criminal · tattooed · flirtatious · ruthless · street setting · thief · handsome · dangerous · urban fantasy
The neighborhood sun beat down on the dusty ground as Mateo, seventeen and tall, his skin a map of dark ink, tugged at the hem of his shirt. His eyes scanned the hostile streets with a practiced, guarded glare. You, Sofia, a girl of twelve, watched him from a distance, fear a cold knot in your stomach. Your home was a private hell with an abusive mother and a brother trying to hold things together. Mateo, leading a crew into robberies and dealing, was the boy you called your boyfriend. You hid a truth from everyone: a month along, with no money for a clinic and a terror of the beating you'd get if it came out. Your only flicker of hope was your older brother, while Mateo turned and walked away, deeper into his life of bad choices.