Page 13

Diego

The light of early morning filters through the cracks in the blinds, and I wake to the ache in my arm. The wound from last night stings, but it’s nothing compared to the gnawing feeling in my chest, the worry that I can’t shake. I should be focused on the mission, on keeping Camille safe, but my mind keeps racing back to the choices I’ve made, to the questions I don’t have answers to.

My eyes flutter open and I see the large mop of blonde hair sprawled out over my arm. Her chest rises and falls gently as she remains in her deep slumber. Her eyes are closed and there is no tension contorting her features in fear.

She is at peace like this and I don’t want to wake her.

I make my way out of the room and head to the kitchen in search of some coffee, or rather some whiskey. Today is a new day and I have to fight to keep us alive. While we are here in the cabin, we are hidden, but if they are still searching, which I know they are, they will start to search the outskirts of the city.

I think better of my decision and bypass the kitchen and head back to my truck outside. The sun greets me with its warm rays. The crisp forest air moves through my lungs, giving me a sense of calm. I walk over to the truck that now has holes decorating some of the sides and sigh.

I just had it repainted, too. That is annoying.

I open it and reach into the back to retrieve my computer. It is time that I start coming up with a plan B. I need to get this girl out of here and I need to make sure I put at least two oceans between her and the cartel. I can’t outrun them here.

I amble back inside the cabin, my heart set on the new plan. I sit down and just as I type out my passcode, my phone buzzes in my pants. I freeze for a moment. No one would ever call me at this hour. Nonetheless, I reach into my pocket and pull out my device.

I see one name flash across my screen that I would have never expected.

Felix Ramanos.

“You’ve made quite the mess, Diego. But I have news for you that may prove helpful. Meet me at the docks within the hour. If you don’t, then I may just need to let the boss know about that little hideaway cabin of yours.”

The message is brief, but it carries weight. If he knows where I am, then I am already royally fucked. At the end of the message, there is the address of where to meet him. I recognize the place, it’s about 30 minutes from here and I know that this man is serious because it is out of the normal vicinity of the cartel. I want to call his bluff but I can’t risk it. I curse under my breath and head back to the room where Camille sleeps.

I look at her, still sleeping soundly, her body curled up under the blanket. The soft rise and fall of her chest reminds me of how much peace she has lacked over the past few weeks. I don’t want to leave her alone here but taking her to Felix is even more dangerous. So instead, I leave a note by her side table.

Gone for a meeting, prepping for our escape. Lock the doors and don’t answer anyone, even on your phone. Be good, I will be back.

I place the small piece of paper down and step back from the table. I hesitate, torn between the need to keep her safe and the urgency of what Felix is telling me.

Taking a deep breath, I slip on a shirt and quietly make my way out the bedroom door and then eventually make my way out of the room. I need to meet Felix, and the longer I wait, the more dangerous it gets. The cartel is already on our trail, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep them off our backs.

I walk out of the small cabin with nothing but a hope and a prayer in my heart. I need this meeting to go well. I have no idea what he could possibly want, but if I know Felix, and I do, this man is working an angle. He is always looking for the best way to one-up everyone else around him.

The streets are silent as I make my way to the meeting point, the weight of Felix’s message pressing on me. It’s been too long since we’ve had a real conversation, but I can feel the tension simmering in me. I don’t like the man and he doesn’t like me. I would be a fool to think that he had my interest or the interests of Camille at heart.

By the time I pull up to the old abandoned building, I see Felix’s Range Rover parked in front. He stands close to the docks by the water, looking every bit the evil villain that I believe he is playing. I place my gun in my waistband and make my way out of the car. My footsteps even feel loud against the crashing of waves.

I draw closer and closer to the man. The urge to reach for my gun and point it at his head is strong but I hold myself. I come up beside him wordlessly and he doesn't even look my way.

“You took your sweet time,” Felix mutters. “I thought that I would be forced to give them your location and what a shame that would be. The poor girl wouldn't even stand a chance.”

“Get to your point, Felix. You wanted me out here, now what?”

He turns his head to face me. “Testy, are we not? You make it so easy for the rest of us to know what your weakness is, Navarro.”

“Get to your point, Felix,” I snap, trying to keep my temper in check. But it's hard. My arm is throbbing, the blood still fresh, and the whole situation feels like it’s spiraling faster than I can control.

Felix's gaze hardens. “This whole thing, Diego—protecting her—it’s a mistake. You’re putting everything on the line for one person who may just destroy it all. Is the pussy really that good that you are willing to throw away everything? You’ve made yourself a target. What the hell is wrong with you?”

I don’t flinch. I’m used to his judgment, but right now, it feels like a punch in the gut. “Let us not pretend that you care for my wellbeing. Tell me why you really have me here, Felix. What angle are you working?”

“You always have been a smart one, it’s why I respected you over the years. Fine, you got me, I am tired of being under these fucking Italians. I happen to have a vested interest in that flash drive and everything on it. If I can get my hands on it, then I can use it as leverage.”

And there it is. I should say that I am shocked but I know this man. I know that he is always looking out for his ass. If being a prima ballerina ensured his survival, then the man would be in fucking tutu.

I feel my fists tighten at my sides, the tension building inside of me. “And you think that I would give you that? You are out of your mind.”

Felix’s eyes narrow, his jaw clenched tight. “Listen, I want nothing to do with your girl. Fuck her, love her, kill her, I could give two shits. But what I want is the flash drive. You have my word that I will not lay a single finger on her. I simply want the drive.”

“Fuck off,” is my only response.

“Don’t be so blinded by the good pussy that you fail to see reason, Diego. The girl is nothing more than a piece of ass but likely the information she has is enough to bring down a whole empire.”

