ZACHARY QUIROA
Human
Posts: 66
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Jun 23, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
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Post by ZACHARY QUIROA on Sept 30, 2022 21:51:22 GMT
La cucaracha, la cucaracha.
There’d been too many Mexicans living in San Diego for him to stick out much, but here in the town that was too small, too sleepy, Zach felt like every set of eyes was on him. Maybe some of Manny’s paranoia was rubbing off on him.
Shoulders hunched, his jaw tight beneath the scruff of his beard, Zach scurried from the street the sheriff’s department was on towards the string of apartment buildings that were interspersed around the square. Nice and picturesque if your thing was places that were all green and quiet. It wasn’t his. He was used to the noise of the city, the bustle of the de la Peña household – the blood.
Dark eyes darted around him fast, lighting twitchily on each face that passed him. It wasn’t any wonder they were looking back when there was a guy who looked like he was tweaking scurrying past them. Maybe if the sheriff, or one of her people, had gotten a look at him as he’d hung out on the corner opposite the station for close to three hours, he’d have ended up on a perp walk through the station instead of bolting when a stroll to stretch his legs revealed that Ricky’s car was gone from the parking lot. Fuck. Without him seeing it either. His hands had tightened in his hair then, the faint keening noise rolling out of him as he realised Manny was gonna tear him a new one for losing sight of his big brother.
Come to town, do a little business, visit with Ricky a while. Easy huh?
Zach drew in a deep breath through his nose, let it out raggedly. Not so easy when delivering a severed finger and then birthday gifts to Ricky had probably resulted in him getting as crazy paranoid as Manny was. Pausing at a street light, he felt that itch start between his shoulder blades again. Had Ricky seen him? Practically hopping from one foot to the other, Zach turned in a circle as he waited for the green to zip back to red. A handful of people still glancing his way, but none staring. It didn’t occur to him that Ricky was trained for this, had watched people, waiting for them to fuck up, for years. Nobody barrelling towards him meant he relaxed just a little, breathing easier when the lights changed and he darted a gaze up at them. Clear to cross.
The couple waiting at the crosswalk with him glanced his way, but took it slower. Not him. Zach trotted across, tipping his head back to look at the building as he approached. Not the squat villas that clustered in the neighbourhood back home, not exactly glossy LA like either, or towering like an NY sky scraper. Quaint. He snorted, scurrying in the building’s front door. Like Manny would’ve given a shit about that part. The apartment was just a temporary stopping point here, somewhere to put his head down while he did whatever it was he was doing with Hector and that other dude, the one with the narrow eyes and unflinching stare, down at the club. Home was still San Diego. And he wanted back there.
A brunette in the elevator shot him a look, fingers curling around her purse like he was gonna snatch it. Zach tried to still himself, sticking his hands in his pockets and keeping the nervous energy to a near imperceptible bouncing on his toes. He stopped even that by the time the elevator crawled to the fourth floor, casting longer looks at the woman in the ass skimming dress instead. There was no way Ricky would’ve gone for that to catch them out, an abuela all in black and clutching her purse ready to hit him maybe.
This woman sashayed out of the elevator on four inch heels instead, frowning at him as he followed her out. He raised a hand, shooting her a quick smile as he backed up. ”See you later,” he shot after her, like there was a chance of that. Her door slammed a second later and he was left standing there, blinking himself out of his stupor. Manny. Losing Ricky. Maybe there wouldn’t be a later if Manny was pissed off enough about it.
Thankfully his hands didn’t shake as they slipped the key into the apartment door at least. That was as big a tell as those twitches and Manny would be on them all like white on rice. Zach dipped his head, trying to see deeper into the apartment as he closed the apartment door behind him. ”Hey … it’s … I’m back.” Like he had to announce who it was. ¡Por el Amor de Dios! He twitched faintly as Manny appeared, his smile antsy, like la cucaracha. ”I wasn’t sure if you were gonna be here, or, you know, down at the club. When’d you get back?” Lobbing questions in Manny’s direction probably won’t delay things much, eventually Manny would focus on him like a big cat, with just as much disregard for the toys he was waving at it as a jaguar would be.
