I drop the envelope of money in front of Mamá and she stops writing whatever she's doing and looks at it.

"Two thousand."

She looks up at me with concern. "I don't want it."

"You need it."

"No, Alejandro. I have enough money in the bank to last a lifetime, and i'm working hard."

"You work too much. And if you have enough money, good, because i'm not doing this anymore?"

Her eyes light up. "You're not?"

"No. I need to fix everything."

She smiles. "You miss Amelia, don't you?" I sigh, turning around to walk away. "Alex, wait." Mom stands up, coming over and hugging me. I hesitate, surprised, before hugging her back. "Yasmin has told me all about what happened. I know how upset you are."

Something about this moment is tugging at my heart, making me want to burst into tears like you'd do when you're a kid and something upsets you. "I don't want to mess her up in all this."

"I know, but you deserve better than that. You deserve to be happy and be with the girl who makes you feel like the luckiest boy in the world."

That's the thing, I don't know if I do deserve that.

+++

"Ready?"

"No."

"It'll be fine. Jules is recording everything. Turn that thing on," Enrico points at my shirt, and I lift it up and switch the wire on my chest on. I take a deep breath, and Enrico nods at me, and I nod back, then we get out of his car.

The sky is dark, just the light from inside the warehouse lighting up Caligari's face, making him look even more sinister. It's like something you'd see in a horror movie, and it's making me nervous. I wonder if my Dad ever got scared. He never showed it if he did; he always seemed bulletproof.

"Your brother want a job?" Cal says, standing at the entrance to the warehouse. He nods over to Enrico and one of the guys with him comes over and begins to search Enrico.

"Hands off, you piece of shit," he pushes the guy back which makes him mad. This isn't part of the plan, Enrico.

"Something to hide?" Cal questions suspiciously.

"Yeah, a bomb. It's right here in my pants." Enrico rolls his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"Drugs," I say before Enrico can.

"Well, you came to the right place. We got a lot of that. Alex, you didn't need to come. I have a lot of guys here today." I know you do.

Enrico walks inside the warehouse. "Don't let him force you to shoot anyone like he did Dad," I call out, making all of the workers stare at me.

Caligari eyes me suspiciously. "I don't know what you're talking about, Fuentes."

This fucker. He's on to me. "Don't play games. It's fine; i'm over it now. My Dad still pulled the trigger right? Even though you held a gun to his head and forced him to – it's still his fault."

"Why are you talking to me about your father right now? He's long gone."

"Just thought Enrico should know."

Cal moves closer to me, his eyes burning into mine. "I hope you understand that if you're up to anything, I'll get everyone you care about killed."

That's why i'm hoping to get you to say enough that will give the cops an idea of your every connection.

"I got it. You think I'm that stupid?" Guess I am.

"I hope not. I'll kill your brother as easy as I did your little friend, whatever his name was."

"Deans," I tense my jaw. "The guy with a sick wife he had to take care of."

"Yeah, right, whatever. He made a stupid move – I advise you don't do the same."

I begin to get really worried. If something happens to Enrico, I don't even know what i'll do.

"Search him," Cal says to one of the guys while he walks inside with Enrico. My heart starts to race and Enrico gives me a worried look as the guy moves towards me.

"I don't need touched up by this guy," I try to play it off.

"I disagree," Cal calls behind him. The guys starts patting down my legs, lifting my jeans at the ankles, and checking at my waist, then his hands go over my stomach, and he freezes.

Fucking shit.

"What the-" He lifts my shirt up to reveal the recorder taped to my skin. "Cal! He's wired!"

Shit. Should i make a run for it? Knock this guy out? Fuck, Enrico. This is all going to hell.

Cal comes back out with Enrico behind him, a guy holding his arms. "What have you done, Fuentes?" He rips it off of my chest and hands it to someone.

"What had to be done. You gave me no choice."

Cal looks at me with so much anger and disappointment, pressing his lips together. "Kill them both."

"No!" Enrico shouts, and the guy holding him kicks him down to his knees and pulls a gun out, holding it to his head.

This can't be happening.

Think, Alex. Fucking think. Or don't. Just fight them all. When I grab the gun in the guys hand, I point it upwards just before he fires it, and it gets shot up to the sky. I knee him in the stomach, then punch him and he drops the gun. For a moment I look at it, thinking about picking it up and shooting everyone here. It's probably the only way we'd survive this.

I'm hit in the back of the head before I can do anything, and Enrico tackles a guy to the ground who brings a gun out. Red and blue lights go off around us, and I feel like Jesus just did me a huge solid. The police cars pull up around the warehouse, cops getting out and aiming their guns. I spot Enrico's friend Jules getting out of his car.

"You little punk," Cal spits, walking closer to me.

"Freeze right now!" A cop shouts. "Put your hands in the air or we will open fire!" A couple of Cal's guys make a fun for it, and cops run after them.

"You're dead, Alex," Cal continues.

"Put your hands in the air!" An officer repeats. Cal doesn't listen, he just stares at me. I barely notice him reaching into his pocket, pulling out a knife and throwing it in my direction. The blade lands deep in my gut.

There's a gunshot, and for a second I think that it's me that gets shot from how much pain I'm in, but then Caligari falls to the floor in front of me. Dead.

"Alex!" Enrico runs over to me. I lose my balance, the knife fucking up my body, and I fall down. Enrico catches me, making me come down slowly.

Strangled sounds escape from me as I try to breathe. It's like the knife has went straight into my lungs and cut off my air supply. I put my hand on my stomach, feeling the wetness from the blood as I still struggle to breathe.

"An ambulance is coming. It's gonna be alright, man. It's fine," Enrico assures although his worried voice begs to differ.

"I... c-can't... breath."

"Just hold on." He turns around. "Make them hurry up!" The agonising pain from my stomach is making me not want to fucking hold on. I'd so happily drift off into sleep right now and escape this pain. It's like nothing i've ever felt before. "Do we take it out?" Enrico asks Jules while I force myself to keep my eyes open.

"No, no leave it. He'll lose too much blood if it's out."

"He's already losing enough blood! Alex, open your damn eyes." Someone grabs my face, probably Enrico, hitting my cheek and I open my eyes slightly, my eyelids heavy as bricks.

"The ambulance is here," Jules says and I listen to the fading sounds of sirens. Why is it fading?

Through the darkness I see, somewhere in there is Amelia, asleep in her bed. Her messy blonde hair is sprawled out around her and she looks so peaceful and beautiful. What if I never see that again? What if I leave this earth today and never get to see her face ever again?

The sounds begin to come back, the sound of Enrico calling my name, telling me to wake up. Shit, did I just come back to life? Fuck me.

I almost forgot about the pain on my quick trip through the darkness, but now I feel it all again. It's fine though. I'd rather suffer all this pain just to see Amelia again. To see my stupid family and my stupid friend Jace with the not so secret crush on my sister. And to see my Dad again. I don't want to leave that yet. Definitely not because of Caligari.

However, I get no choice in the matter when all at once i'm met with utter darkness.

+++

😰😰😰 omg our child alex

teaser: bad news of alex hits amelia

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