et's

including Romano himself but no one told me about

met Vlad, I thoug

ause he mov

ery room he entered before

was

the moment he spoke and the illu

the kind of cruelty

nos

ed at th

ng hall when he appeared, leaning against th

le lowe

chief glinting

una B

good

eth, forcing mys

ince Don Romano decid

ity and thrown into a world that was sharpe

his expensive cologne and cigare

ying me like I was some

n't belo

n flawles

that for a second, ho

as r

't belo

ng to help

n he gr

't matter

so y me a mí

it's my job to

s

a

sn't what I

d and a chill ra

s a

our father that I d

rough grit

dealing with a stubborn re

you're just a

ck

hit out and gripped my c

ll find out what you'r

ir family? I told them

me backwards, standin

mos, pr

later, p

had been shaking

didn't just tor

nted and

ys, locked doors when I wanted to clean a

t becam

me into the pool when I was carry

held a knife to my throat, murmuring in my ear

d to fig

was in a house where scre

eryone was watch

was doi

rting me

ng, t

ove or even give in to one moment

w wh

hought he was looking fo

g for a crack

he won't hesitate

d, I had just finished cl

crubbing all day and m

a shadow move behind me but before I c

nd when I almost screamed,

ll break your pr

e as he dragged me backward, showin

iving me a chance to

e shak

tilting

lásti

were stronge

to h

ill gaspin

mere sound rip

you're

m h

d against my cheek and

er

our papa hid his secrets or I'll

hisp

roz

blade will sink

stay calm and whi

Know I

eyes da

at's unfo

gainst my cheek and

ore the warmth of blood

n he said he'd carve

s he hoping to car

d I clenched my jaw, a fresh w

's wr

feigning

for someone t

alling

and whispered eno

s coming

in shinin

o. There is

lowed

t do you

simple, lov

Intel is, and

a slow

one thing he

in hi

r a moment, the wor

d. His hands g

mista

side and he slammed

t my vision

when the pain had its

o play dirty, w

e sharp like the b

done, you'll

do, you'll beg

f me and st

e you to

smi

d ni

ng for air, my hand pressed to my rib

eyes but I refuse

going t

for

for Don

s - anger, sorrow, guilt.I expect

eel sad.I even expected guilt bu

gnawin

y promised me that we'd travel the world toget

Fernandez, the lov

to Fernandez

ho played both sides of a war

- He w

of secrets I kn

w, had put me in the

d hate h

ng me to pick up the shattere

coul

me,No matter how much Vlad had tormented me, I couldn't

find out

o be more to

o start fro

with sma

st was h

ath, papa neve

off-limits and now

it when he was home or how he'd rush i

to the Mexican

alian

makin

ng which men

ught made my

hat if

it cl

e t

ways tr

e up with vague

k, he would

f my business. I ha

ine

o

e was some kind

s borders or playing some kind of dangerous game with

s a prisoner

dn't mean I

en saw me, they woul

ll papa names - names

de mi

do trai

played both si

orst

rved worse th

I'd have to bite my tongue t

did, Roberto was

allest chance that he had do

died to protect, I swore

o be a pawn in a wa

aking steps in f

akthrough came in th

in the garden when suddenly, I

asn't found t

mutt

ther

not in th

hidden them somewhere

hem soon, Mercanti is

as Mer

a

s Mer

ican Car

ng formed in

crets was worth his life,It wasn't j

!I waited until they left before

anything, that meant it wasn'

smart enough to hide the se