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ENZO MORETTI “Where are you going?” Isa asked, stopping me at the door. She was worked up about everything that happened today, especially now that Ethan was finally awake. “I’m going to see Marco,” I said, not even trying to lie. I could have said Sam the lawyer called me in, but Isa was there when I spoke with Sam. Besides, there was no need to lie. Seeing Marco was just as important as meeting Sam. “Can’t it wait?” Isa whined, looking up at me with tear-stained eyes. The whites of her eyes glistened like glass, wet and pleading. “Not really,” I replied, pulling her into my arms. If my words couldn’t comfort her, I hoped my touch would. I hugged her tightly, pressing her shoulder against my chest as her face buried into me. “I already told Marco I’d come today, and this is important,” I said while she breathed softly against my chest. Isa’s voice came out muffled, smothered by my shirt. “I get it. I’m not important,” Isa whined, trying to guilt me. “My mum shows up unanno
MARCO MARTINS Yvette’s shrine carried the scent of incest, thick in the air, swirling through her space. She was a plant enthusiast who loved nature, so her windowsills and shelves were packed with greenery—lush stalks and leaves that added texture to the room. The beaded curtain clattered as I walked through it. That sound was what signaled to Yvette that someone had entered. I never believed it was her intuition or spiritual sense that told her. I never believed her and maybe judged Mum sometimes when she repeatedly came here, but here I was. Yvette was seated cross-legged on the floor, her eyes closed in a meditative pose. She inhaled deeply, her chest rising, then falling slowly as she exhaled. Only then did she look at me. “Does your mum know you’re here?” Yvette asked quietly. She stayed on the floor, hands pressed together in a prayer pose in front of her chest. “No,” I answered. Yvette gave a small grin. “Isn’t it always a pleasure to have you here?” she s
ENZO MORETTI Emiliana’s messenger asked me who I was, and for some reason, she reminded me of Senator Cruz. I was a tad bit disappointed by that. “Enzo Moretti. Who are you?” I replied, just as unfazed by her smugness. Isa stood beside me. She wasn’t at ease. I could see how worried and uncomfortable this situation with her mum made her. “I’m Brittany,” she said. “I’m here because her mum sent me.” Brittany pointed at me. “So now, tell me, who are you to Isa?” Emiliana sent a woman in heels to head a mission as critical as bringing her daughter home. That was a dumb move, if you ask me unless fashion had suddenly become a game-changer in the world of drugs and weapons. I looked at Isa. “That’s for her to say,” I replied Bridgett, moving that responsibility to Isa. I didn’t want to impose anything on Isa. Things had been rocky, and I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to introduce me as her boyfriend to her mum. We were also too old for games, so I let Isa def
ISABELLA GARCIA I was at the cathedral when I got Mum’s message. The front pews were empty and the hall was quiet. It was just me in there, and I was finally starting to feel a little peace when Mum’s message arrived in a well-tailored suit. Someone had walked into the church, and I didn’t bother to look up. The sharp click of heels on the floor gave her away. I was sure it was a woman. She walked up to where I was seated and joined me on the bench. “Brittany Laurel is my name, your mum sent me to get you.” The woman’s voice was calm, suiting right with the silent hall. “Excuse me?” I blinked and took a better look at the messenger. I was in shock, knocked right off my boots. One moment I was sitting here saying a prayer, the next someone was here to get me to Mum. What the hell? The woman’s face was bare except for mascara and lip gloss. She seemed a bit older than me, with smooth skin but a more mature gaze. I guessed she was in her early thirties. A go
ENZO MORETTI Senator Cruz arrived in a convoy of three cars. We watched as they parked, their movements precise and deliberate. The night served as their perfect cover, men in dark suits moving through the shadows along a path no one else dared to follow. The club was private—strictly members only. Senator Cruz didn’t waste a second getting into the elevator and through the double doors. Marco and I had our guns tucked securely in our pouches. We’d also brought along a few extra weapons, just in case. Sugar Land was wild like that. There was no weapon ban here. I could safely assume almost everyone had something on them. You’d think that would lead to chaos, but people mostly behaved. Stirring up trouble in Sugar Land came with consequences, severe and immediate consequences. If you started something here, the chances of leaving in one piece were slim. Things could spiral out of control in seconds and turn into a full-blown bloodbath. That made it a bad idea for most p
CLEO GARCIA My heart raced as I sat in the taxi, digging through my pocket for change. I was stalling, and I’d done a good job of it all day. Marco had given me a task. He wanted me to take charge of their PR management, which meant I had to visit the M & M head office. I’d never been there before—never had a reason to. I was a journalist, trained in school with a Master of Arts degree in journalism. But I wasn’t a PR manager. I didn’t know the first thing about handling public image. All I knew how to do was tell stories and write headlines. A loud horn blared behind my cab, making my skin jump. My driver glanced up at the rearview mirror. A car was waiting for our spot so it could pull into the parking lot. “Please hurry up, miss. I don’t wanna get a ticket,” my cab driver said, starting the engine. He had no choice. The horn stopped once he began to move forward. I paid him because there was no more time left to waste. I’d already wasted plenty earlier. At the coffee stan