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271. She Belonged to Me

last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-07-10 07:36:29

The jungle heat didn’t bother Marquez. Not the sweat that clung to his collar, nor the thick, buzzing insects that circled like vultures.

He sat in a leather chair that had been dragged into the center of the old hacienda, a man with a kingdom built on bones and silence. Around him, his men stood still as statues. None dared speak unless he invited it.

He liked it that way.

The world had tried to put a leash on him once, called him too violent, too erratic, even by cartel standards. Fools. Weak men flinched from chaos. He had learned to shape it.

The door creaked open.

Dutch entered first, his scarred face split by a grin that always made people uneasy. He carried a laptop under one arm. He was his most trusted man. No, he was more than a man. He was his weapon. They all were.

“I’ve got something,” Dutch said, setting it on the table.

Marquez didn’t glance at the screen right away. He sipped his drink. Rum over one perfect square of ice and waited.

Dutch knew better than to keep him w
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