Chapter 59 The Warlord's Vow

• (POV: Mateo)
• The priest’s voice shook as he forced out, “speak now, or forever hold your peace.” The whole thing felt pointless, but I’d insisted—just to keep up a shred of tradition. My eyes scanned the half-empty hall. I checked where my men were, clocked the nervous energy coming off Emilio Montoya’s little group. Emilio—always lurking, always waiting. He’d never go head-to-head. Not his style. He preferred poison, not a fight in the open.
• Then a rifle cracked, sharp and close. Too close. Inside the hall. A pro at work.