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“The deal with Alessandro is off,” I muttered, the disappointment bitter on my tongue. I filled Marco in on the details, my voice tight with frustration.

On the other end of the line, I could practically hear Marco’s scowl. “Fuck Ricardo. Don’t worry, Dante. We’ll find a way. We always do.”

His words did little to ease the knot in my stomach. My dreams of creating a life outside the cartel, of building something legitimate that my father couldn’t touch, seemed to be slipping further and further out of reach.

As I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, Marco’s next words stopped me cold. “Hey, Dante, I almost forgot. Remember that guy you asked me about? Allen Hawkes, your sister’s beau?”

“What about him?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my foul mood.

“Well, Pedro found something. Turns out he’s been spotted with none other than our favorite cartel scumbag, Javier Cruz.”

I swore under my breath, the mention of Javier’s name sending a surge of anger through me.

“It gets worse, hermano,” Marco continued. “Allen was spotted at one of Javier’s known stash houses. Looks like he owes Javier some serious cash, and our friend is making sure he pays up.”

My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I considered the information. “We need to pay this Allen asshole a visit. Find out once and for all what the deal is with him.”

Marco didn’t hesitate. “Say the word, Dante. I’ll meet you at his place in 20.”

Marco gave me Allen’s address and twenty minutes later, we were standing outside Allen’s posh apartment, the sun glinting off the glass and steel facade. The doorman gave us a wary glance but let us up without asking questions, probably scared shitless by our dark suits and stony expressions.

I knocked on the door, my fist poised to deliver a second, more insistent knock when the door swung open. Allen stood there, his eyes widening at the sight of us, his carefully constructed mask of arrogance slipping just a fraction.

Before he could even muster a greeting, I had him by the collar, hauling him into the apartment. Marco followed close behind, letting the door click shut with a finality that punctuated the seriousness of the situation.

“What the fuck, man,” Allen sputtered, his eyes flicking between us. “What do you want?”

I slammed him against the wall with a satisfying thud. “We want answers, you little weasel,” I growled, my voice cold and dangerous. “Why were you at Javier Cruz’s stash house? What does he have on you?”

Allen’s eyes went wide, the fear in them unmistakable. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let me go!”

I tightened my grip, relishing the fear in his eyes. “Oh, I think you do, Allen. You owe Javier a shit ton of money, don’t you? What did you lose it all on, huh? Stocks? Crypto? Cocaine?”

Allen whimpered, a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead. “I-... just made a bad investment, that’s all. I don’t know anything about Javier Cruz.”

I leaned in close, my lips inches from his ear. “Javier Cruz isn’t the kind of guy you want to owe money to, Allen. He’s the kind of guy who’ll make you wish you were never born.”

Marco stepped forward. “Start talking, asshole. Tell us what you know, or so help me God, I’ll make sure you regret ever crossing paths with Javier Cruz.”

Allen’s eyes darted between us, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to form a coherent sentence. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell you! I lost the money. It was bad timing, that’s all. I’m paying Javier back, I swear.”

“Oh, you’re paying him back all right,” I growled, slapping him hard across the face. “Giving him information about me and my family.”

“Wait!” Allen yelped, his voice cracking. “No, I swear. I haven’t told him shit!”

I was about to hit him harder when the sound of the door opening made me freeze. Suddenly, Sofia stood in the doorway, her eyes wide, her hand still on the doorknob as if she were prepared to flee.

She took in the scene before her: me with my hands on Allen, Marco looming behind me, Allen cowering against the wall. “Dante?” Her voice was small, quivering, as if the very foundations of her world were crumbling beneath her feet.

I dropped my hands from Allen, straightening up as I turned to face Sofia. “Sofia, I...” I began, struggling to find the words to explain.

But she didn’t give me a chance. “Get out,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Get out, Dante. Now.”

I took a step towards her, hoping to explain, to make her understand. But Sofia just backed away, shaking her head. “No, don’t. Just... don’t. I don’t ever want to see you again, Dante. Stay away from me.”

Her words hit me with the force of a wrecking ball. I opened my mouth to protest, to try and reason with her, but she was already gone, her footsteps retreating down the hallway.

I stood there, numb and hollow, as the weight of what I’d done settled over me. Marco put a hand on my shoulder. “I think it’s time to go, hermano. We got what we needed.”