Blood And Loyalty

4: Scars And Alliances

Peter’s POV.

“Your boy here’s got some gut. He takes after his Godfather.” Raul’s hands were folded. He was standing in front of Vincenzo.

“The f**k you say?” He sends a sharp jab across Raul’s jaw. The Lopez brothers were agitated now like they were about to go on a killing spree. “He’s my son and my son takes after me! Remember that next time you talk about him.”

Paul remained composed, quiet as he leaned against father’s Black Rolls Royce. Mother stood beside him. Her coat hung slightly loosed around her shoulder. she never uttered a word and I knew why.

Carlos took a step forward hands clutching the same gun he killed Tyrone and Nico with.

“Respect.” He says and then turned around facing his brothers. The moon light cast its light on his tattoo on his neck which ran down his right arm. He nods his head and his lips curled in a mocking manner as he turns around slowly. “You are correct amigo. He takes after you, after all, you’re a f*****g liar.”

He turns to face Paul and points the gun at him. “You think Raùl and I didn’t figure out you lied? We know Vincenzo knew nothing about Nico and his boy and you led us into a blind war.”

Sofia grabs the gun and then Vincenzo hits him as he jerks back stunned, “Next time you point a gun at my family, make sure you don’t miss ‘cause i’mma come after you.” She warns.

Vincenzo takes the gun and c***s it, aiming it at Nico’s lifeless body and then blows his head. His blood slashed on Carlos. “That’s how I like things done.” He looks at the brothers. “Now, Paulie here, wasn’t completely lying. We have a common enemy— The Black Lotus. They may just be the very thing that threatens our survival in this city…”

“Puta! We ain’t helping you. Alliance is over. Let’s go, brothers.” Raul says.

Vincenzo shoots him in the leg and his wails fills the empty street. “Make one more move and I’ll end you all here! I am the f*****g Black Wolf and you’ll either make a move on my terms or die while trying.”

“What do you want?” one of the younger brothers yells.

Paul comes forward and stands beside our father. “We both know the Black Lotus didn’t kill Tyrone.”

Carlos fumes outwardly but Raul calms him down with one hand on his knee.

“We’re listening.”

“Nico was their man and their main source of income and now that you’ve wiped out all or most, anyway, they’ll come for you all. You’ve got nothing on us. So instead of trying to take revenge, why not, I dare say, we form one last alliance and take down the black lotus, put them out of the market and wipe them off from the streets.”

“If you ask me, I’d say it’s a fair offer. You’ve wasted all your arms and good men to Nicolas’ cause. We’ll give you access to some of our resources and in exchange, you provide extra support for my boys.” Vincenzo said.

Raul walks to him, eyes glinting with pain but remained strong. He shakes Vincenzo.

“Deal.”

“Go treat your f****d up leg and report to my house tomorrow. Get Nico’s cash, and split them up. You know how.” Sofia had already reached the car door. I take off her coat and open the door for her . Paul was the last to reach the car, exerting dominance over them.

“Carlos, you’re gonna love your new job.” He smirks.

The classroom was alive with chatter as students shuffled into their seats, a typical Tuesday morning. I wasn’t expecting anything unusual today—just the same routine, same people. I dropped my bag onto the desk with a dull thud, flipping open my notebook to the page we left off from last week. But then I noticed her.

She was sitting in the row ahead, her head bent over a project sheet, the tip of her pencil tapping nervously against the paper. Scarlet Xavier. The name barely registered with me—she was new, a transfer student, apparently. Her dark red hair fell in waves over her shoulders, and she had an air of quiet determination about her that, for some reason, caught my attention. She wasn’t the kind of person to draw attention to herself, but there was something intriguing in the way she sat, completely absorbed in whatever she was doing, as if the world around her didn’t matter.

I wasn’t the type to reach out to new students—I usually kept to myself, focused on my own thing—but she looked like she was struggling. The way she furiously scribbled, then erased what she wrote, was like a silent cry for help. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn’t stand seeing someone frustrated when I could do something about it.

After a moment’s hesitation, I stood up and walked over to her desk. I’d only seen her in passing since she’d transferred, and honestly, I didn’t even know her name, but I had a feeling that she wasn’t used to asking for help. “Hey,” I said, tapping my pen against the desk gently, “you need a hand with that? Or a pen.” I laugh at my own joke, or what I considered it to be.

She looked up, a little startled at first, then quickly masked it with a polite smile. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice quiet, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She seemed the type to want to figure things out on her own, but it wasn’t working. I could see that much.

“Look,” I said, leaning in slightly, “I know this project. I could help you break it down, make it a bit easier. It’s not a big deal.”

She hesitated for a second before nodding. “Alright. Thanks.”

I pulled a chair out and sat beside her, glancing over her project. It was about data analysis—something I’d done a hundred times before in class. The way she was approaching it, though, wasn’t the most efficient. I could tell she was getting caught up in the details, trying to make everything perfect right from the start.

“Okay, so first, let’s look at the big picture,” I said, pointing to her notes. “You don’t need to worry about getting everything perfect right now. Just focus on gathering the main points. Once you have that, the rest will fall into place.”

She stared at the paper for a second before nodding again, more confidently this time. I was surprised at how quickly she picked up on it once the pressure was off. We worked through the project together, step by step. I could see the tension easing from her shoulders as she started to understand the process. She was a quick learner, sharp—probably a lot smarter than she let on.

“I wasn’t sure where to even start,” she admitted after a while, her voice barely audible. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

I glanced up, surprised. “You’re new, right? Is this your first project here?”

She nodded, her eyes flicking away, a slight flush on her cheeks. “Yeah. Just transferred.”

That explained the uncertainty. New school, new systems, new faces. I remembered how it felt, stepping into a classroom where everyone else had their own little circles already formed. It could be overwhelming.

“Well, you’re doing fine now,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile. “You just needed a little direction.”

She smiled back, the first real one I’d seen from her. It was small, but genuine. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

I shrugged. “No problem. I know how these projects can get. Just don’t overthink it.”

As the bell rang and students began gathering their things, she quickly packed up her papers, preparing to leave. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything more. It wasn’t like we were going to become best friends or anything, but I’d helped her, and maybe that was enough for today.

“Good luck with the rest of it,” I said as she stood up.

She paused, glancing back at me. “I’ll finish it on my own. But thanks.”

She headed for the door and I felt the urge to call her back. “I’m Peter.”

She turns back, flipping her rosy hair. “I’m Scarlet.”