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MANOLO DE LA PEÑA
Shapeshifter
Posts: 42
Age:
33
Occupation:
Business Owner
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
If only hell didn’t feel like home
Last seen Oct 20, 2024 19:41:48 GMT
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Post by MANOLO DE LA PEÑA on Oct 18, 2022 17:25:01 GMT
Everyone needed a right hand man. Maybe. Manny told the men on his inner circle that he trusted them and there was a small part of him that believed it, but if he dug down a little deeper there was no fucking way he trusted them. Each of them was holding a knife, ready to jam it in his back at the right opportunity or for the right amount of money. He always had a back up plan though and at least a dozen more after that. If he couldn’t trust them he turned to the next thing which was fear. He made sure his men knew that there would be fatal and horrific consequences if they crossed him. They would be begging for the sweet release of death once he was finished with them. It worked for most of them, but there were a few who didn’t fall in line the way he wanted them too. Manny didn’t fuck around either. There was no three strike rule with him. One strike and you were out. Dead. But there had been someone he’d given a second chance to. Ricky. Generally speaking, his brother was an unspoken topic with his empire. No one dared bring up the fact Ricky had joined the boys in blue, turned his back on his family and was now considered a traitor. If any of his men did that they would have ended up dead, but not Enrique. But again, no one spoke about that. Neither Manny nor Miguel did much about Ricky turning to the other side. Maybe if his brother ventured a little close to one of his operations actions would need to be taken, but for now, he had Zach following Ricky. Zach was the only man Manny trusted, in his own bizarre way. He’d been there since the beginning and had arguably earned his gold star. There had been plenty of opportunities for Zach to sell Manny down the river, but he stood by Manny always. It was never one hundred percent trust, but ninety ninety percent which was about as good it would get with Manny. A man who second guessed his own shadow and checked under his bed and his wardrobe every night before going to bed whilst holding a gun. The apartment he found in the town square was basic, but it wasn’t a place he intended to live in all the time. Hector found him the landlord, insisting the man would ask zero questions. It was just a place to lay his head down whatever he was in Mystic Falls. A place he would never call home, although he wasn’t even sure where he would call home anymore. He had properties scattered across the country and all the way down into Mexico, each serving its own purpose. The apartment had basic furniture, along with a small selection of his goods. Manny wasn’t stupid enough to place all his eggs in one basket, per se. He had them in various baskets. Some were big eggs, others were small eggs. Mystic Falls contained the small eggs since Ricky was so close by, sniffing around like a rat. Manny entered the apartment, one hand resting the gun which was tucked safely in the waistband on his jeans. No sound came from inside so he closed the door carefully. First, he scoped out the kitchen, then the bedrooms, then the bathroom. He was alone, meaning he could place his gun down on the countertop in the kitchen. He should have probably headed for the fridge to make himself something to eat, but inside he reached into the drawer pulling out a pocket knife, but he needed a pick me up and the knife was a perfect surface. As he drew the knife away from his face he heard the door click open. His grip tightened around the handle as he headed towards the kitchen door, peering around into the corridor. His fingers loosened from around the knife as he turned back, heading back into the kitchen. “Too many questions Zach.” He discarded the pocket knife on the counter top, alongside his gun. “Tell me everything about your day.” He was itching to know what Ricky was up to. Where he was, what he was doing, who he was with. He needed to know everything. ZACHARY QUIROA |
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ZACHARY QUIROA
Human
Posts: 66
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Jun 23, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
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Post by ZACHARY QUIROA on Oct 26, 2022 18:56:56 GMT
The way you stayed alive around the de la Peñas was simple – you did everything they asked. Zach had seen his own parents do just that, people who maybe should’ve known better than to get themselves tied in so deeply to people in that business. They had been loyal to Manny’s parents and in return they had been good to his family. Without them … Zach didn’t want to consider it. There was plenty of other sorts of trouble you could find out there.
It wasn’t like he was just the chauffeur, ferrying Manny back and forth when he was back in Cali, or a maid in the house, both pretending to be deaf and dumb to everything going on there. He was on the inside, right up there close to Manny, with extra scrutiny on him and that itch building between his shoulder blades when he was this close to fucking up. Ricky being here was everything and now he could be anywhere. Maybe even here.
