ILIO'

g smelled like sweat

verywhere-yelling, betting, and pushing to see the

. Ramon had already chosen their fighter-Kellan. S

e sitting at the far end of the ring. Dante look

thing. Next to Dante sat a boy in cru

ehead. That must be Luca, Emilio thou

happy. Emilio hated how calm he w

into the ring. The crowd roared. People were s

s tall, fast-looking, with tattoos dow

ed the first punch-a hard one to th

The fight didn't go well. Kellan was str

rder each time. His punches we

e looked across the ring. Dante was staring at him now. Calm. Smirking. Kellan took another hit-

es, bets being collected. Emilio didn't stay. The noise-sharp, moc

e hard. He didn't care if people saw his anger. Ramon followed without saying a word. He didn't look back at the ring. Didn't want

hem, but here, it was quiet. Too quiet. Emil

t it wasn't enough to cool th

o said, his voice low. Ramon didn't answer right away. The dim light fro

lenched. His chest was tight. "Not yet,

Laughed while doing it. Sat there like a king, with

where it hurts," he said, voice steady but sha

ws, the faint light catching on a

y boss wants to have final words with you." Emilio didn

t for his win." The man hesitated

e turned and walked away, the echo o

io would give him one. Jus

eful," he said low. "You don't wan

hink I don't know that?" Ramon didn't flinch. "I think you're letting him

art thudding, adrenaline still

was-Dante, stepping out from the shadows with the kin

lips, like he had known this moment woul

" he said coldly. "Let him." Dante stopped a few feet away, hands in the pocket

ound him. Just Dante alone in the

presence unmistakable. "Let's see if we can settle this privately, Emilio. O

s. "Not interested," he replied, his tone sharp.

d smoothly. "Let's talk, Emilio. A real talk." With that, he turned and

e temptation to leave almost overwhel

uld be easy. But something inside him snapped. He wasn

Emilio felt the weight of the choice. He could walk away. Or he could fo