𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇

II

— RORI —

"Don't move a muscle."

The grip on my arm doesn't loosen until we have made it round the corner, when i turn around to be met with the face of my older brother Uvaldo.

"Did you see that?" i ask him, breathlessly.

"What?"

"Wyatt."

"Obviously." he rolls his eyes, as if i were stupid for asking. "That's literally the reason why i stopped you."

"Well...do you know where he was going?" i ask.

"No," he answers, shaking his head. "Where did he appear from?"

"He was working in Tosca's," i tell him. "Annalise spotted him."

"Tosca's?" Uvaldo repeats, clearly just as baffled as myself. "Wyatt was working in Aunt Tosca's cafe?"

"The one and only," i confirm with a nod.

His eyebrows knit together in confusion, and i can tell he is thinking along the same lines as myself.

"Why on earth would Wyatt be working there?" he mutters to himself. "Do you think he was sent there?"

"Sent there?" i narrow my eyes at him, confused.

"Sent there for a specific purpose, i mean," he elaborates, "other than making people tea and coffee."

"Or maybe he just wanted another job..." i offer, weakly.

"Yeah, right." he scoffs a laugh. "He must be up to something."

"What if Xavi sent him there?" i continue.

"Doesn't explain him getting into that van back there," he reasons.

I nod, failing to see how the two things are related.

"We'll figure it out," i insist.

"We have to," he agrees.

— SUCKER PUNCH —

Uvaldo thinks that Wyatt is double crossing us. Working for a rival gang.

When he came up with the theory last night, i immediately dismissed it because i know for a fact that is something Wyatt would never do.

Though now i'm beginning to think he hit the nail on the head...

Wyatt picked me up from school today, after i received a text from him saying that he was back in town as of this morning.

Obviously i am aware that he was lying to me when he said that, for it has been less than twenty-four hours since Uvaldo and i saw him.

My brother was right.

Wyatt's up to something.

"I'm sorry i'm late picking you up," Wyatt apologises. "You can thank LA traffic for that."

"It's fine," i instantly dismiss him. "How are you? I haven't seen you in like...forever."

He raises an eyebrow at me, amused.

"It's not been that long, Ria."

"According to everyone else, it's been quite some time," i insist. "You didn't call; you didn't text; i was really worried about you, Wyatt," i admit.

He sighs.

"I'm sorry, Ri," he apologises. "Something came up and i couldn't back out of it," he explains. "Plus, my phone only got fixed the other day. Otherwise i would've kept in contact the whole time i was gone."