Zach snuck an extra glance at Manny as he appeared, watching him through the screen of his lashes as he tugged open the fridge. He doubted Ricky had been able to get deep enough into what Manny and Hector had going on here to know exactly where his little brother was going to ground, but Ricky could’ve turned into Manny in the blink of an eye and he wouldn’t have a clue – maybe. Manny had his little tells, the twitches, the tics, the mannerisms that he’d seen a million times. Shifters could imitate everything down to like a tiny level, but could Ricky really fool him? Naw.
He let out a little huff of breath, shrugging all antsy like as trailed after Manny. In the kitchen doorway he stared at the gun set on the counter, then the knife in Manny’s hands, dangerous weapons, always close at hand – in case. Picturing that knife spilling his blood all too easily, Zach looked up, eyes wide, as Manny chided him for asking. Showing nerves, shoving his hands up in the air like he was warding the violence off already would only have been blood in the water for Manny to sense. ”I was just y’know …” Asking, practically slicing his wrist and offering it up to the shark. Chingado!
Throat working hard, Zach side stepped towards the counter and the couple of stools pulled up to it, all neat, like people used it to like eat bowls of cereal and shit, instead of just sitting there to get their nutrition from the white and powdery. He pulled a stood out, dropped down on it. Shoulders hunched, he shoved his hands deep in his pockets. Dark eyes fixed on the toes of his shoes, rather than Manny’s face. Maybe he didn’t want to see the jab coming if Manny did flip and snatched the blade up from the counter top again.
The frown only took seconds to work its way across his face. His fingers squeezed restlessly, fisting and then releasing far enough that he could feel the box of smokes bumping against the backs of his knuckles. ”It started out normal, you know, just following Ricky down to the station. Looks like him and his partner aren’t so good. They ain’t talking, and the guy, he looks kinda stressed. Trouble in paradise huh?” The corners of his mouth twitched up into a half smile, his eyes ticking up to meet Manny’s for just a second before his gaze dropped to an inch below the bottomless pits of his boss’ eyes. ”I followed them to some building off the square – I think they got a call out for somethin’, but I couldn’t get close enough to see. They went back to the station after and I hung around outside, like I’m meant to … he got out though…” Like a dog slipping out when the owners weren’t watching properly.
A shudder rolled through the pit of his stomach. Zach shifted on the stool, one foot beginning to rock on the cross bar, his toe bouncing in the air. ”Maybe he went out the back, I dunno … the car was gone … I didn’t know whether to stay or come back. Tough choice, yeah?” He pulled a hand free, scratching his fingertips through the short scruff of his beard. ”You see him around?” Oh, Manny would’ve been watching, his paranoia would’ve had him seeing his brother everywhere he looked maybe.
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MANOLO DE LA PEÑA
Shapeshifter
Posts: 42
Age:
33
Occupation:
Business Owner
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
If only hell didn’t feel like home
Last seen Oct 20, 2024 19:41:48 GMT
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Post by MANOLO DE LA PEÑA on Nov 21, 2022 19:48:39 GMT
Manny could have just followed Ricky wearing another person's skin, but he didn’t want to hide behind someone else's identity. He wanted Ricky to know he was in town and he wanted his older brother to be concerned and worried. The aim was to install fear into Ricky and the best way to do that was to send Zach out there. If Ricky spotted him then he’d know Manny was somewhere, but where? Mind games. Manny thrived off them. There was nothing more satisfying than playing with someone, having them second guess every move they make, and constantly have their back off. Sometimes he’d strike, other times he wouldn't, leaving them with the notion that he was watching their every move. That’s what he wanted Ricky to feel. Double locking his door every night and sleeping with his phone in arm's reach. For someone who was highly strung as Manny, it wasn’t a wise idea to have a pick me up as much as he did, but it cleared the fog in his mind. Everything became sharper and slotted into position. Some of his best ideas were the product of this routine. His attention was locked on Zach as asked pointless questions, his body tensing slightly. Some would describe Manny as a ticking bomb, just waiting to explore. Everyone walked on eggshells around him, terrified they were going to be the ones to trigger the explosion. Zach had dodged any kind of explosion throughout their time together. The man was an expert at guessing where the tripwire was where others idly walked straight into it. “... asking.” He said, finishing off Zach’s sentence, but he should know by now that Manny hated idly chit-chat when there were more important things to discuss. “I got