Page 37 of Chris

“I’ll take her later,” he said.

Valeria blinked. “What?”

Jorge shrugged. “If she wants to go on a ride, then I will take her later.”

Not that Valeria wanted to point it out, but Jorge hated the horses. He didn’t like riding, and he only kept the stables at the ranch full of horses because it kept up the appearance, and Abril would throw an unholy fit if someone took away her horses. He didn’t keep the beautiful beasts because he ever took care of them or liked to ride the way the rest of them did.

“Do you want to explain to her that she can’t go out when I told her she could?” Valeria asked.

“I can and will, yes. You wanted a ride, too?”

“I like riding in the mornings.”

That wasn’t news to him.

Riding was the one thing Jorge allowed Valeria even though it had been the way she escaped all those years ago. None of them had ever figured that out. They assumed someone smuggled her out of the ranch, likely in a vehicle. They killed a handful of guards for their troubles in an effort to figure it out.

Because her husband didn’t know the truth, he never questioned allowing her to get on a horse, and go. Sometimes, she had to take someone with her, if she planned to go to the cliffs, or further out into the desolate land surrounding the ranch.

She didn’t mind that.

They stayed far behind.

“You can go out,” Jorge said, “but find someone to take with you. As for Maria, she can stay with me.”

Anger flooded Valeria.

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why can’t she come with me for a ride like she does every other day?”

Jorge lifted his brow and smirked in that arrogant way again. “Because I said so. You forget occasionally, Val, that you have no control or say here. I do. And so, if I don’t want my daughter going off with you on the horses, then she won’t. Not to mention, if I want to make sure you come back, what better way to do that then to make sure you have a good damn reason to return, hmm?”

Fuck him.

She hated this man.

God knew she had a whole list of reasons to despise him. From his treatment of her, the abuse, how he enjoyed taking from her body when she didn’t willingly give it to him, and more … so much fucking more.

And yet, she hated him the most for this reason right here. Because he used their child as a way to manipulate Valeria and keep her in line.

“I won’t go on a ride, then,” Valeria said, “I wanted to go with her.”

It might have been childish, but if she could find one way to tell Jorge to go fuck himself, then she would do that.

Her husband clicked his tongue. “No, you will go out on your ride. And you will go alone while she watches you go.”

Ah.

Valeria got it, then.

It wasn’t just about controlling her, but Maria, too. This way, he could make sure his daughter saw her mother leave her behind, make a promise, and not keep it … because that’s what he did.

That’s what monsters did.

“Fine,” Valeria murmured, “I’ll take a ride.”