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Cataleya stepped outside, clutching an energy drink in one hand as she tried to steady her thoughts. The weight of the past still clung to her like a shadow, but she pushed it aside, flicking her knife open and closed in a restless rhythm. The sharp click of the blade snapping back into place echoed in the quiet air as she leaned against the railing, staring out at the night.

An hour passed before she returned, her expression guarded but composed. As soon as she stepped back inside, it was clear she had missed something. The tension in the room was palpable, and all eyes were locked on the computer screen.

"What's going on?" She asked, striding toward the group.

Marcus turned to her, his voice laced with frustration. "Them bad guys broke into my house! Them guys bad!"

Cataleya's eyes flicked to the screen. The security feed showed armed men breaking into Marcus' home, moving with precision and purpose. Mike was already dialing his wife, his jaw tight with worry. Marcus did the same, calling his son-in-law, Reggie, who was apparently home at the time.

"Reggie! You got incoming. Get the family somewhere safe. Now!" Marcus barked into the phone.

On the screen, Reggie appeared, casually gaming in the living room. The moment he saw the intruders, his demeanor changed. Without hesitation, he grabbed a gun and fired, taking down two men who had snuck into the house.

The group watched in stunned silence as Reggie moved like a seasoned pro, dispatching the intruders with brutal efficiency. Shots echoed through the feed as he took down one after another, each kill swift and precise.

"Who the fuck is this guy?!" Dorn exclaimed, his voice incredulous.

"That's my boy! That's my boy!" Marcus crowed, rooting for Reggie like he was watching a championship game.

Reggie didn't stop. He took out three more men who attempted to ambush him, the sound of their grunts and cries cutting through the chaos. As the last man fell, the room fell silent.

But the silence didn't last. Two more attackers appeared, catching Reggie off guard. He ducked behind the kitchen counter as bullets whizzed past him, narrowly missing their target. Grabbing a knife from the counter, he lunged at one of the men, stabbing him before using him as a shield. With swift precision, he slit the man's throat and turned the gun on the final attacker, firing a single, lethal shot.

It was over.

"Chitty-chitty-bang-bang, motherfuckers!" Marcus exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "Reggie, me snacks are you snacks! Did you see that shit, Mike?"

But Mike wasn't paying attention. His phone was still ringing, and his wife hadn't picked up. He stepped outside, pacing anxiously.

"Mike! Mike! Mike!" Marcus called after him, concern creeping into his voice as Cataleya and Armando followed. The rest of the group trailed behind them.

Just as they stepped outside, Mike's phone connected. He stopped in his tracks, but the voice on the other end wasn't his wife's. It was a man's—a cold, calculated voice.

"Mr. Lowrey."

Mike's grip on the phone tightened. "Who am I speaking to?"

"I think you know," the voice replied, calm and menacing. "I need your boy. And last, the girl I've been searching for all these years."

Cataleya's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Armando, whose face mirrored the same unease that flashed across hers. The voice continued, unbothered.

"And whatever evidence your beloved captain had squirreled away. Give me that, and you can have your wife." The line went dead before Mike could respond.

"Goddamn it." Mike muttered, his fist clenching at his side.

The silence was broken by Armando his expression grim. "I'll go."

All eyes turned to him, the weight of his words sinking in. Cataleya's breath hitched, her instincts screaming against the idea.

"No." She said firmly, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "No way."

Armando turned to his father, his voice quiet but resolute. "Let my life be worth something."

Mike shook his head, his lips pressed into a thin line as he fought back the surge of emotions threatening to spill over. Marcus placed a hand on Mike's shoulder, but even he looked conflicted as he walked off with Marcus following after.

Armando shifted his gaze to Cataleya. She stood frozen, her eyes fixed on him, a mixture of anger, fear, and heartbreak flickering across her face.

"No." She said again, stepping closer to him. "I won't let you do this."

"Cataleya—" Armando began, but she cut him off, her voice trembling with raw emotion.

"No! I lost you once. I can't do it again. As much as I act like none of this affects me, it's not true. You've always been important to me. Siempre."

With each word, she closed the distance between them until they were inches apart. Armando's gaze softened, his resolve wavering as he looked down at her. She was inches away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, her vulnerability laid bare.

"You don't have to do this alone," she whispered. "You don't have to be the sacrifice."

Armando exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a moment as if to collect himself. When he opened them again, he reached out, his hand brushing hers in a quiet, unspoken promise.

"Cat—" he began, his voice barely above a whisper. His throat tightened as he struggled to find the words. She was so close now, and for a moment, all he could do was hold her gaze.

Her eyes were sharp, burning with anger, fear, and something else he couldn't quite name. Her chest heaved with shallow breaths as she fought to keep her emotions from spilling over. Armando reached out, hesitating for a second before placing a hand on her arm.

"I can't let anything happen to you." She said, her voice quieter now, but firm. Her dark eyes glistened, though she didn't let a single tear fall. "You think your life doesn't matter? Don't you get it? You've always mattered, Armando. To me."

Armando's jaw clenched, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He wasn't used to this side of her—this soft, exposed side that laid everything bare. It wasn't like her to let her guard down, not with him, not with anyone. But here she was, standing inches away, letting him see it all.

"I'm doing this for you, Cat," he said finally, his voice hoarse. "For Mike. For Marcus. For all of you. This is my choice."

"And it's the wrong one!" Cataleya snapped, stepping even closer. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "You think sacrificing yourself is the answer? That it'll make up for everything you've done, everything you've lost?" She shook her head, her voice cracking. "It won't. You think I don't know what that feels like? To think your life doesn't matter because of what you've been through? But you're wrong, Armando. You don't get to decide that your life is worth less than anyone else's."

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Armando's hand slid down her arm until it found hers. He held her small hand tightly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles as if grounding himself.

"You don't understand," he said softly. "I need to do this, Cat. If it means keeping you safe—keeping everyone safe—I'll do it."

Cataleya's face twisted in frustration. She hated how stubborn he was, how willing he was to throw himself into danger without thinking of the consequences. But she also hated how much she understood him.

"You're not going alone," she said firmly. "If you're going, I'm going. End of story."

Armando shook his head. "No—"

"Don't even try to stop me," she interrupted, her voice like steel. "You know I'll follow you whether you like it or not."

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Armando's lips, but it faded quickly. "You're insane, you know that?"

Cataleya gave a short, humorless laugh. "Takes one to know one."

For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other. The weight of the situation lingered between them, but so did something else. Unspoken words, unacknowledged feelings that neither of them had dared to confront until now.

Armando's eyes softened, and he took a small step closer. His free hand cupped the side of her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "You're impossible, you know that?" He murmured.

Cataleya's breath hitched at the gentleness in his touch. Her walls, the ones she had spent years building, threatened to crumble. She wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop looking at her like that. But she couldn't.

"Yeah, well..." she whispered, her voice faltering. "You're not so easy to deal with either."

Armando chuckled softly, his forehead resting against hers. "We make quite the pair, don't we?"

Cataleya closed her eyes, letting herself have this moment, just for a second. "We always have." She said quietly.

The sound of footsteps behind them snapped them back to reality. They pulled apart just as Mike and Marcus returned, their expressions grim.

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