back about five minutes ago.” He finally added. Maybe Zach didn’t know it, but Manny was a lot more easygoing on him compared to the others. He kept his gaze on Zach as he relaxed against the counter. Zach wasn’t making eye contact with Manny either. Was it that bad? He hoped not because he wasn’t prepared to lose one of his best men. Manny went to speak, telling Zach to hurry the fuck up and tell him what happened, but Zach spoke. There was a slight flicker of a smile on Manny’s face at Zach’s joke. “A partner?” Interesting, “Did you see what his partner looked like?” Disappointment rolled through as Zach admitted that Enrique had disappeared, nor did he hear what the call-out was about. A drawback of sending out a human to spy on someone. His hearing nor eyesight reached far enough. “Did he spot you at all?” Part of him was hoping the answer was yes. “Well…” He trailed off, thinking about how he wandered into the police station a few weeks ago to hand deliver birthday presents to Ricky. “I walked into the belly of the beast… I headed to the station a few weeks back to wish Enrique a happy birthday.” The birthday wishes went down like a lead balloon, but Manny not only did he deliver gifts he also delivered a warning to his brother. The worse was yet to come. ZACHARY QUIROA |
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ZACHARY QUIROA
Human
Posts: 66
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Jun 23, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
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Post by ZACHARY QUIROA on Nov 24, 2022 20:07:23 GMT
Manny’s paranoia was a thing of legend – and for good reason. If you wanted to keep breathing then you paid attention to it and when you saw it flaring, like a wild fire (which it was, only it was burning inside Manny’s head) you stopped whatever idiocy you had going on. Or you died. He’d had to clean up enough of the bodies to know to make sure that he wasn’t going to be one of them. Plenty of people would be happy to step up in his place, trying to gain some favour with the top dog, plenty of them would’ve been bitten long before they hit the length of his tenure at Manny’s side. Hopefully this time loyalty would continue to outweigh those little slips. Small slaps on the wrist preferred to a knife in his heart or danced across his throat.
He might have spent most of his life on his ass in the front of the car, but his dad had always been light on his feet. Zach had watched his parents dance their way through their marriage, that same light footedness and grace keeping them moving in the background of the de le Peñas’ lives. You got used to the tip toe, the breathlessness as you strayed deeper into the territory, waiting for something to blow like it was a minefield you were in and not the middle of your life. Manny was the Claymore these days, one wrong word the foot on the plate.
Zach rolled his weight, making sure he didn’t wince as he tried to adjust. That would be a red flag, a signal through those crossed wires to blow, blow, blow. ”Yeah,” he said on an exhalation. ”Just askin’.” He bobbed his head, stilling as the admission slipped out. Recently enough that maybe he had been watching, just waiting for that little screw up. He had to force himself to keep breathing, his heart rate only staying steady out of practice. Manny probably would’ve been able to sense it racing otherwise, like a predator knowing exactly what was going on in the prey’s body.
Painting a pretty picture that’d keep Manny calm – like some watercolour on the wall of a psychiatrist’s office – Zach slumped down, eyes on his shoes, working it out one word at a time, even if he started to frown through it. Fuck. ”Sure I did, I’m not that blind. They were definitely connected you know. That sorta connected where you’re still forced to be around each other, even when you’re all pissed and stuff.” Pulling his hands out of his pockets, Zach extended his index fingers and bumped them into one another, like magnets drawn together. ”Kinda skeevy I guess. A gringo … scruffy beard, tall, kinda skinny. Looked kinda tired, like whatever was going on was a lot.” Or working with Ricky had just sucked the life out of him – also possible. Ricky was tough, he had to have been to get out like he did.
Manny had smiled, at least for a moment. That had to mean the landmine wasn’t gonna blow quite yet. He hadn’t been a complete fuck up, even if he hadn’t stuck entirely with Manny’s plan. Tail Ricky all day, see where he was sticking his nose, don’t bolt if he happened to see him, it wasn’t like he didn’t know Manny was here already. Zach started to shake his head at Manny’s question, then looked up again, shrugging awkwardly. ”I don’t know. One minute I could see him through the windows of his office, the next he was gone. I waited like an hour more, but when the other cops came out, he wasn’t there. I ran round to check the cars, and…” He pulled his hand from his pocket, danced his fingers in the air like a magician pulling off his trick. That kinda screamed Ricky had, but if he had, he hadn’t seen a sign of Ricky following him then.
