LOGINIn the steamy streets of Miami, 23-year-old Maya Torres works hard washing dishes to buy medicine for her sick mother, her only light in a world of pain. With a cruel brother who steals, a sister who mocks her worn old clothes, and a lonely heart, Maya’s life is a struggle—until a stormy night changes everything. Cleaning a shadowy bar owned by the Mafia, she hears a gunshot and finds a bleeding stranger. Brave but scared, she saves his life, not knowing he’s Diego Salazar, a ruthless Mafia boss with a crippled leg and a heart hardened by betrayal. When Maya’s family drags her into Diego’s dangerous world, she’s forced to work for him, sneaking into rival clubs to steal secrets. Diego’s harsh words cut deep, but Maya stays strong, her mother’s life on the line. As they share quiet moments, something sparks—could this cold man learn to love? But secrets unravel, and a shocking betrayal from someone close threatens to destroy Maya’s hope. With danger closing in, a hidden truth about her past could change her life forever. Will Maya outsmart the Mafia’s deadly games and find love, or lose everything? Dive into this thrilling tale of courage, love, and secrets—you won’t stop turning the pages!
View More‘Silvi, jangan balik ke rumah. Rumah kita hancur. Pergilah ke rumah Eyang Gun, sekarang juga. Maafkan Papa, Nak... Untuk sementara jangan tarik uang di ATM setelah tiba di sana, jangan pakai kartu kredit, itu akan mudah dilacak. Tarik uang simpananmu semaksimal mungkin sekarang.’
Aku turun dari bus malam, kondisi masih pagi buta. Di terminal Argosari, aku tidak tahu harus naik apalagi menuju tujuan berikutnya. Di pesan w******p, Papa hanya mengirim pesan singkat itu, dan alamat Eyang Gun. Aku menuliskan alamat lengkap Eyang Gun, di secarik kertas supaya lebih mudah untuk memperlihatkannya pada orang-orang di Argosari saat bertanya nanti. Ah... kadang aku menyalahkan Papa untuk masalah ini, kenapa diambil hutang jutaan dollar itu dari Bos Mafia Bahlil. Sekarang baru rasa, menyusahkan sekeluarga. Papa enak kabur sama Mama, setidaknya Papa nggak sendirian, sedangkan aku... sendirian di... entah dimana ini... rasanya aku ingin menangis. Tidak bawa persiapan apapun, hanya baju yang melekat di badanku saja serta uang tunai yang sempat aku tarik sebelum naik bus malam. Ponselku pun aku matikan, mereka juga bisa melacakku via ponsel. Mungkin akan kunyalakan lagi setelah membeli kartu baru. Sekarang aku harus naik apa ke Dusun Mertangi, aku masih buta daerah sini, Papa dan Mama pernah mengajakku tapi itu waktu kecil. Waktu itu juga naik mobil, bukan naik bus malam macam ini. Benar-benar jauh dari kata nyaman. Apalagi ketika sampai dan melihat bagaimana kondisi terminal yang kumuh. Sampah masih teronggok di setiap sudut terminal. Bus yang parkir hanya sedikit, benar-benar sepi. Aku pun duduk di salah satu bangku terminal, sendirian. Ada rasa takut yang merayap, bukan sama hantu tapi sama manusia karena keburukan manusia bisa melukai. Aku melihat beberapa kernet bis yang lagi main kartu di sana. Mau menanyakan alamat Eyang namun aku agak ragu. Tapi jika terus-terusan di sini akan membuatku makin mikir macam-macam. Jadi aku beranikan diri untuk menanyakan pada mereka. Aku pun mendekati mereka. “Permisi...” tegurku sopan. Tiga pria yang tadi sibuk mengobrol menoleh. “Ada apa Mbak?” tanya salah satunya, sedangkan yang lain menatap kakiku yang terbuka hanya beralaskan sepatu wedges. Dress selututku yang terkena angin pagi agak melambai-lambai sehingga pahaku terkadang terbuka. Aku harus memegangi rokku juga rambutku yang agak berantakan. “Dusun Mertangi apa masih jauh?” tanyaku cepat. “Wah, masih jauh Mbak... itu melewati hutan, sawah dan kuburan. Kira-kira sekitar empat puluhan kilometer lagi.” Jawab salah satu masih dengan logat khas Argosari. “Kira-kira satu jam lebihlah Mbak, jauh...” tambah yang lain. Aku mengangguk, “Harus naik apa ya ke sana?” Mereka bertiga saling pandang, entah apa yang mereka pikirkan. Seharusnya mereka tahu harus naik apa ke sana, kenapa harus saling memandang dalam diam? Bikin curiga saja. Salah satunya menunjuk mobil kecil, semacam colt. “Bisa naik itu Mbak... Ini supirnya...” ia menunjuk salah satu temannya. Aku menoleh, “Oh, gitu. Apa sekarang jalan?” “Nanti Mbak nunggu penumpang dulu, Mbak kalau mau nunggu di dalam juga bisa.” Ujarnya sang sopir. Aku mengangguk, “Baiklah, saya menunggu di dalam saja. Terima kasih...” Aku pun berjalan ke mobil itu, salah satunya menemaniku hingga aku masuk dan duduk di dalamnya. Sendirian. Lampu kabin dinyalakan satu tapi hanya remang saja. Aku bersandar, rasa kantuk langsung menerpaku. Berusaha tetap terjaga namun rasa kantuk mengalahkanku. Sesaat aku sudah memejamkan mata karena main ponsel pun tak bisa. Dengan mendekap erat tas selempangku yang berisi uang dua puluh juta tunai, ponsel mati dan alat make up minimalis. Aku baru saja memejamkan mata saat kurasakan mobil colt ini berguncang. Bukan guncangan mesin, melainkan guncangan dari langkah orang yang naik untuk masuk. Aku pikir itu penumpang