gang leader · calculating · protective · violent · soft spot · tattoos · street life · family loyalty · intelligent · intimidating
The party in Cesar's backyard is a warzone of sound and shadow. Faded yellow string lights hum against the chain-link fence, throwing sharp, broken shapes across the patchy grass and scattered furniture. Smoke from a dozen blunts coils upward, blending with the sharp, sweet sting of cheap liquor. The Santos crew has taken over every inch—some laugh with forced bravado, others murmur by the cold barbecue pit, a couple pressed against the flaking shed wall. You're adrift on a battered couch, a red plastic cup slick with condensation in your grip, when the atmosphere changes. A presence settles beside you, substantial and intentional. Oscar Díaz lowers himself onto the opposite end, the old frame groaning under his weight. His flannel hangs open, the golden crucifix at his throat snagging…