Many things happened all at once that Miriam was desperately trying to comprehend. As someone who prides herself on being calm, cool and collected in times of stress - this moment, well, was beginning to not be one of those times. The second Alex grabbed Miriam and backed her up into a corner for a second time, her temper flared. There were lines you didn’t cross, even as a gangster. Albeit, loosely structured, with transient membership and easily breached codes of loyalty, there were a few rules that you didn’t break, and one rule of Ricardo’s rules that she remembers clearly was that you never lay another hand on a member unless it was a life or death situation. Was this a life or death situation for Alex? It wasn’t before, – - it is now with Miriam patience quickly growing thin. Threatening someone or using force to get what you just be cause they liked to feeling of being the big dog was something that Miriam never tolerated.
Unfortunately, before she was able to remind Alex of this rule with spite in her voice and possibly followed by a forceful hit to his groin, someone was already slipping in between Alex and Miriam, handling the situation while they give her a look and she was silently being told to stay back. Um, what the fuck? – - No! Who did this guy think he was? Miriam scoffed at the back of his head, too caught up in her disbelief by the stranger’s actions that she wasn’t paying attention to what was being said. This was her dilemma. Her problem that she was ready to handle. And - Oh, shit. The hostess jumps when Alex is thrown against the wall swiftly and from where she stands, Miriam catches a glimps of the piece strapped to the stranger’s side. Okay. Apparently they know each other. ’ go. now. or i promise i’ll tell him myself … ’
i’ll tell him myself, i’ll tell him myself, i’ll tell him myself … This man also has no fear of Ricardo and in Miriam’s eyes, that means this person was on a different level than Ricardo. ❝ I’m fine. ❞ She tells him quickly, ❝ Can you not touch me as if you know me? ❞ Miriam pulls her arm away from Teo’s gentle grasp, ignoring the fact that she was beginning to bruise and how much the muscles are beginning to throb. That isn’t what’s bothering her right now, though. Squinting at the man, she asks in a breath, ❝ What did you mean when you said ‘ i run catalina ’ ? ❞ she licks her lips that had run dry with nerves. He had to be mistaken and/or delusional. Or maybe Ricardo was the delusional one? Why would he send her here if there was already another fucking drug lord here!?
If this man that Miriam has no idea about runs Catalina as he says he does, does that mean Ricardo sent her here to unknowingly undermine another gangster? Her eyes fall to the floor as she begins to place the horrible puzzle together. If Alex goes back to Ricardo saying that this man has already claimed Catalina, well, where the fuck does that leave Miriam? It means she useless … Which means she’s expendable while knowing Ricardo’s plans … Which also means … ❝ - You’ve just killed me. ❞ A realization. An announcement. Looking up at Teo, Miriam is suddenly a dead woman walking. What about her mother? Slender fingers run through short locks and grip tightly as the roots. A sign that she was spiraling, which didn’t happen very often. ❝ He knows where my mom lives. I’m useless to him now and he knows where my mom is ! ❞ Miriam is panting now. She’s scared What is Alex telling Ricardo right now? To go after her mom? The panic grows stronger. The heaviness in her chest is making it difficult to get any proper air to her lungs. ❝ What did you do? ❞ The brunette stares at the stranger with wide, accusing eyes, ❝ … What the fuck did you just do !? ❞
The surprise on his features when she pulls away from him catches him just as off guard as he had her - why did he expect her to just let him comfort her? Why did he want to? He shakes his head at the question, not daring ask it even as his hand aches to reach out once more. It’s already turning purple and his stomach twists with a need to go talk to Ricardo himself. His face falls though, when she quotes him, and the accusation is enough to get him to finally back off. He takes a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking down at her.
“Doesn’t mean anything, Ma. Looks like you’re already in enough shit, you don’t need to know mine too.” He glances over at the door, making sure that Alex wasn’t still there. It was taking everything in him not to go hunt Ricardo down right now; he knew this was Teo’s territory and that it was kind of a safe space for him so what the fuck was he trying to do? The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets and it’s clear in the tension in his jaw, in the way he stands rigid.
It’s only when the girl speaks again that Teo is pulled from the spiral of revenge he’s planning, turning his gaze to her and frowning. For a hot second, he wants to point out that if she was working for Ricardo, she’d already killed herself long before he ever came along - but he doesn’t. Can’t, because all at once, she’s in a spiral of her own. He knows it well, the panic that they’ll hurt her family; knows it well enough to make his stomach turn and his mouth run dry and he parts his lips for a moment. They’re starting to draw attention and in the business they’re in, that’s the last thing they need.
“What did I do?” Teo questioned incredulously, furrowing a brow at her. At least when he got his brother killed, he took responsibility for it. He sighed, putting up a hand to the people looking over. “All good, folks. Just had a little scare with someone that doesn’t belong here.” He muttered, putting a hand on the small of Miri’s back and leading her out the front door before she could resist. If she wanted to fight him, so be it but a panic attack and accusations in the middle of the club weren’t a good look. Teo inhales a sharp breath once it’s that fresh saltwater air and guides her to the left of the door, letting go to look down at her once he did.
“So -- what, I should’ve just sat there while he beat up on you, huh?” Teo mutters, reaching out to brush his thumb against the swollen bruise on her arm just for a second before crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah. Looks like it was working real well for you.” He knows though, how they can drag you in and never let you go. Teo isn’t necessarily a charitable person, but he knows this panic too personally and wouldn’t stealing Ricardo’s asset work in his favor anyway? Teo sighs heavily as he puts his hands on his head, turning away to think about his options. For a moment, he just paces in silence as he weighs every possibility, every potential outcome of all of this; of him fucking up Ricardo’s business, of her being out from under his thumb, of him having no leverage.
It’s bittersweet. When he’d joined the Aztecs, Ricky had taken him in. He’d welcomed him, even. He became almost like an older brother, and when Teo left.. it broke that relationship in half. He’d begged Ricky to come with him, but he was in too deep and he knew it. Looked like he only got deeper after Teo left. Brother against brother now, he supposed. Teo takes in a breath so deep his lungs burned, holding it in for a long moment before turning back to the girl. “Alright, listen. Tell your boss you have a family emergency, aight? We’ll -- We can go pick up your ma and I’ll set up a place for you. Somewhere they don’t know about. That safe enough for you?”
