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He’d been lucky. The store owner had listened to Niko’s apology, then agreed to his father’s suggestion that Niko help out around the store until he’d put in enough hours to earn the CD player. By that time, Niko had wanted nothing to do with the stupid device. Since Pop refused to accept the CD player, Niko had donated it to a charity that gave toys to needy children of injured DEA agents like his father.
    His father had also made Niko research their family history and write a report about all the men and women who had fought honorably in various wars over the years.
    Niko had already felt low as a cockroach by the time he finished his research, but his mamá had made him feel like the devil.
    “Do you know who my cousin three times removed is?” his mamá demanded.
    Niko nodded, having heard since he was a child about the evil Alvarez and his threat to their family.
    But his mother continued as if Niko needed a fresh education. “Jaime Alvarez, one of the most corrupt, most evil and most powerful men in Mexico, that’s who. His older brother, Eduardo Alvarez, used to control all of the illegal activity in the State of Juarez. But your father, your uncle Tasi, and I helped the DEA and the Mexican authorities raid the Alvarez family businesses and Eduardo was killed. Now Jaime controls his brother’s businesses and hates us with a passion.” She spat. “We share blood with them, but we are nothing like them. Do you hear me? None of my children will ever do a dishonest day’s work or they will answer to me. I have made something good of my name. Here in Pasadena I can hold up my head in pride. Do not shame me again!” She grabbed Niko’s ear and twisted it until there were tears in his eyes. “Now, go mow the lawn, then return when you are finished and I will give you your next assignment.”
    Mamá had also arranged for Niko to spend every Saturday morning for a month helping at a soup kitchen. “In order to understand how lucky we are and to see that there are others who suffer more than us.”
    A rueful smile touched Niko’s lips. His mamá had a temper and all her children had learned to step carefully when she was riled. Both his parents had come down hard on Niko in order to prevent him from becoming the type of man he’d become.
    He rubbed his sternum, trying to erase the pain sitting on his chest. How his behavior must be hurting his mamá . His father knew that Niko was undercover with Alvarez, but the agreement with the DEA had been that no one else in the family know, in order that their reactions to news of his criminal activities be real. Alvarez had to believe that Niko truly had slipped so far from the straight and narrow that he’d willingly accepted employment from his family’s long time enemy.
    What Niko had never been able to make his DEA contact understand was that Alvarez fully understood that part of Niko hated and resented him. To Alvarez, Niko was a fascinating challenge. Alvarez prided himself on his ability to manipulate people and force them to follow his wishes through the careful application of bribes and punishment.
    The more illegal acts Niko carried out, the more confident Alvarez became that the perks associated with being his right hand man drowned out any of Niko’s lingering moral objections. Blinded by his need to have a son and heir, Alvarez had convinced himself that Niko would never betray him and risk ending up back in prison.
    In that, Alvarez was wrong. Niko didn’t want to spend more time in prison, but if it meant Alvarez spent the rest of his life behind bars, he’d endure.
    He was good at enduring.
    “J efe , we’ve lost the western route through Ecuador. There was another raid.”
    Jaime Alvarez sighed. He could tell by the hint of excitement in his lieutenant’s voice what was coming. Mentally, he rearranged the distribution for that line of cocaine.
    “I think Derecha had something to do with it.”
    Yes. There it was. “Miguel, I have warned you