Chapter 171

• Lucia's POV
• Victor’s body lay still in the dirt, his final words.. “Broker not over… heir waits”.. ringing in my ears like a bad dream that wouldn’t quit. I stood frozen, my Jeff gun heavy in my hand, moonlight barely cutting through the thick woods. Sofia clung to my leg, her breath hitching, while Mateo whimpered in Ryan’s arms. Elena knelt beside Victor, her fingers brushing his still face, tears silent on her cheeks. “He’s gone, mija,” she whispered, but her eyes held something else.. fear, maybe, of this heir he’d named. My gut twisted. We’d won, hadn’t we? Beat his bombs, his empire… but now this? A new threat, faceless, lurking. I glanced at Ryan, his face hard but pale, blood seeping through his shirt. “We gotta move,” I said, voice shaky. The woods felt alive, shadows shifting, like the heir was already watching.
• We stumbled back to the van, my heart pounding too loud, every snap of a twig making me jump. Inside, the air was thick, stale with fear. I slid into the driver’s seat, hands gripping the wheel to stop the shaking. “An heir?” I muttered, half to myself. “What’s that even mean?” Elena settled in the back, Mateo on her lap, her voice low. “Victor always planned ahead… someone to carry his mess.” Her words hit heavy, guilt creeping in again. She’d faked her death to stop him, left us alone, and now his shadow stretched further. I caught her eye in the rearview, wanting to say it wasn’t her fault, but the words stuck. Sofia, curled up beside her, whispered, “Is someone else gonna hurt us?” Her bravery from facing Victor was fading, fear taking over. I reached back, squeezing her hand. “Not if we stop ‘em first, kid.”