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I was in an alley behind the venue, leaning heavily on Carmen as she guided me toward a black Audi.
“Wait,” I slurred, my feet dragging.
She kept walking, grunting slightly at the effort of hustling me along. A man got out of the car, and he hurried toward us.
I tried to recoil when he picked me up, relieving Carmen of the burden. I only managed to fall into his burly arms.
My eyelids were too heavy to keep open. The world went dark again, and I heard car doors shutting and locking.
“Where’s Mateo?” I managed to murmur, wanting him desperately.
“You don’t have to be afraid of that animal anymore,” Carmen promised, as though she was offering great comfort rather than dragging me into my nightmare.I clawed my way back to consciousness, fighting the drowsiness that had been forced upon me. In my fleeting moments of lucidity, I knew I was being separated from Mateo. I was desperate to get back to him, frightened of how much time might be passing and how far I might be carried away from him.
Finally, I managed to force my eyes open, groaning against the wash of light that seared my vision. I didn’t dare blink, in case I couldn’t find the strength to wake again.
I squinted, willing the world to materialize around me.
“You’re okay, Sofia,” a female voice reassured me. “I’m sorry for drugging your tea. I didn’t mean to cause you so much distress. Your father said you wouldn’t know who to trust, and I couldn’t risk a delay in case Ignazio saw me and realized who I was.”
I turned my head, searching for the woman. It felt too heavy, as though my skull was filled with sand. My body sank into a soft mattress, lethargy pinning me down.
“You should sleep it off,” Carmen advised kindly. “You’re safe now. I’m right here with you, and no one will touch you. Ignazio can’t get to you here.”
“No,” I protested, my tongue too thick in my mouth. I swallowed and tried again. “I want Mateo.”
Carmen’s angular, stunning features coalesced above me. Her full, red-painted lips were pursed in a frown.
“Caesar warned me you might be confused. You’ve been Ignazio’s hostage for some time, and your father said you seemed to have developed a misguided attachment. I’d hoped he was misreading the situation. I don’t want this to be difficult for you. I’m trying to help you.”
Confusion sapped my already fogged brain, and I struggled to piece together what was happening. Carmen didn’t seem to be threatening me. If this was some sort of misunderstanding, I could clear it up. And I would have to do so quickly, before Mateo went on a rampage to get to me. If Carmen truly didn’t wish to harm me, I couldn’t allow her to stand between me and Mateo. That wouldn’t end well for her.
I could fix this. I just had to get my thoughts in order.
“How do you know my father?” I tried to puzzle out the connection. “Did he ask you to get me away from Mateo?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, her dove gray eyes softening. “I’ve known for weeks that Ignazio was holding you hostage. I wanted to come for you sooner, but things were too tense. Caesar promised me that you would remain untouched as long as we stood down, and I didn’t want you to suffer if things went sideways.”
“Who are you?” I didn’t understand why this stranger would care about my wellbeing or how she knew about the terms of my captivity.
“I’m Carmen Ronaldo. I’m going to be your sister-in-law.” She reached out and covered my hand with hers, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll keep you safe, Sofia. We’re family now.”
“No, wait.” I pushed up onto my elbows, wincing when the world tilted. “You think you’re helping me, but you’re not. I don’t know what my father has told you, but I want to be with Mateo. I don’t want to marry Pedro Ronaldo. Daddy arranged the marriage without my consent. I didn’t even know about it until Mateo told me.”
“What?” Carmen demanded, her gentle demeanor honing to something sharp and forbidding.
Regaining some of my balance, I managed to sit upright and assess my surroundings. I was in an opulent, unfamiliar bedroom. Varied shades of blue contrasted elegantly with ivory, creating a sumptuous atmosphere. Two huge bay windows broke up the damask-patterned wallpaper, but the light that filled the room was cast by the crystal chandelier; it was dark outside, a crescent moon shining bright against the black night sky.
“Where am I?” Panic constricted my throat. I had an awful suspicion where I was, and what that would mean if Mateo tried to come get me. Things would get violent if I didn’t talk my way out of this.
“This is our estate,” Carmen replied briskly, her attention still fixed on my declaration that I didn’t want to marry her brother. “We’re close to the port of Lazaro Cardenas, which our family controls. Otherwise, we’re isolated out here. The compound is completely secure.”