Walking straight in to ask for Ricky had seemed like it would be a bad idea, but he’d never had the cojones Manny did. The minute Manny admitted to walking into the belly of the beast he could imagine it, and Ricky practically swallowing his tongue. Mierda. ”How big did he freak?” He glanced down at Manny’s wrists, like the cuffs Enrique tried to slap on him would still be hanging there, some sorta badge of pride for Manny that he could go waving around this weird little town.
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MANOLO DE LA PEÑA
Shapeshifter
Posts: 42
Age:
33
Occupation:
Business Owner
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
If only hell didn’t feel like home
Last seen Oct 20, 2024 19:41:48 GMT
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Post by MANOLO DE LA PEÑA on Dec 21, 2022 20:14:22 GMT
Manny didn’t like questions, especially if they could be construed in a way that sounded like the other person was doubting him, which wasn’t tolerated under any circumstances. His word was the final word and his men were expected to follow orders without saying anything. He could ask them to go on a suicide mission and he would expect them to say thank you before walking toward certain death. He was the mirror image of his dad by now. A child Manolo would avoid asking his dad anything, knowing it would never end well. Ricky was out there trying to break the stereotype that had been placed on him since birth, but Manny was slotting right in. Realistically it should have been Ricky at the top of the hierarchy, as the firstborn, and Manny should have been his right-hand man. Together they would have been unstoppable, but Ricky had other plans. One that involved disgracing the family. There was another threat being introduced to Manny’s life. The man who was apparently Ricky’s work partner. Paranoia spiked harshly inside him as he pictured his brother telling this man everything about their family. This man was going to come after Manny as well unless Manny struck first. Fatally. That would be sure to deliver a harsh clear message to Ricky to back the fuck up before more innocent people are killed. “See if you can find out more about this gringo. What’s his name, where does he live, does he have a wife, kids, that sort of shit.” Does he have someone Manny could use as leverage? If his mom was still alive she would have been trying her best to find Manny a woman to look after him, insisting he needed to marry someone and start a family in order to carry on the de le Peña legacy. Both brothers had opted to throw themselves into their work instead. Their similarities pretty much ended there though. Maybe he would have been in a happy loving relationship somewhere in a cute three-bedroom house with two children and a dog, but his mom’s death changed everything. Loving someone made you weak. His dad had a soft spot, his wife, and his enemies went straight for it. Manolo wouldn’t be stupid enough to repeat his dad’s mistakes. There was a small chance Ricky spotted Zach, jumped into the skin of someone else, and bolted out the back door, but unlikely. His brother would have probably confronted Zach with a thousand questions about Manny. So, Zach had simply lost sight of Ricky. Frustrating, but he kept his cool. At least Zach came back with some useful information regarding the partner. Seeing his brother’s face drop when he realized it was Manny who had come to visit was gold. “He was pissed… tried to assert his authority, but failed. I told him nicely to stay out of my business otherwise things could get very…” He picked the knife up from the countertop, focusing solely on that as he ran his finger lightly over the blade with a smirk on his face. “Messy.”ZACHARY QUIROA |
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ZACHARY QUIROA
Human
Posts: 66
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Jun 23, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
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Post by ZACHARY QUIROA on Dec 30, 2022 21:18:17 GMT
Manny might’ve blazed straight into a cop’s home and wiped out anything that was breathing without even blinking. The heat that could roast you after something like that wouldn’t concern him. He’d laugh, shrug it off and show off whatever damage it caused him. They weren’t all Manny though, even if they ended up little extensions of him when they were went out. None of them were as impervious as Manny himself – human flesh didn’t heal the same way after all – and if one of them got caught nobody would bother trying to stop the prosecution. If anything Manny would aim to stop them. He couldn’t afford one of them squealing after all. He never would, but Zach knew that no amount of promising was gonna convincing Manny of that. His people in the hands of others were just nuts to crack (and they would go in the end, even him) and that included if Ricky spotted any of them.
