chapter 9

Pedro POV

I drove downtown that afternoon to meet Eric at the abandoned warehouse where he was holding Andrew. He’d texted me the address earlier—a place where screams didn’t carry far and bodies were easy to forget. I killed the engine and stepped out. The warehouse loomed ahead like a forgotten tomb, its rusted metal walls streaked with decay and faded graffiti.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of mold, oil, and blood. A single dangling bulb cast harsh shadows across the concrete floor. Andrew was slumped in a metal chair in the center of the space, wrists and ankles bound tightly with rope that had already cut into his skin. His face was swollen, lips split, one eye nearly shut from the beating Eric had given him. Blood dripped slowly from his nose onto his torn shirt.He looked half-dead already.

“Boss, here he is,” Eric said, wiping his bloody knuckles on a rag.

I walked past him without a word and stopped directly in front of Andrew, whose head hung limply toward the floor. A slow smile crept across my face.

“Looks like he’s really enjoying his beauty sleep,” I said coldly. Then my expression hardened. “What did you get out of him?”

Eric shook his head. “Nothing, boss. He’s been refusing to talk no matter what I did.”

I exhaled through my nose, the sound low and dangerous. “Hmm. I see.” My voice hardened. “Wake him up.”

Eric grabbed a rusty bucket from the corner, the water inside sloshing darkly. He hurled it straight into Andrew’s face. The man jolted awake with a strangled gasp, coughing and sputtering, chest heaving as he sucked in air. Water streamed down his swollen cheeks and dripped from his chin onto his blood-stained shirt. His eyes widened with terror the moment they focused on me.

“Wow,” I drawled, grabbing his chin roughly and forcing his head up so he had no choice but to look me in the eyes. “Look who’s finally awake.”

His pupils were blown wide with fear. I leaned in closer, my voice deceptively calm. “Where are my goods, Andrew?”

“Please, boss…” he whispered, voice cracking.

I slapped him so hard the sound cracked through the warehouse like a whip. His head snapped to the side. “I said, where the fuck are my goods?” I snarled, grabbing him by the throat and squeezing until his eyes bulged. “Do you have any idea how much your stupidity has cost me? Or how much those goods are worth? Huh?” I tightened my grip, feeling his pulse hammer under my fingers. “You had the audacity to play with me? How dare you.”

“Boss… please… he has my family. My wife and my little girl. He took them the moment he found out your men were looking for me. If I say anything, he’ll kill them. Please…”

I stared at him for a long second, my lips curling in disgust. “So your family is worth more than my money, huh?”

I released his neck and stepped back. “Give me a gun,” I ordered, stretching my hand toward Eric without looking away from Andrew.

The cold metal was placed in my palm. I chambered a round with a loud click and pressed the barrel against his right foot.

Bang!

Andrew screamed as the bullet tore through his shoe and flesh, blood instantly pooling beneath the chair. “Ahh! Fuck! My leg! Fuck!”

I pressed the hot barrel against his forehead next. “The next one goes straight into your skull if you don’t start talking. I’m going to count to three. One… two…”

“Wait! Wait!” he cried out, tears and snot mixing with the blood on his face. “Miami! It’s all still in Miami!”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you fucking playing with me right now?”

“I swear to God, boss! They’re still in Miami. It was all a distraction—to make you think the shipment went to Cuba. He knew you wouldn’t suspect anything while we were here. Please… I’ve told you everything I know. Don’t kill me. He has my family now. I’m begging you… help me. They’re innocent.”

I let out a low, humorless chuckle. “That’s not my business, is it? If you were dumb enough to betray me, why the hell should I help you? You’re a fucking idiot.”

“Boss, please…” he begged again, voice breaking.

I stared at him for another moment, then turned to Eric and handed the gun back. “We leave for Miami tonight. And we’re taking him with us.”

“Alright, boss,” Eric replied, already moving to untie Andrew.

I was about to head for the exit when my phone suddenly rang, cutting through the tense silence. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

It was Michelle.

I answered the call.

"Hello Uncle, we’re almost done here."

Her voice floated through the phone—soft, warm, and impossibly beautiful. The sound alone eased something tight in my chest.

“Hello, beautiful,” I replied, my lips curving into a smile I didn’t even try to hide. “I’ll be there in no time, okay?”

"Okay, Uncle Pedro. I’ll be waiting."

I smiled despite myself. "Alright, dearest." I hung up and walked back toward Eric.

"You know what to do with him."

He gave a single nod and began untying Andrew.

"Text me once the men are ready. For now, I have some matters to attend to."

"Alright, boss."

I turned my gaze back to Andrew, who was still trembling in the chair. "You’d better be telling the truth," I warned coldly. "Because next time, I won’t be this nice."

I left the warehouse, got into my car, and started the engine. My phone buzzed again. A message from Michelle:

Please don’t be late leaving a smiling emoji.

I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. That girl brought out a side of me I didn’t even know existed anymore. Whenever I was with her, I felt lighter… almost like a kid again. It was dangerous how easily she got under my skin. I could never resist her, especially when she looked at me with those big, beautiful eyes. And that pale, flawless skin…

Fuck, Pedro, you must be losing your mind.

I drove to the store where I had dropped her off earlier. Instead of parking right away, I slowed down and cruised past the large glass windows. Through them, I saw Michelle laughing with some boy. He was standing too close to her, smiling like an idiot, and she was laughing at whatever he was saying.

My blood instantly boiled. My grip tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. For a split second, I wanted to storm inside, drag her out, and demand to know who the hell that kid thought he was.

But I stopped myself.

She was only turning nineteen. She had every right to talk to boys her own age, to experience life, to laugh and flirt without me breathing down her neck. I was much older. What the hell was I thinking? Nothing between us could ever work. It shouldn’t even exist.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to drive past the store instead of stopping.

I knew she would be furious with me for not showing up, but it was better this way. I needed to keep my distance before I did something I couldn’t take back.