themselves when the right people want them sorted. no reason for us to go digging into it. halperin's have their own reach. let them pull the threads.”

only then did he meet cruz’s eyes again, tone cooling to something closer to reassurance. “we’ve got our own house to keep in order. last thing we need is to go making a mess over a problem that’s already got a name and a face in the papers. they'll move on to the next story in no time."

he straightened, brushing an invisible crease from his trousers. “unless you’re looking to chase ghosts. in which case…” the pause was deliberate, faintly challenging. this is how it's been with them for the last few months. sniping, arguing, and backhanded comments. javier and cruz had never been close, but, until now, he had always respected his older cousin. “i'll pour you a drink and wish you luck.”

He couldn’t care less about whatever rumors, gossips or stories were spread. Cruz never went with what the crowd believed. That’s what got him and the Gallardos to where they are now. The way Javier behaved, the fact he was so insistent about dropping the case only made him even more suspicious. „I’m not repeating myself, Javier.“ His word was final. He’d already said everything that needed to be said and he absolutely hated the way Javi thought he didn’t have to listen, like he was above everyone else. Maybe he needed a reminder of who called the shots here.

„You still didn’t get a thing. You don’t listen. That’s your problem. And I’ll be damned if I’ll let it be the downfall of this whole family.“ His voice was surprisingly calm but it carried a lot of weight. And calling the other by his full name did the rest. All Javier had to do for once in his life was listen.

He shook his head once, his glare steadily on Javier. „We‘re not taking the easy way out. Not until I know for sure the cabrón got what he deserved for messing with our allies.“ Cruz emphasized the last word to make sure even Javier got the message this time. „This is not about the public. A story. It’s about honor. Keeping our word.“

„You’ve gotten away with a lot of mierda, simply for being blood - but my patience has a limit. Don’t push it.“ It was more of a promise than it was a warning. He was already debating on having the disrespectful man tied up in the dungeons to teach him a lesson and bring him down from whatever ego trip he was riding this time, all it took was one sign to his men and he’d get what was overdue. Javier was walking a very thin line and Cruz was done with his antics. More than done. “Last chance. You’re either with the Gallardos or against. Choice is yours.”

he met cruz's gaze, both listening to him and trying to figure out how he was going to play this. no, they couldn't unearth who was responsible for this, because that meant throwing javi and himself under the bus and he wasn't about to do that. caleb was loyal, but not to a fault, and he would look after himself when he needed to.

"alright." caleb nodded, keeping his voice low. "just tell me where you want me to go and i'll take a few of the guys with me. how about i speak with the halperins first? can't rule 'em out, the whole family's a mess. and what about our inside man with the cops? i'm assuming you've already met with him, got all the intel they've got?"

Everyone had a price. And at the end of the day they’d all sell their grandmother for the right number or reason - may she rest in peace. Cruz was no idiot. The real question at stake was whether he could still trust the ones closest to him to a default or not. He lit a cigarette and offered one to Caleb. “Just do your thing. Let me know what you find. In the meantime, I’ll do what I do best.” He reassured with a confident half grin, inhaling the smoke of the cigarette.

“Por supuesto! But they’re not the brightest of lights either. I’m making new acquaintances. They’ll be useful. More powerful than the police. More effective too.” He smirked with a knowing glint in his eyes but without actually laying his cards out there. “And before I forget. Remind your cousin I won’t tolerate anymore disrespect. He got away with too much mierda, ya basta! Estoy harto de sus caprichos.”

"didn’t think i’d be up this early unless a studio was burnin’ down or someone owed us six figures and a kneecap,” he said, tone dry, but not without that quiet edge. he adjusted the cuff of his shirt absently, like he had all the time in the world. his gaze flicks up, meeting cruz’s. calm, measured.

“something with one of the producers? you need me to lean on somebody? or is this about that problem with the union boys last week?” he let it hang there, offering possibilities, none too pointed. giving cruz the space to show his hand first. "whatever it is, i’ll handle it.”

There was a glare in his eyes that spoke volumes. "I assure you, I am going to find out who’s behind all of this. And when I do, the authorities will be the least of that fucker’s problems.” His voice remained calm but Javier knew him well enough to understand the danger behind his tranquil demeanor. “No. This one’s for me to handle.” He leaned back in his chair, only slightly. “Good thing we know none of ours is involved, right? Because we all know the consequences of betrayal in this family.” His vigilant gaze never left Javi, studying him closely, while he continued after a small pause. “Seems like someone needs a reminder not to mess with the Gallardos.”

With a nod to the bartender, he indicated the man should serve Cruz the requested Scotch. As the drink arrived, Malik leaned back in his seat, his gaze still on the rival, studying his every move. "Cruz," the name rolled off his tongue with the ease of familiarity yet there was a hint of something else underlying the tone of his voice. "What brings you to the heart of Walker territory tonight? A quest for knowledge or a desire to stir the pot a little?" He took another sip of his bourbon, savoring it as he awaited the other man's response. Despite the tension, he couldn’t help but appreciate the cut of Gallardo‘s suit and the confidence, which practically radiated off him. It was a trait he could respect, even in adversary — not that he’d admit to such thing.

He ordered a whiskey on the rocks, took a small sip and placed the glass on the table. “Who would be stupid enough to not make sure that body won’t ever be found? Only an amateur.” Cruz sighed, his gaze firmly locked on the other. It was only a matter of time until they’d find out the truth of this macabre story. “Let’s say I’ve got a personal interest in solving this case.” That was all he was going to reveal but it also should have been enough for Malik to understand he wasn’t trying to hide anything, quite the contrary. It affected his business and therefore it was in his best interest to find whoever was responsible for this mess.

"it's nice to see you too, hermano." light sarcasm dripped into his voice and the small smile that was on his face quickly morphed into a grin. "heard?" caleb had to pause to think. had he heard anything of note? nope. nothing that he could recall. "you're gonna have to be more specific. what should i have heard?" surely not the halperin kid? his death was old news by now, people had moved on, and it wasn't something they needed to concern themselves with. he'd made sure of that.

Cruz kept his voice low enough so no one besides Caleb could hear his words. “Our allies demand answers. And I won’t have to tell you, their issues are ours too. Whoever’s responsible for this is in deep shit. No one messes with our business like that and gets away with it.” It was a promise and Cruz always kept those, no matter what. His eyes quickly scanned the room to make sure no one was listening in or watching them. “I’ve got my best on the case. You included. I expect results!” The tone of his voice reflected the urgency of the matter.

alfonso herrera - 1983