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Chapter One: Sofia
The world knew me as Sofia Reyes, former pop culture reporter and now I was…what, exactly?
One of the Mercy Blades?
I’d left behind the glitz and glamor of celebrity gossip–as if it had ever been glamorous–to join the most dangerous gang in Orlando, my life taking a sharp turn into the scary unknown. Being with dangerous men had become my reality, a twisted path I had to follow.
It wasn’t a choice; it was survival.
Months had passed since our confrontation with the Everglades Viper, a venomous figure whose malevolence had spread through the city of Orlando like wildfire. We had gone down there to confront him and it was a miracle all of us had gotten out of that alive.
The Viper was smart. He’d set up a trap for us.
We tried to recover from the aftermath, licking our wounds and preparing for the inevitable next strike.
“Hey, Sof, you good?” Teo asked, his voice soft but the tone of it enough to startle me. We were sitting in his car, parked around the corner from Captain Monroe’s house and other than the soft hum of distant traffic and the sound of the occasional owl outside, the stakeout had been mostly silent.
I nodded. “Yeah, just thinking about how much has changed,” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “This is all so messed up, Teo.”
He gave me a long look, then sighed. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “I really wish you would’ve listened to me and stayed home.”
I shook my head. “If the Viper is my father…since the Viper is my father,” I said, shuddering. “Then it’s my responsibility to make sure these people are safe. I’m not going to let you leave and take on all of this by yourself.”
“Right. Well, it’s not your responsibility, but I know you won’t listen to me. Damn, it’s hot in here,” he said, shifting in his seat. He reached over and turned the key in the ignition, allowing a gentle breeze from the AC to circulate through the car.
“Better?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. He nodded, his gaze never leaving Captain Monroe’s house.
A gnawing sense of unease twisted my insides, growing stronger with each passing moment. The Viper had been quiet lately, too quiet – and that only meant danger was on the horizon. As ifsensing my thoughts, Teo reached over and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Hey, we’ll get through this. We always do,” he said, a hint of vulnerability in his voice.
I looked up at him, opening my mouth but not saying anything.
“Go ahead, Sof. You can talk to me,” he encouraged, his grip on my hand tightening ever so slightly.
I hesitated, swallowing hard. “I just…I still can’t believe it, you know? That the Viper is my father. That he’s alive. First, my brother gets involved with a serial killer. Then it turns out my father is a serial killer. Now I’m…wait. You’re not a serial killer, are you?”
A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, but he managed to keep his composure. “No,” he said.
“Right. Just the boss for organized crime,” I said, burying my head in my hands. “Fuck. It’s like I’m living in some twisted nightmare.”
“Hey, I don’t hurt people forfun,“ Teo said. He sounded a little offended.
I looked up at him. “So you aren’t a serial killer.”
“No,” he replied. “I hate blood, remember? Among many other things. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. We’ve gotten through scary shit before. We can make sure the Viper doesn’t hurt anyone else, too.”
“Right,” I said. The Viper’s legacy of destruction couldn’t continue – not if I had any say in it.
“Hey,” Teo whispered, his eyes darting back to Captain Monroe’s house. “I think something’s going on.”
“Where?” My heartbeat accelerated as I strained to see what Teo was looking at.
“Over there,” he pointed, indicating a shadowy figure slipping around the corner. Our eyes locked for a moment, and my heart jumped in my chest. Whatever was about to happen, I knew it couldn’t be good.
My eyes stayed glued on the shadowy figure, adrenaline surging through my veins as Teo and I hunkered down in our hiding spot. Darkness enveloped us, amplifying every sound around us.
I couldn’t help but think of how much had changed since joining the Mercy Blades – a world of danger and violence that now felt like home.
