Page 21 of Jessica, Not Her Real Name

A latch clicked. The door swung inward, releasing a rush of heavy, humid air thick with the scent of grilled meat, gasoline, and something acrid—burnt sugar? Plastic? Her stomach tightened. This was not the kind of place you found on a travel itinerary.

Daniel stepped inside after her without hesitation, placing a light touch on her lower back. The heat of his palm burned through her shirt. She exhaled and moved forward.

Inside, a makeshift maze of tarps and rusted steel beams formed a tunnel, crammed with knockoff sneakers, bootleg liquor, and counterfeit designer bags. Music throbbed from crackling speakers. Conversations hummed around her, fast and low, punctuated by bursts of laughter and the occasional sharp curse.

To her left, a man twirled a knife between his tattooed fingers, his stall lined with an array of gleaming blades. A woman in a cropped hoodie braided a little girl’s hair while another customer handed over cash for a trim.

Julia turned, taking it all in, pulse thrumming beneath her skin.

"How do you even find a place like this?" she asked, keeping her voice casual.

Daniel’s response was just as smooth. "You don’t. That’s the whole point."

He moved through the market like he belonged there, nodding at a few familiar faces, ignoring others. A vendor flashed a gold chain in his direction; Daniel dismissed him with a flick of his fingers. Further down, a group of men huddled around an old sedan, cash exchanging hands in a quick, quiet rhythm.

Then—

"¡Hermano!About time."

Julia turned and saw a young man perched behind a cluttered table of cracked iPhones and suspicious-looking USB drives. He grinned at Daniel, finishing a rapid-fire sales pitch to an unimpressed customer. He looked about seventeen, his shoulder-length hair tucked neatly behind his ears. His eyes—hazel, like Daniel’s—gleamed with curiosity as they locked onto her. The resemblance between them was obvious. Same sharp cheekbones, same quick dimple when he smiled.

He went up to Daniel and pulled him into a quick hug. Daniel clasped a hand on his shoulder and turned to Julia.

“Julia, this is my little brother, Sebastián.”

Sebastián gave her a once-over, then nodded. “Hey.”

She returned the greeting, still taking in how much they looked alike.

Then Sebastián turned back to Daniel, his expression playful. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Daniel smirked. “She’s my none of your damn business,hermanito.” He folded his arms and jerked his chin at the table. "Tell me you’re not selling bricks again.”

Sebastián scoffed, shoving a phone into the customer's hands. "First of all, it works. Second, I offer a money-back guarantee." Then his gaze flicked to Julia again, interest sparking behind his smile.

Julia surveyed the table of electronic flotsam and jetsam behind him. "Do you work here?"

Daniel cut in before Sebastián could embellish. "He hustles here. One week it’s tech, next it’s sneakers. Supply and demand."

"Smart," Julia murmured. She wasn’t sure she meant it as a compliment, but Sebastián took it as one anyway.

"And you?" Sebastián’s eyes gleamed with mischief. "What’s the deal,hermano? You bringing her here to impress her, or?—"

"We’re just passing through," Daniel interrupted, voice clipped.

Sebastián sighed theatrically. "That’s a shame, ’cause I might’ve made a small bet with the wrong guy, and I could use some backup."

Daniel groaned. "Sebastián."

"I know, I know," Sebastián said, lifting his hands. "But it’s fine! Probably. I just?—"

His words cut off as his shoulders stiffened, his gaze flicking past them, over Daniel’s shoulder.

Daniel turned.

A broad-shouldered man pushed through the crowd, his face set like a thundercloud.

Sebastián muttered a curse. "Time to go."