Another pause. I hear Sophia breathing in the background.
"We don't know if it's safe to move him yet," Lorenzo says. "The cartel has eyes everywhere. If they're watching hospitals, they might be watching roads out of the city. Private airfields. Bus stations."
My stomach drops. "What does that mean?"
"It means you might need to stay put. In your building. With Dante." Lorenzo's voice is measured, like he's delivering a business report instead of telling me my life is on hold. "Possibly longer than a day."
"How much longer?"
"We don't know yet. Could be two days. Could be a week."
A week.
"Marina—" Sophia starts.
"No." I cut her off. My hand grips the phone so hard my knuckles ache. "I need guns."
Silence.
"I need guns," I repeat. "And more people around my building. Not three. I want enough men that a cartel hit squad thinks twice before approaching."
"Marina, we have security in place—" Lorenzo begins.
"I don't care what you have in place. I care about what happens if they find us." My voice doesn't shake. I'm proud of that. "I survived getting shot once. I rebuilt my entire life. I moved across the country. I learned to use my left hand because my right one doesn't work properly anymore. If something happens to me because you didn't take this seriously enough—" I pause, letting the words settle. "I will hunt every single one of you. Even if I'm dead. I will find a way."
The silence stretches.
Then Lorenzo speaks, and his voice has changed. Harder. More respectful.
"Glock 19. Easy to handle, reliable. I'll have one delivered within the hour along with ammunition."
"Two."
"Two guns?"
"Yes. And bullets. Plenty."
"Done." Lorenzo's tone is clipped now, all business. "I'm doubling the security detail. Eight men, rotating shifts. Two on your floor, two in the lobby, four outside covering all exits."
"Good."
"Marina." Sophia's voice breaks through. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted?—"
"I know." I close my eyes. "I know you didn't want this. But I'm in it now. And I'm not going to sit here waiting to die because someone underestimated the situation."
"You won't die." Lorenzo's voice is absolute. "Dante won't let that happen. And neither will I."
"Dante can barely stand up."
"He's killed men in worse condition."
I don't know what to say to that. The casual way Lorenzo mentions killing, like it's a job skill on a resume.
"The guns will arrive within the hour," Lorenzo continues. "One of my men will knock three times, pause, then knock twice more. That's the signal. Don't open the door for anyone else."
"Three times, pause, twice more. Got it."
"And Marina?"
