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My spirit nearly crumbles at the tears pooling in Apá’s eyes. “If this is your decision, I will honor it, but I am… disappointed.”
I let the glass slip from my hands to shatter against the floor and storm out to hide the tears streaming down my face.
As long as I live, I’ll never forget the pain I saw in Apá’s eyes or the shame at what he thinks I’m allowing myself to become. I race up the stairs to my room, slamming the door behind me. Pressing my back into the wood, I slide onto the floor, my heart a shredded mess in my chest.
I can’t believe what just came out of my mouth, just as I can’t believe my father doesn’t see what he’s done. Apá loves me. I know it. I love him, but he doesn’t understand that the lifetime of choices he made is the very thing to have imprisoned me. Or maybe he does. Maybe he knew, but gave my mother children as part of her dream.
Maybe I shouldn’t judge what it was like for them. Regardless of their circumstances and motivations, Apá didn’t have to follow in his father’s footsteps. He could have carved out a different life for us.
My father’s path may be set, but mine isn’t. I know what I have to do. The risk to my life and his is significant, but I have to escape. I won’t be anyone’s slave, regardless of whatever title they give me.
I pull my biggest purse from the closet, transferring all my things over and stuffing two changes of clothes inside. Abandoning the rest, I sneak down to the garage and grab the first set of keys I see.
The fob lights up a blue BMW, not that it matters. I toss my bag inside, start the car, and hit the garage door opener on the control panel. A second button opens the security gate when I don’t see anyone in the guard shack.
I’m home free now. As I pull through the gate, a black SUV screeches to a stop across the driveway, cutting off my escape. I slam on the brakes, and Dario’s driver calmly pours himself out of the large vehicle and strolls to my window. “Going somewhere?”
I clear my throat, projecting all the courage I can muster. “Yes. I have no dress for Dario’s charity event. I must go shopping.”
The driver pulls a phone from his pocket. “No need. I’ll have the Cruz personal shopper to come here this afternoon.”
“Fine,” I sneer.
The man asks for my sizes, and I recite them through gritted teeth. With my one excuse wasted and the conversation over, I reverse the car up the driveway and into its bay in the garage. I’m not giving up that easily, though.
Behind the house is a garden maintenance shed and service entrance. The access isn’t visible from the house or security shack. After replacing the BMW keys, I exit the garage, scanning the grounds as I walk toward that side of the yard. I reach the brick security wall without anyone noticing and keep close to it until I reach the personnel entrance beside the maintenance gate.
With my back to the iron bars, I reach behind me and turn the knob. Thankfully, it opens without a sound. I heave a relieved breath and shove through the opening before noticing the man in a black suit waiting just outside.
I turn around and spot him, slapping a hand over my mouth to hide my gasp. It’s no use. The man heard me. His whole body whips around at the sound, smiling cruelly at my escape attempt. I don’t recognize him, which means he works for Cruz. Shit. I’m trapped.
The guard chuckles. “There’s no point in running,” he says as he makes a call.
After grunting a greeting, he passes the phone through the gate. “The boss would like to speak with you.”
I refuse to reach for the phone, and the guy’s expression tells me I’d better. With the phone pressed to my ear, I close my eyes, fighting tears of despair.
“It didn’t take long to learn you can’t be trusted. Since you plan on behaving like a child, I have a few ground rules for you. You are never to leave the estate unless it’s with your father or me unless I summon you. When that happens, my men will escort you. I have eyes on your house and the airport. Do not try to run. You won’t like the punishment.”
“You’re a sick bastard.”
“Not yet, but if you push me, you’ll see just how horrifying I can be. I’ll see you tomorrow, Marisol.”
Austin
Lightning cracks across the sky, temporarily lighting up the inside of Marisol’s room. The small storm cell passes nearby, doing little more than scaring Piper. Twilight is just beginning to dawn, but I’ve been awake for an hour already.
Being here and sleeping in this bed is not healthy. I need to go home tonight. If not for my sake, then for Piper’s. Leaving doesn’t mean I’m giving up on Marisol. I will get her back somehow, but sleeping in her bed with her delicate scent torturing me all night isn’t helping anybody. So, since all of our teams are deployed, I’ll take the day off and have all of Marisol’s things moved out of her apartment.
The movers arrive at nine under a clear blue sky. I walk out to greet them, noticing the A unit’s driveway is still charred. I hadn’t seen it last night, having parked on the other side and entered through the back door. That it’s still a mess frustrates the hell out of me. Those assholes and my failure to anticipate them are what chased Marisol back to San Juan.
I instruct the movers to get started taking the furniture out of the apartment, and I go back inside to finish the boxes I didn’t get to last night. By noon, every trace of Marisol is gone except for the flowers in the front garden.
I give the movers my address, telling them to get some food and that I’ll meet them at my place at two. I need a minute before I can leave and still have a phone call to make.
I punch in Shannon’s office number since she was charged with getting a crew to pressure wash Marisol’s driveway. The call rings through, but she doesn’t answer. “What the hell?!”
Ending the call, I try her personal cell number. The phone rings three times before she finally picks up. “Austin. I’m sorry. I know I haven’t done what you asked, but I’ve had a shit day and a half and haven’t been allowed back into the office yet.”
