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"A amateur," I yelled "Don’t you know to keep your friends close and your ene an eye out for the people whose lives you destroy?"

"That’s not my job I pay people to do that shit for me!"

Just then his eyes lit up as he looked over h though because instantly I felt a piercing, cold pain slice into my shoulder blade As the moron behind an to take over the entire right side of ainst the partition and watched as the guy’s body was suddenly slammed into the wall Mateo landed hard on top of Flores’ not-so-little hts out for the lackey Flores began to laugh wickedly behind rab a hold of his shirt before he could even think about escaping

The ot a hand on hiear, surrounded us I clutched Flores but rasp any up my arm I reached withI had left in me

"Where Is She?" I bit out

"Señor Flores," one of the officers called through his face shield He grabbed Flores by the arhly I saw a brief look of horror cross Flores’ face as he realized the coain, his pure evil s

There was a loud ringing in ht crossed myht now Classic sy if or when I would ever see Flores again They would hide him away in a Mexican prison, or he would pay his way out and I ht never find him

I stood eye-to-eye with him and pulled the last hope I had out of , I held the picture up to his face The officer continued to wrestle Flores backward but I pressed on I felt a coldness begin to creep over h breath

"Where is she?" I tried to shout over the high-pitch dru inat the old, worn photograph inpalm His lips turned up and ed Flores to an open doorway and right before he was jerked outside, Flores uttered, "Check the bottom of the Sea of Cortez"

My vision darkened as if a ca I heard was a string of curse words flying out of Mateo’sthe cold, concrete floor of the grimy warehouse, all I could remember were flashes ofodly a to re-wrapsuspicious

Hospitals

Mateo trying to explain why I had a stab wound to the doctors

My eyes were groggy and ether and reot here, even if I didn’t knohere here was exactly The warh the sheer curtains in what looked like a hotel roo, but hell if I knew I pushed to sit up and pain shot fro down through h!"

Beads of sweat broke out across my forehead, and the intensity of the pain caused edly I pushed up with s over the side of the bed I had to get up beforethat I didn’t re open and Mateo walked in carrying a tray

"Good s, I ondering if they’d gone ahead and finished you off themselves," he said with a little bit too much pep in his voice

"I need more," I rasped out My throat felt like it had been rubbed raith sandpaper "Fuck my throat" I tried to s, but it felt as if I had sed a handful of gravel

"Dude, I’ll bet it hurts You were snoring so damn loud, it sounded like there was a chainsaw in the next rooe juice, and fruit in front of me "You can haveup your phone"

I finally shoved off the bed and stuht on the bottom of my pants, and I looked down to see pajamas I know I didn’t own

"Did you dress ru throat and closed the bathrooht on, I was startled to see hostly reflection in theelse on except the sling on ht arm My skin was flushed and pale I had bruises on my inner arm where I assue of the counter to get a closer glance at the gauze taped around my shoulder

The second I leaned forward, the ht hit ht against Barrera Chasing Flores down Being blindsided with a knife to the back Police arresting Flores right after he told h me sharper than a thousand knives to the back My knees buckled and I hit the tile floor with a loud thud I slidforward I didn’t care aboutshoulder or the fact that I still hadn’t pissed in God-kno-long Those were nothing co pain I was too late… too fking late

How long had I been chasing a ghost? Days? Weeks? Years? All this tione, as if a piece ofat all Instead, I had to hear my worst fear from the repulsive mouth of Flores himself

The door slae bathroom for me His eyes finally fell toward me on the floor, and I saw the discohten up and realized my face et Tears With the back of my hand, I quickly wiped them all away I pulled ood," I quietly breathed out

"Call Charlie" He held outphone I took it froround next toto have one of the best boxers I’ve ever known look down at me on the floor with pity in his eyes I couldn’t hold eye contact with hi "I’m sorry, man I wish there wasdeeper into him," he whispered

"Don’t," I said into my knees "Don’t put any blame on yourself, Teo I’ll never be able to repay you for all your help"

He nodded his head, and I was thankful eren’t going to sit and discuss that right now "Seriously though, if he callsout the fking "

"How long was I out?" I asked before he turned to leave

"It’s only been a few hours since we got back fro crucial, but you need to check back with him in a few days You’ll also need to rehab that shoulder"

"Well, that won’t work I’ out of here"