“Rise and shine, Max!” A cheerful voice rang out, cutting through the fog of my groggy state. I could feel someone lightly nudging me in my ribs, coaxing me to wake up.

  “Urgh! What time is it?” I mumbled into the cool, hard floor, my face practically glued to the ground.

  “It’s just past one o'clock in the afternoon,” the voice replied.

  I rolled over with a groan, squinting against the dim light streaming through the open window. There stood Suzi, her bright smile framed by sun-kissed hair.

  “Suzi? How did you get in?”

  “You left your front door wide open,” she said, arching an eyebrow at me. “You're lucky no one wandered in and helped themselves to your stuff. Here, take these.”

  With a quick motion, she handed me a steaming styrofoam cup filled with rich, aromatic coffee and a bag that crinkled enticingly, containing two sugar-coated doughnuts. My stomach grumbled appreciatively as I accepted the offerings.

  As I pulled myself off the floor, I wiped the remnants of sleep and drool from my mouth with the back of my hand. The coffee warmed my hands and brought a much-needed jolt of energy as the doughnuts melted sweetness onto my tongue.

  “What happened to you, Max?” Suzi asked, her eyes widening as they fell on the bandages that wrapped around my chest. “You’re all covered in them. Who did this to you?”

  It was frustrating enough that Suzi was already entangled in this mess; I didn’t want to drag her deeper into the chaos. “Ah, just some folks who had a problem with me. It’s nothing new around here,” I replied, attempting to brush it off with a shrug.

  “Well, what about Henry? I mean, you two are practically brothers. Where is he?” Suzi's concern was palpable, a thread of worry woven into her voice.

  I knew she didn't need to hear all the ugly details. She and Michelle were the only ones in this city who didn’t deserve to be burdened by the darkness that surrounded us.

  “I imagine he’s holed up at his place right now,” I said, deflecting her concern. “But enough about me. What about you? How have you been since we last spoke?”

  Suzi paused, her gaze shifting as though she were contemplating what to share. “Well, that’s actually why I came by,” she said slowly, her tone more serious now. “The Tyger Claws have been showing up at Lizzie’s more often than usual. It's starting to make Jill and Rita uneasy.”

  “Oh great, what do they want?” I asked with annoyance in my tone, as I knew that the Tyger Claws were planning something bad.

  “That’s what we’re finding out right now. Jill has sent some of her girls to learn what they can, but they need some muscle, and I thought you could help us.”

  I paused, taking a second to collect my thoughts as I glanced at Suzi, her anxious expression evident.

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  “Look, Suzi, I would really love to help you with this, but as you can see,” I gestured toward myself, “I’m not in the best physical shape right now. It might be better if you just get Alejandro to take care of it.”

  Before Suzi could respond, a series of firm knocks echoed from the front door, breaking the tension in the room. Curiosity piqued, I opened the door to find Eva standing there. She took one look at Suzi’s worried face before shifting her gaze to me.

  “Hooking up with a JoyToy, real classy, Max,” Eva said.

  I quickly defended myself, “Whoa, hang on a second, she's a close friend of mine, not some prostitute.”

  “If you say so, come on, we’ve got work to do.”

  Confused, I asked Eva what work we were going to do.

  “We’re going to see Rodrigo, and you’re going to tell him that his wife is dead,” Eva coldly replied.

  I took one look at Suzi and said, “I’ve got to go; I’ll keep in touch.”

  As I stepped out of my apartment alongside Eva, we descended into the elevator, the metallic hum surrounding us, and I turned to Eva, my tone serious. “Listen, there’s no need to bring up M?nica’s death in front of Suzi; she doesn’t know anything about that,” I cautioned, hoping to avoid any unnecessary tension. She rolled her eyes with a hint of frustration before hopping onto her sleek, red motorcycle, the engine rumbling to life. “Just keep up,” she called over her shoulder, her voice laced with determination.

  Following her through the bustling streets, we soon arrived at a sprawling house nestled in the North Oak. It loomed majestically against the skyline, offering a breathtaking view that spanned the entire cityscape, its lights twinkling like stars in the fading sunlight.

  We parked beside the expansive driveway, the gravel crunching underfoot as we approached the tall, ornate front gate.

  Eva pressed the intercom, her finger hovering momentarily over the button, a hint of determination in her stance.

  “Hello?” came Rodrigo’s voice, slightly crackling through the speaker.

  “Rodrigo, I have someone here who knows what happened to your wife,” Eva replied, her voice steady yet harboring an undercurrent of urgency.

  A moment later, the gate swung open, inviting us into the lavish yet intimidating property.

  As we walked towards the grand front door, a sense of unease settled within me, knotting in my stomach. I was aware that my words would bear heavy consequences and potentially shatter the fragile hope that Rodrigo might still hold.

  Rodrigo swung the door wide, revealing the interior’s plush furnishings and soft lighting, and he ushered us inside with a somber expression. “Please, come in,” he said, leading us through the spacious living room adorned with fancy paintings and elegant decor. “Can I offer you anything to drink?” he asked, his voice tinged with formality.

  “We’re good, thanks,” I replied, a dull ache forming in my throat. Eva’s gaze shifted toward me, her eyes sharp and expectant, making it clear that the weight of the conversation rested squarely on my shoulders.

  “M?nica’s dead.” I paused, letting the realization of what I said set in before offering my sympathies, “I'm sorry...”

  Rodrigo took a deep breath. “I figured that’s what happened to her... Do you know when she died or how she died?”

  “She was killed by pirates while she was at a yacht party.”

  “I see...One last question: how do you know all of this?”

  That was the one question I was hoping wouldn’t be asked.

  “I was there; I was the only person who survived that nightmare,” I said, making sure not to bring up Henry and Luca.

  The three of us remained silent. Rodrigo sat there with his hands on his face, trying to realize that his wife was dead.