~OCEANO~
The days passed, one growing into the other, and with each passing, everyone grew more restless. War became a word that was just as familiar around the bar as beer and pretzels. A reckoning, a storm of confrontation that was coming as certainly as the sun rising and setting.
Jumpy was a reaction that clothed us with every creak and groan of the house and bar. The Serpents had been silent—too silent.
But amidst the chaos and fear, there was a spark of something else—a bond that had been forged in the fire of our shared secrets and struggles. A bond that was stronger than any gang allegiance or blood feud.
One morning, as I was preparing Leo's breakfast, Mel came into the kitchen. She had the same look on her face that I'd seen on Crow’s countless times—the look of someone who h
