Page 139 of Misery

"Take it. But know they'll hunt you to extinction for it." She gestures to us. "Every last one of you. Your families. Your businesses. Everything burns if I burn."

Miguel considers this, cigarette smoke curling between them.

His men shift restlessly, but he remains perfectly still.

Finally, he drops the cigarette, crushes it under a boot that's more designer than biker.

"I like her," he tells me. "Thiago was a fool. Could have had any woman, chose to obsess over one who'd never want him."

"Yes, he did," I agree.

"His obsession cost us nine soldiers. Bad for business. Bad for morale. The men think we're weak, letting one person's feelings dictate action." He looks back at Elfe. "No offense, but you're not worth nine soldiers."

"None taken. I didn't ask to be worth anything to anyone."

"No. You didn't." Miguel pulls out a flask, takes a sip, offers it to Runes, who declines. "So. Terms. The girl is off limits. No retaliation for Thiago's death. Clean slate."

"And in return?" Runes asks.

"We keep our territory lines. No expansion into your areas. Business as usual, even though you did steal our product in the past. Don’t take what isn’t yours. I propose a truce, because this back and forth is costing too many resources on both our sides." Miguel pauses. "And the girl tells no one about what she knows. Our operations, our faces, our names. Silence for safety."

"Agreed," Elfe says before anyone else can speak.

Miguel extends his hand to her, not Runes. "You speak for yourself. I respect that."

They shake. Her hand disappears in his, but she doesn't flinch from the grip.

"One more thing," Miguel says, not releasing her hand yet. "Thiago kept files. Photos. Videos. Of you."

"I know. They've been destroyed."

"All of them?"

"All of them."

He releases her hand. "Good. Clean endings are best for everyone." He looks at me one more time. "You would have interested Thiago more the way you are now. Fierce. Dangerous. He preferred his women broken, and he would have broken you."

"Good thing he's dead then," Elfe responds.

"Yes. Good thing." Miguel signals his men. "Keep her that way, Executioner. The world has enough broken things."

Before he can mount his bike, Runes steps forward. "One more thing, Miguel."

Miguel pauses, turns back. "Yes?"

"Vargas. El Martillo. He's been pushing about the stolen product from the Culebra cartel."

Miguel's expression darkens. "The shipment your boys hit?"

"Yes," Fenrir corrects, joining the conversation. "That would be the one."

Miguel considers this, lights another cigarette. Takes his time. "Vargas wants blood. Says you cost us a quarter million in product."

"Maybe so," Runes states. "But you weren’t the ones we were trying to hurt. The Culebra cartel needed a message sent, and we did that."

"You still cost us money, and a lot of it,amigo."

"And we've paid for it," Fenrir interjects. "Nine of your soldiers dead. Our people terrorized. My son's woman nearly taken. Seems like the debt's been collected with interest."