AUTHOR'S POV

Between the brutal exchanges, Tessa managed to whisper, “Why did you bring me here, Pedro?” Her voice was a soft plea amidst the cacophony.

Pedro paused in his watchful stance by the barricade. He gently took her by the shoulder, drawing her close, and spoke in a low voice meant only for her. “I want to tell you a story, Tessa. A story of how I became the man I am today.”

Tessa looked up at him, her eyes filled with dread, yet she forced herself to listen. Pedro’s gaze turned distant as he began. “When I was a boy, my father—Don El Diablo Lorenzo—took me to a...