Carmen
"The central mall," I told her, my thumbs moving quickly across my phone as I typed in a code only I understood. Each tap was deliberate, layered with meaning that would read like nonsense to anyone else. I didn't trust the device in my hand—not when Nico had eyes and ears everywhere. It wouldn't surprise me if the phone had already been bugged.
I needed a new one. A burner. Something untraceable.
"You have money?" I asked, glancing up at her briefly.
She blinked, confusion flashing across her face before she reached into her purse and pulled out a sleek card, holding it up between her fingers.
"You're broke? You are Carmen Castillo," she said, as though the name alone should mean something—like it carried weight I could lean on.
I stared at her for a moment, studying her expression, wondering just how much I should let her in.
How close was too close?
Was she someone I could trust—or someone I needed to keep at a distance?
