The Cartel (Power of the Dog #2)

by Don Winslow

Keller lies on the bed in his apartment. His loneliness is a faint ache, like the reminder of an old wound, a scar you no longer notice because it’s just a part of you now. Like your Barrera obsession? he asks himself. Is there a legitimate purpose, a reason, a cause, or is it just part of you now, a disease of the blood, an obstruction of the heart? It felt good, didn’t it, pulling the trigger on the man you thought was Barrera. Seeing the fear in his eyes. At the end of the day you have to account for the fact that it felt good. Aguilar’s right—the ambush at the house was probably meant for me. Kind of funny, when you think about it, that Barrera and I each thought we’d killed each other. And were both wrong.