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“What is it, Sof?”

“Dante, I need your advice,” she said, her tone laced with concern. “It’s about Allen. I think... I think he might be involved in something illegal.”

My protective instincts kicked into high gear. “What makes you say that?”

Sofia hesitated for a beat. “I overheard him on the phone, talking about ‘payback’ and ‘the cartel.’ He got defensive when I asked him about it.”

A muscle twitched in my jaw as I considered the implications. If Allen was involved in anything remotely connected to our world, it could spell disaster for Sofia. My father had kept her far away from our “activities’’ throughout her life. The thought of her getting caught up in the crossfire, of her innocence being tainted by darkness, fucking killed me.

“Stay away from him, Sofia,” I said, my voice brooking no argument. “Just for the next few days. At least until I can investigate this further.”

“But Dante, I –”

“No buts,” I cut her off, my tone firm. “Promise me you’ll steer clear of Allen until I give you the all-clear.”

There was a long pause, and I could sense her reluctance, her desire to argue with me. But in the end, she relented with a heavy sigh.

“Okay, Dante. I promise.”

“Bye, Sof.”

I hung up and slumped back in my chair, rubbing my throbbing head. Shit, was this the life I wanted? All these power plays, backstabbing assholes, and blood on my hands that no amount of cash could scrub off?

Was there even a snowball’s chance in hell for me to be more than another ruthless cartel kingpin? Some tiny-ass shred of hope for redemption, for a future without all the fucked up sins trailing behind me?

Hell, if I knew. The only thing I was sure of was that I had to keep Sofia safe, protect her from the cartel’s dark shit that infected everything I touched.

My phone buzzed again. I scowled at the screen. Marco! I was just with him a few hours ago, and now he was already riding my dick about something.

“What?” I barked into the phone.

“I’m at Diablo. There’s a problem,” Marco said, rushing his words.

“Slow down, Marco,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as I tried to make sense of his frantic words. “What’s going on at the club?”

“It’s Cruz, man,” Marco said, his voice taut with tension. “He just rolled up with his crew.”

Javier fucking Cruz, who’d been nipping at our heels for months, trying to muscle in on our territory, yet my father refused to do anything about it.

“I’m heading there now,” I snarled, jaw clenched tight, already walking to my garage. “Keep that dickhead in your line of vision until I arrive. I’ll personally toss his ass to the curb. Oh, and Marco?”

“Yeah, Dante?”

“Dig up what you can on Allen Hawkes, the schmuck dating my little sister. Something tells me he’s wading into deep waters.”

“You got it, boss. Consider it handled.”

Already in my car, I put the phone down, and as I pressed the start button, the roar of the Maserati’s powerful engine ignited a familiar thrill through my veins.

The city blurred into a neon river as I cut through the streets, my thoughts a high-octane reel of potential showdowns with Cruz, each more satisfying than the last. My dad may protect him, but one thing was carved in stone—I wouldn’t let that arrogant prick step on my toes in my own goddamn backyard.

Tires screaming defiance, I skidded to a stop at the entrance to the club. The valet scrambled over, but I dismissed him with a flick of my hand, swinging out of the car with the grace of a prowling panther.

The bouncers stiffened as I strode up, their eyes wide with respect. A terse nod was all the acknowledgment they got before I swept past, my path unobstructed. They knew the drill; when I was on a mission, they stepped the fuck aside.

The club’s heartbeat thumped deep in me as I crossed the threshold, the heady cocktail of sweat, booze, and forbidden pleasures filling my nostrils. I scanned the undulating sea of bodies on the dance floor, seeking Marco or any signs of Cruz’s posse.

Spotting them was child’s play—a tight knot of unfamiliar faces at a VIP table. Marco’s gaze met mine from across the room, his face set in hard lines as he gave a subtle nod toward the group.