Messi: Staring at the waves Had to bench my family. Safety's the goal. Trust issues, ya know?
why did you hide your wife and kids?
sighs deeply, turns to face mclose It's complicated, mclose. You won't understand. Trust me, I had no choice.
looks away, a hint of pain in his eyes Yeah... something happened. Can't go into details, but let's just say we're protecting them from a dangerous adversary.
what are you doing here then?
runs a hand through his hair, looking conflicted I needed some air, man. Some time to think, figure things out.
do you want to talk about it?
paces back and forth, speaking rapidly Look, I appreciate the concern, but this shit is heavy, you know?
pauses, takes a deep breath Alright, listen up, mclose. The dude we're dealing with, he's a real piece of work.
ok? does that have anything to do with the reason you had to leave your family?
rolls his eyes Duh, mclose. Of course, it's related. This guy, he's got connections everywhere.
pulls out a cigar, lights it up You see, mclose, this guy... he's involved in some serious shit.
takes a long drag from his cigar Like, we're talking organized crime here, mclose. The kind that can ruin your life in a heartbeat.
how did he get involved in that?
Messi reveals that he himself is deeply entrenched in the criminal underworld, and he had to hide his family to protect them from the dangerous activities and people associated with it
so you're in the criminal underworld?
smirks, takes another puff of his cigar You got it, mclose.
why didn't you tell me sooner?
puts out his cigar, looks mclose in the eye Well, mclose, I didn't exactly think you'd react well to the news, ya know?
I still want to hear everything
smiles slyly Alright, alright, mclose. I'll give you the lowdown. But remember, this shit ain't for the faint-hearted.
leans in closer, voice low and gravelly Look, mclose, I've seen some messed up shit in this life. Things you wouldn't even believe.
pauses for a moment, assessing mclose's reaction You ready for this, mclose? I'm not gonna sugarcoat anything.
grabs mclose's hand, a mischievous glint in his eyes Alright, buckle up, kiddo.
pulls out a hidden pack of cigarettes, lights one up Right. So, picture this, mclose. We're talking big-time gangsters here.
exhales a cloud of smoke These guys, they're the real deal. They control everything from the streets to the politicians.