Chapter 9 - The Threat in the Shadows
Valeria rushed Mateo upstairs, locking the heavy bedroom door behind them. She spent an hour rocking the terrified boy until his hyperventilation finally subsided and he fell into an exhausted, tear-stained sleep.
She paced the length of the room, her mind racing. She had directly challenged the second most powerful man in the criminal organization. She had painted a massive, glowing target on her own back.
A soft, distinct knock sounded at the door. Not the heavy, demanding knock of a guard, but a quiet, calculated tap.
Valeria approached the door cautiously. “Who is it?”
“Open the door, Valeria,” a deep voice whispered from the other side. “Or I will make sure your little brother’s heart stops beating during his surgery this afternoon.”
Valeria’s blood froze in her veins. She slowly turned the lock and opened the door a few inches. Héctor pushed his way inside, his massive frame blocking the exit. He closed the door silently behind him.
He didn't pull a gun. He didn't need to. He simply held up a glossy, high-definition photograph of her younger brother, Leo, lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment.
“You are a very observant girl,” Héctor said smoothly, stepping closer until Valeria was backed entirely against the wall. “You figured it out. The boy saw me finish off his mother after the ambush. I had to smother her to make sure she didn't talk. It's a shame the kid was in the backseat.”
Valeria stared at the jagged scar on his right hand, feeling physically sick. “Alejandro will kill you when he finds out.”
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Héctor chuckled darkly. “Alejandro is completely blind when it comes to me. He thinks I am his brother. By midnight tonight, my men will breach this mansion. Alejandro will die in a tragic ‘rival cartel attack,’ and I will take over the entire empire.”
He leaned in, his foul breath hitting her face. “You have two hours to pack your bags and walk out the front gate. If you leave quietly, your brother lives. If you try to warn Alejandro, I will slit the boy's throat on the operating table. Do we understand each other?”
