Vengeance From The Past

el's

sharp shadows over blood-stained concrete. A man knelt in front of me, his lips split and bleeding, hands bound

my tone calm, my eyes colder

egging in slurred Spanish that

Silence hit the

ish

ng, music blasting from some bar down the block-but none of it touched me. Not since the day I watched my brother bleed out on a cracked sidewalk,

nd neck, black ink wrapping around scars earned in too many fights to count. There's a deep cut above my right bro

Martin, the click of the door shut

king at my right-hand man in

ho can stand this close to me and still brea

his phone and

ootage. Casa Estr

dish. I watched myself call out the c

re in h

te of the meal. The sharpness of h

llion views," Damian muttered

sked, still watching her

answer caught somewhere b

mia

t'd help the restaurant. People fear

aw l

ying clie

. I just

aid to think. Yo

ted his

o Casa Est

mid-step. The sous-chef dropped a spoon. I could smell

g over, wiping his palms on his apron. "S

to the chef who p

Which

an s

the video p

hifted. "She's n

hy

ront of everyone. I was scared you might shut the restaurant down

rds slipped out before I could st

t pale, his voice

lained to the head ch

s her

la To

anding there, back straight, chin high, eyes lit wit

is sh

"Haven't se

ce and turn

n I heard

," she

bel

clung to her curves like it was sewn onto her skin. Blood-

id, walking toward me with that practiced

still here?"

station. You liked m

remember

d along my arm. "Maybe I can remind yo

d. Slowly peeled her fin

voice low and even. "Next time you lay

acked, but I

near the man everyone's talking about. You want power. But I

her heel, heels clicking

ced. My mind

hts glittering like lies below me. My skin told my story-bullet grazes,

to a glass and sat

la T

ame into my p

n!" I

most instantly

e eats, who she talks to. I want it all in twent

, se

o again. Paused it. Her face, m

flinch. D

. They're predicta

feel something. And I

to lose had stood up to me

t dangerous th

whiskey, my eyes stil

u're really made o