lain. "Sstt... diam saja, Mbak. Tasnya berat ya? Sini, saya bantu bawakan," bisik sebuah suara serak yang membuat bulu kudukku berdiri. Tiga pria yang tadi bermain kartu kini sudah mengepung pintu mobil. Salah satunya sudah masuk dan mencoba menarik paksa tas selempang yang kudekap erat. Aku meronta, tenaga pria itu jauh lebih kuat. “Jangan! Lepaskan!” teriakku histeris. Aku mulai menendang-nendang asal, membuat mobil tua itu berguncang hebat. “Tolong! Tolong!!” “Sst! Tenang saja Mbak, saya akan pelan-pelan. Nggak bikin sakit...” lirihnya dengan mata sayu. Dua temannya yang berada di pintu tertawa cekikikan melihat temannya beraksi. “Ayo cepat, jangan lama-lama... gantian...” ujar salah satu pria yang berada di pintu. Pria yang menyentuhku sudah berhasil mendorongku ke jok mobil, ia hendak menindihku. Aku berteriak sekuat tenaga, detik berikutnya ia membekap mulutku. Baru saja aku hendak menggigit tangan pria yang membekap mulutku, ketika sebuah dentuman keras menghantam kap mesin mobil colt ini. BRAK! ***“Diego!”My scream echoed through the hallway as he dropped to one knee, his hand clutching his side. Blood soaked through his white shirt like red ink on paper.I ran to him, heart pounding, legs shaking.“Don’t move,” I whispered, pressing my hands over the wound.He hissed through his teeth. “It’s not deep.”“You’re bleeding all over the floor—how is that not deep?!”“I’ve had worse,” he muttered, trying to push himself up.“Then you’re not healing right.”Valentina was gone. Like a ghost in the night. Slipped past his guards. Slipped past the cameras.She had this planned.And we walked right into it.Diego’s men came rushing in seconds later, shouting orders into radios, scanning the halls for her.But I knew she wouldn’t be caught.Not yet.Valentina didn’t strike unless she already had a way out.She probably had someone waiting in a car. Or maybe she knew a hidden passage. Hell, she probably flirted with one of the guards and got a copy of the key.She always had a plan B.Die
I stared at the text message until my fingers went numb.You okay, babe? Heard something went wrong at the club.How did Valentina know?I never told her.No one did.Only Diego, his men… and the people who were there.My hands trembled as I typed back.Where did you hear that?She replied fast.Girl, don’t stress. Javier told me. He said you freaked out and ran. Poor thing. You need sleep and wine! Want me to come over? My stomach turned.So Javier told her?Or maybe…She was just pretending.Just covering her tracks.I remembered how she looked the day she came to do my hair. How she stared around Diego’s house like it already belonged to her.How she touched the armrest where Diego sat.How her smile never reached her eyes.I knew that smile now.It was the smile of a snake.I didn’t sleep that night.I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling while shadows moved across it like ghosts. My body was sore. My heart was heavier than ever.The memory of Diego’s hand gripping mine… that had
The tray crashed to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces.My heart stopped beating for a second. I looked up and Santiago’s eyes locked onto mine—dark, sharp, deadly.“She’s the one,” he said, standing slowly from his chai. “Diego’s girl.”The men around him stiffened. Their hands moved to their jacket pockets where I knew Guns were hidden. I didn’t think. I turned and ran.People screamed as I shoved past dancers and waitresses. Lights blurred. Music pulsed like a war drum in my ears.I didn’t dare look back.I couldn’t.Gunshots cracked behind me.Pop! Pop! Pop!I ducked low, my heart racing. My foot slipped on a puddle of spilled drink, and I fell to the floor.Pain shot through my knees, but I scrambled up and kept running. I had to get out.I saw a hallway up ahead. At the end was a heavy door. I ran toward it, my legs shaking. I pushed it open and found a dark metal stairwell. My high heels clicked loudly on the concrete steps as I stumbled down. My legs burned, and my
“Open the gate!”Javier’s shout sliced through the quiet night. I jumped out of bed, my heart racing like a drum. I ran to the window, my bare feet cold against the floor. Outside, under the bright gate lights, I saw Javier. His hoodie was wet with sweat, and his chest was moving fast, like he’d been running. Even from my room, I could see fear in his eyes. He looked desperate, like something terrible was chasing him. “Maya!” he shouted again, fists pounding on the metal bars. “Please! I need to talk to you!”“Shit,” I whispered.I didn’t even think to grab shoes.I bolted out of my room, flew down the stairs, and burst through the front door.One of Diego’s guards stopped me at the bottom of the porch steps. “You can’t—”“He’s my friend,” I said, pushing past him. “Let me talk to him.”Another guard moved to stop me, but Diego’s voice rang out behind us, cold and sharp.“Let her.”I turned.He stood at the doorway, arms crossed, watching everything like a hawk. Barefoot. Shirtless
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