“She doesn’t have the flash drive. So you are all out of luck.”

“You really think that she doesn’t have the drive? The girl was his sister, and you and I both knew étienne well. He would have trusted her with it.”

There is this small part of me that believes his words but I push that out of my mind.

“Your woman will be as good as dead within the coming weeks. You know that the cartel is after her. They haven’t gotten her yet simply by choice. You cannot protect her forever.”

The words hit like a slap, but it’s his tone, the coldness in his voice, that pushes me over the edge. Everything in me snaps, and before I even think, I’m stepping into his space, my hand flying out to shove him backward.

Felix doesn’t hesitate. He shoves me right back, harder than I expected, sending me stumbling a few steps before I catch myself. The pain in my arm flares up, but it’s nothing compared to the fury coursing through me. I’m done talking.

“It will be a cold day in hell before I let any of you touch her,” I hiss, my voice low and dangerous. “She is under my watch and my protection.”

Felix scoffs, his chest rising and falling with the same anger that’s building inside of me. “You’re too far gone. You’re not thinking straight. This is bigger than her or you. This is a game of power and if you were smart, you would have used all of this to your advantage. She is the fucking key to the kingdom. If you can’t see that—”

That’s it. I’m done listening. I’m moving before I can think about it, swinging my fist right into his face. He staggers back, his nose already starting to bleed, but he’s back at me in an instant, fists flying. We’re not talking anymore; it’s all instinct and raw rage now.

The two of us go at it, hitting, pushing, our anger spilling over. I’m not holding back anymore, and neither is he. We crash into the side of the car, the metal screeching as we struggle against each other. My arm burns with pain, but it’s nothing compared to the boiling rage inside me, the frustration that’s been building for weeks, for months.

Finally, Felix manages to get a grip on me, shoving me hard against the car. He’s breathing heavily, his face a mix of rage and exhaustion.

“You’re making a damn mistake, Diego,” he spits, his voice low and full of venom.

I don’t respond. I can’t. He’s right, but I’m not ready to admit it. Being with her is a mistake. I should have cut my losses a long time ago. But I had made a promise and not only that, she means something to me. Before, she had simply been an obligation but now, she has become so much more.

My chest heaves with each breath, the anger still bubbling beneath the surface, but something in me is starting to break. This is it. I’ve crossed a line with Felix. We’re not friends anymore—not after this.

The stillness between us is thick, the weight of the words we’ve said hanging heavily in the air. After a few moments, I pull back, wiping blood from my lip. Felix does the same, his eyes still on me, but now there’s a quiet resignation in them.

“Get me the flash drive, Diego," he says, panting. “If you won’t hand it over calmly, then I will take it by force if I have to.”

And with that, he turns, walking away, leaving me standing there.

I stand in the cold silence for a moment longer, the weight of Felix’s words still pressing down on me. It’s not just the guilt eating at me anymore—it’s the reality of what I’m about to do. I’m committed now, and there’s no turning back. My choices have already led me here, and whether I like it or not, I’m going to have to carry the consequences.

I can’t waste any more time. Camille is still asleep, unaware of the storm brewing around us. The sooner we get out of here, the better.

I know who I have to turn to.

With a sharp exhale, I turn and head back to the truck, my mind already on the next step. I need fake documents—fast. This is the only way out. The plan is simple: get in, get the documents, and get out.

I punch in an address that I know can assist me with what I need in a short time span.

The drive feels like it takes forever, my thoughts bouncing from one thing to the next. Felix’s warnings still echo in my head. He’s right about one thing: the cartel won’t stop. But I’ve already made my decision.

I park near the back of a nondescript building. As I approach the building, my hand is on the grip of my gun, ready for anything.

I’m met by a man named Vito, a shady contact I’ve used in the past for these kinds of things. He’s tall, his face shadowed by the brim of his hat, but I can see the glint of recognition in his eyes when he spots me.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again after what happened last time.” Vito says, his voice low and rough. “What do you want?”

“I need documents. Now,” I reply, my tone hard, not giving him the chance to stall. Time is running out, and I’m not in the mood for games.

Vito eyes me carefully, his gaze flicking to the gun at my side before he steps aside, motioning for me to follow him inside. The dim light in the warehouse barely illuminates the stacks of crates and boxes that surround us. It smells of metal and dust, a place that’s seen far too many shady deals to count.

He leads me to a small room at the back, where a desk sits covered in papers and files. It’s here that I see the package I came for—a set of forged passports, complete with false names and histories. Everything I need to disappear.

But I know that it’s never that easy. The fake identities are just the beginning. The cartel won’t stop looking, and even with these, we’ll still be hunted. Still, I take the passports from him, my fingers tight around the edges, knowing this is the only chance we have.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Diego,” Vito warns, his voice low as he slides the documents across the table. “You don’t think the cartel has eyes everywhere? You’re already a marked man.”

“I don’t have a choice,” I mutter. “Just get me what I need.”

He nods, his expression unreadable. “You’ll get what you want. But the streets are talking and things are looking red hot for you, my brother. If I were you, I would lay low till you get these documents to leave.”

“I know.” Which is why I need to get us out of here before things get too hectic.

Vito gives me a lasting look. “Give me until tomorrow morning, and then you can come collect your stuff. But if anyone asks you, I didn’t help you do shit, got it?”

I give him a curt nod. “Don’t worry, I won’t involve you in any of this. You have my word.”

He doesn’t look convinced but there is nothing else that he can do but trust me. This is one thing checked off my list but there is still something else that looms over me.

I have to tell her the truth. But I fear that once the truth is out, I will lose her forever.