Pressure of Love and legacy

e message again, slower this time,

for long. One more step, an

ture. No number to

the weight of history

asking questions

ing out of

lled

ep you have to dig. Use contacts, favor

. Are yo

But they're threat

on

looked down at the pa

oretti

amily. And no o

rust. A trust that had been quietly restr

t was about stealing what belonged

ter into my coat

and polished lies. It had always been a sym

me and tossed my phone on the bed. I didn't

coul

cture, the fire, my cousin's smile... and that quiet goodbye

n, hands

w it-her

helf. I didn't even re

h a single, flat charm.

d it

inside m

ed two ho

t the message was last active near the outs

t add

rio's old business fronts used to be r

d me the coor

going alon

have time

th

ou when I ge

ung

necklace int

le

et. The kind of quiet that wraps around

out as I passed empty contai

warehouse. Rusted metal. Bro

iding somethi

few blocks away and

No lights.

ide door pa

ped i

me whole. It made i

like rusting iron and

ing each corner, each

th

I hea

reak-meta

ic

following a narrow hallw

ed my e

anymore. As soon as the message w

: "What if the

hen we clean th

pa

soft to do any

rage pulsing t

ught I w

o

dn't see

until t

ootstep

ked the lo

nd I slipped inside. Try

all

ch

e slump

ss

s closed. A bru

art s

" I whi

tirred. Sh

Eth

in front of her. "I've

slower this time. "They

here

ocket knife and

l into

nd, I just

al. Warm.

eren't s

to her feet.

dded w

Every step felt like a countd

her to my car and laid h

e driver's seat when hea

ack

e one in t

s op

n stepp

hind t

ri

s like this were just an

, cousin," he

idnapp

dly. "From destroying ever

is fa

A leftover from a woman who betr

ke sure

"Then this

dded

ched inside

pistol from the glove box

CK!" I

pau

behind me, we

. "You won't shoot, Ethan.

y m

d his ha

other sound broke

re

ose. Com

t call

h me

u

d and waved

l ba

k car pe

o

d against m

ng to kill me,

face and tightened my grip

" I

going to

lights flashed b

e the Edmond fami

sure we both