The knot of fear in the pit of his stomach had been there for a good reason as he’d scurried back to the apartment. Unlike Ricky, his partner might not recognise the people that the de la Peñas had in their pockets, but Ricky had probably memorised every face, including those that had come in after. Dark eyes flicked up from his fingers, not quite meeting Manny’s, but high enough to be able to check the impact of what he was being told. It was like looking out the window for dark clouds if you wanted to see if a storm was gonna rip the roof off of your house. ”They might get twitchy ‘bout me asking around ‘bout a cop, but alright. You thinking he came down here with Ricky?” If he’d been around him that long then maybe this whole tension thing between them was just some sort of bullshit to draw Manny in. Ricky had always been the smartest one in the family – not to say that Manny was dumb, it was just different. He was book smart, the sort of guy that might’ve been able to carry on their dad’s business, but in a very different way.
Zach squinted, glancing around the apartment - not looking for a way out, there wasn’t any of those anymore – like he’d see Ricky suddenly crawling in through a window. He’d have to be sneaky about this if he wanted to guarantee Manny wouldn’t see him coming. That thick streak of paranoia had Manny spotting enemies everywhere. Maybe by the end of the week he’d be cornering the old lady down at the end of the hall, demanding that she change back and face him properly. At least back home there was nobody living that close that Manny didn’t know and at least semi-trust by now. Mystic Falls was a new land, one filled with unfamiliar faces … and opportunities.
Looking back – not paying attention when Manny was talking was a red flag to a seriously mad bull – as Manny began to explain, Zach started checking for some physical sign of what had gone on with Ricky. If it had gotten physical there would’ve been no sign of it, and there wasn’t, but Manny didn’t only play the sort of games where a blade came out and body parts were removed from other people. ”Even with a badge he’s not that big huh?” The grin only broke out for a minute – Ricky was Manny’s to torment after all, it didn’t mean the rest of them could join in without Manny’s expression permission. The opposite probably wasn’t true, Ricky might’ve wanted to stop Manny the most, but the rest of them were fair game too. Zach made a small sound in his throat as he watched Manny play with the knife. ”He let you walk out even though you warned him? I thought maybe he woulda tried to make it messy right there, ‘specially if he got pissed. You think he’s gonna be out there looking for you now?” He wouldn’t be Ricky’s main focus, but Zach still squirmed like Ricky’s attention was focused right behind his shoulders. Pushing to his feet, he shifted his weight restlessly.
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MANOLO DE LA PEÑA
Shapeshifter
Posts: 42
Age:
33
Occupation:
Business Owner
Status:
Single
Played by:
Jodi
If only hell didn’t feel like home
Last seen Oct 20, 2024 19:41:48 GMT
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Post by MANOLO DE LA PEÑA on Jan 7, 2023 16:27:28 GMT
Manny was calculating most of the time, but every now and then he was controlled by his rage, snapping instantly under it. Especially when he felt like he was being wronged in some way. It could be the tiniest way and he would still react with violence. It wasn’t as if he was taught that was the only way to react since Ricky brought him up. There would have been an excuse there if his dad had raised him since that man lived and breathed violence. But sometimes in those moments when Manny was about to snap Zach was the voice of reasoning. Manny didn’t always listen, but sometimes he had to agree with his right-hand man. That’s why when Zach questioned Manny’s suggestion he didn’t twitch the same way he would have done with other men. Generally speaking, Manny’s orders were up for discussion. You were told what to do and you would do it even if you disagree with what was being asked of you. He edged forward, placed both forearms on the table and leaned on it. Even though Zach was questioning Manny’s order, he was still agreeing to do it. But he had a point. They couldn’t be seen sniffing around about a cop too much. “Just be discreet as possible… if you can’t find anything else then we can move to another plan.” One that could involve the vampires down at the bar, since they could compel anything out of anyone. Perhaps not Hector, but one of the younger ones. The ones who could be intimidated by Manny waving around a gun with wooden bullets. “Potentially… could be the same partner he had in Tennessee.” He’d been keeping tabs on Ricky as well over the years. He wasn’t about to let his biggest threat slip through the net. If this man had come down with Ricky then that introduced them to a whole different ball game as the man would be wise to Manny’s tricks. He watched as Zach studied the surroundings of the basic apartment. It didn’t feel like a home by any means but nor did it anywhere that Manny decided to live. He never added those personal touches you find in people's homes. No ornaments, no pictures, no unnecessary pieces of furniture. Nothing. If the authorities came running through the