Page 54

The answer came in the form of a text message from Sofia. My heart leapt into my throat as I read the words, a plan beginning to take shape in my mind.

Hey girl! Lunch today? I need to vent about Allen.

A slow smile spread across my face as I typed out my response, my fingers flying over the keys with renewed determination.

Absolutely! I could use some girl time myself. How about that little café on Ocean Drive?

Sofia’s response was immediate, a flurry of celebratory emojis and exclamation points that brought a genuine smile to my face. Despite the constant threat of danger that loomed over me, there was something refreshingly pure about my friendship with Sofia. She was a beacon of light in the darkness that had consumed my life, a reminder of the innocence I had long since sacrificed in the name of duty.

As I showered and dressed, my mind whirred with possibilities. If I played my cards right and convinced Sofia of my true intentions, I could enlist her help turning Dante. He had often spoken of his desire to take the cartel in a more legitimate direction, to shed the blood and violence that had defined his family’s legacy. This could be his chance—our chance—to start anew.

When I arrived, the café was bustling, the air thick with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and buttery pastries. Sofia was already seated at a corner table, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, her eyes scanning the menu intensely.

“Hey, girl!” she greeted me with a warm smile, setting the menu aside as I slid into the chair opposite her. “You look fabulous, as always.”

I returned her smile, the weight on my shoulders lifting ever so slightly. “So do you,” I said, reaching across the table to gently squeeze her hand. “Now, tell me what’s going on with Allen. Did he do something stupid again?”

Sofia rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t he always?” she sighed, launching into a tale of Allen’s latest mishap.

As she spoke, I studied her closely, taking in the subtle nuances of her expressions, the way her eyes would light up when she spoke of her family, the way her lips would quirk into a half-smile whenever Dante’s name passed her lips. She was an open book; her emotions laid bare for the world to see, and in that moment, I knew what I had to do.

“Sofia,” I interrupted gently. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

She fell silent, her eyes widening as she registered the gravity in my tone. “What is it?” she asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve. This was it—the moment of truth. “I’m not who you think I am,” I began, my voice steady despite the tremor of nerves coursing through me. “My name isn’t Eva Morales. It’s Natalia Ramirez, and I’m a DEA agent.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and charged with tension. Sofia’s eyes widened, her mouth parting in a silent gasp as the truth washed over her.

“I know this must be a shock,” I pressed on. “But you’ve got to believe me when I say my feelings for you are genuine. I never meant for things to go this far, but...”

My voice trailed off as I searched for the right words to convey the depth of my emotions, the conflicting loyalties that had torn me apart from the inside.

“But what?” Sofia whispered, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You’re telling me that everything we’ve shared, every moment we’ve spent together, has been a lie?”

“No,” I insisted, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. “Never that. The opposite. My friendship with you and how I feel about you and your brother are real, Sofia. More real than anything I’ve ever known.”

She shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line as she struggled to process the truth. “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice trembling. “Why are you telling me this now? What do you want from me?”

I paused, my heart hammering in my chest. This was the moment, the crossroads where everything could change.

“I need your help, Sofia,” I said, my voice steady and resolute. “I need you to help me convince Dante to turn against your father, to bring down the cartel once and for all.”

Sofia’s eyes widened, her hand slipping from mine as she recoiled in shock. “You can’t be serious,” she breathed. “Dante would never betray our family like that.”

“But he wants out, Sofia,” I pressed, leaning forward in my seat. “He’s told me how much he wants to leave the violence and corruption behind to build something legitimate for himself. Becoming a state witness against Ricardo is his chance, your chance, to start over.”

Sofia shook her head, her eyes glistening with tears. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, Eva... or Natalia, or whoever you are,” she said, emotion choking her voice, making it raw and unsteady. “But I won’t be a part of it. I won’t betray my family.”

With that, she rose from her seat, her movements jerky and uncoordinated as she fumbled for her purse. “Stay away from me,” she warned, her voice trembling. “And stay away from my brother, or I swear to God, I’ll make you regret ever crossing our path.”

Her words landed like a blow, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me reeling. And then she was gone, disappearing into the bustling crowd of patrons. As reality sank in, I felt the first tendrils of despair creeping into my heart.

If Sofia couldn’t be swayed, if she refused to see the truth, then what chance did I have of convincing Dante? And if he knew the truth about my identity, I was well and truly alone, a lamb sent to slaughter in the heart of the lion’s den.

As I sat there, I wondered if I had made a grave miscalculation. Had I pushed too hard, too fast, in my desperation to bring Dante to my side? Or had I simply underestimated the depth of loyalty that bound the Reyes family together, a bond forged in blood and reinforced by generations of ruthless ambition?

One thing was sure—I was fucked.