Page 35 of Miguel

In the midst of picking up the TV, Mayan growled, the sound animalistic and primal. I got it. If Lorena had been home when the fucker came to trash the place…

“‘He didn’t get the chance. I–I saw the doorknob turning and my gut knew it was him. I hid before he saw me.’” Lorena pulled her friend into a quick, strong hug. When she pulled back, she said, “Thank god you’re okay. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when it happened.”

Desiree gave her a small smile.

“If you’d been here, nena, you both could have been hurt.”

“I know…” Her shoulders slumped. I hated seeing her like that. Hated the doubts that were probably running through her mind.

“Migue, come here.”

I pulled away from the girls, leaving Lorena to comfort her friend while I went to Cubano. He was helping Mayan heft the broken TV back up while Loco had procured a broom and was sweeping the glass pieces up.

“What’s up?”

“Too violent,” Mayan growled, his voice low.

He was a man of few words, but we all knew what he meant without him having to elaborate. This crimewastoo violent.

“What kind of an asshole breaks in and doesn’t take anything?” Cubano inquired quietly so Lorena wouldn’t overhear. “Whoever came here was after someone,” he concluded, staring around at the destruction. “But were they after Desiree or Lorena?”

A snarl ripped out of Mayan’s throat. “Lo mataré.”

I echoed the sentiment.

I’ll kill them.

Whoever had done this.

“The principal?” Loco asked, equally quiet.

“No. Prospect’s been on him all week. He hasn’t done shit.” A sudden thought gripped me, and I felt something in my chest tighten. “Do you think that whoever fucked with our shipment also didthis?”

Cubano looked confused. “Why would they?”

“If they had eyes on us, they might have seen Lorena leave the compound the other day and targeted her.”

“Why would they target your son’s teacher?” Cubano asked.

“Same reason this fucker came rushing the moment she called,” Loco supplied, finished with the last of the debris on the floor. “Migue here went and got himself chained.” There was a teasing to his voice, but also something laced in violence.

“Fuck off.” I wasn’tchained.

If anything, this feeling inside me wasfreedom.

Sure, I barely knew her, but in our world, time was of no consequence. Not when we lived at the edge of hell every fucking day. It meant that when you wanted something, you fucking took it. And I wanted Lorena.

Could I say the same for her? We’d only known one another a few weeks, and most of our interactions usually ended with her berating me. For a second I wondered if time mattered to her or if she’d be willing to give in to what we both knew lay between us.

“First Ink, now you.” Loco made a mocking noise of disgust. “What will the putas think?”

My eyes rolled. “They won’t think shit because we don’t pay them for fucking thinking.”

“Can’t stay here,” Mayan interrupted with a growl, nodding in the women’s direction. “Es peligroso.”

Loco rolled his eyes at Mayan’s declaration but didn’t disagree. I hadn’t claimed her, not with words, but Loco knew me well enough. He would protect Lorena without having to be asked. “Then let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said irritably. “Find out who the fuck did this. If it was the fuckers who took our shipment, they’re so fucking dead.”

I was inclined to agree, even if I didn’t always approve of his violence first, questions later method of things.

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