door they would struggle to find anything out about the person inside apart from what size shoes he wore. This was just a place to rest his head at night, usually with one eye open and clutching onto his gun. His brother had that shiny badge clipped to his uniform plus he probably had good grounds to arrest Manny, yet he didn’t. He was still desperate to find something in Manny worth redeeming, refusing to give up on his baby brother. Meanwhile, Manny was using that to his advantage. Pushing the boundaries each time. It took a little more pressure to force Ricky to snap usually. “I walk out there just as easy as I walked in… Ricky wouldn’t like to make a scene in front of all his friends.” Again, something Manny used to his advantage, “He’s probably looking for me, yes.” Looking for a way to save Manny from himself. Either way, the door was open and Ricky was free to roam in at any point. ZACHARY QUIROA - wanna wrap up with yours? |
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ZACHARY QUIROA
Human
Posts: 66
Played by:
Ange
Last seen Jun 23, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
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Post by ZACHARY QUIROA on Jan 19, 2023 20:45:00 GMT
Maybe he woulda had the brains to lead a cartel on his own – he’d spent enough years learning how one worked – but honestly, he didn’t have it in him. He wasn’t a planner, he wasn’t the kinda guy who could cold heartedly cut his own people down for some tiny mistake. Under orders he would do what he had to, but the point was, he had to have the orders in the first place and Manny was the one providing them. Go kidnap this guy. Shoot up this one’s car with his wife inside. Dump this body where no one will find it. Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir. That was the only reasonable answer and the one that left his conscience light enough to handle it all. He wasn’t Manny, he sure as hell wasn’t Ricky. He was the driver’s son, a loyal, willing participant in whatever it was the family wanted to do.
Would he have caved if Ricky had turned on him? No. No. He knew what would happen to him if he did. Manny had made that clear enough with all the people he’d killed. One sniff of you fucking up and that was it. A shallow grave and a more suspicious look at whoever was coming in to take your place. It was big headed, but Zach would’ve said his shoes weren’t so easy to fill. They were … special and Ricky would’ve known it too.
Zach aimed a wry smile in Manny’s general direction, one that faded rapidly. No toe over the line here. ”You know me, boss, I can be discreet. They’re not gonna know I’m there, promise.” Only Ricky might already have figured it out. Mierda. That cold sweat sprung out of his pores again, gathering fast at the base of his spine where he couldn’t reach around to blot it away. Last thing he wanted was to let Manny know how nervous he was. ”If he is, it makes it easier. Maybe people back there’d be willin’ to talk a little, you know? Get some old grievances aired.” And with Ricky, there were likely to be a few of those. He’d been a good kid, always watching out for his little brother, but after that Ricky had got laced up real tight and people didn’t like that – being told what to do in that tone. It was why he kept his mouth shut now, just nodding in emphasis of his own words instead of pushing it too long.
The nerves he’d tried to keep at bay kept twitching, the sweat building until a droplet broke free and rolled down to disappear into his crack. Zach squirmed slightly, then forced himself to still and look back. There was no point in crapping his pants over it. If Ricky was coming then it was already too late, either he was already marked for a bullet in the head from Manny or he wasn’t. Only thing he could keep doing was putting one foot in front of the other, trying to stay on that tightrope as long as he could.
Manny being Manny wasn’t tiptoeing along anything like that, he’d always charged out onto it at full speed. Fuck the consequences. Ricky could chase Manny out onto it, but was he gonna be crazy enough to take him on face to face? Probably, although that might mean all the skeletons coming out of the family closet. The cops had to have a problem with one of their own having a brother running a cartel, so it didn’t take a genius to guess Ricky hadn’t opened his mouth about it. ”Can’t act like a saint if everybody knows where you been,” Zach agreed, huffing out a breath that contained a trace of the amusement that’d been in his smile until it faded.
”Then it’s time I started keepin’ an eye on him, make sure he’s not findin’ you any time soon. You need me for anythin’, call, ‘k? I’m gonna be …” Zach glanced at the blade for just a second before he scooted backwards towards the door. He bounced off the frame before he adjusted his path and finally twisted away. The sweat stain was probably hidden by his jacket, but the sooner he was outside and out of the reach of Manny’s temper the better. He didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the apartment door was closed, but then he was bending over, bracing his hands on his knees as he sucked in a breath. At this rate he was gonna be going into the ground way before his time.
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hope to see you in the discord! 
