SIXTY-SEVEN

MIGUEL’S POV

“We can't let him bask in the glory of thinking his little threat has us quaking in our boots,” I declared, my gaze flickering like a candle in the wind between Diego and Joe.

“But Boss, Don Pablo isn’t exactly a dimwit. He’s itching for a showdown,” Diego countered, his brow furrowing.

“And you think I’m oblivious to that? I’ve seen the havoc he wreaks. But unless we draw the first blood, he we'll just be a headless chicken running in circles,” I shot back.

“But we did invade his turf to snatch back our shipment,” Joe chimed in, trying to find a foothold in this precarious conversation.

“True enough, but as long as he’s got no solid evidence linking us to his allegations, he’s all bark and no bite. The unwritten rules of the underworld are his only leash, and he knows that crossing us could very well mean signing his own death warrant,” I explained, my voice dripping with confidence.

“So what’s our next move, then?” Joe asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

“We keep o