But she's here now. And nobody is ever taking her away from me again.
Another burst of gunfire erupts outside. Reality crashes back and I glance toward the door.
Mila scrunches her cute little face, “I know, we’re going to get you out of here. You’ve been very brave.”
I brush a thumb across her cheek.
Together we step back outside to the battle that’s still raging. Bullets tear through the trees. Dead bodies continue to pile up, some of them our men but mostly Ignacio’s. I make sure Mila’s face is pressed against my chest, away from all the violence.
Kennedy appears on my left. Raul on my right. Cross a few paces ahead.
The three of them immediately adjust positions. Creating a moving shield around us. Any threat that gets too close dies. They’re fast and efficient, doing whatever it takes to protect my daughter and me.
From across the battlefield, my eyes collide with Liliana’s. The second she sees us, she freezes.
Her eyes drop to the child in my arms and her lips part in a sob. I quickly cross the remaining distance, seeing acutely the relief and pain fighting for space on her face.
I place Mila carefully into her mother's waiting arms. Liliana clutches our daughter so tightly I almost tell her to ease up. Tears immediately begin spill down her cheeks.
"My baby,” her voice breaks.
Mila reaches up. Touches her face, all innocence and sweetness.
As I watch them a part of me finally understands. Why she ran. Why she lied.
Because I also felt that anyone would be a threat to my little girl, I’d burn it all down too.
The hurt I’m feeling now mostly stems from the fact that she didn’t seem to trust me to be right by her side on that mission. I would have battled hell to keep them both safe.
"Liliana."
She looks up, her eyes red rimmed from crying.
“I need you to take her and leave. This isn’t cooling down anytime soon,” I say gesturing behind me.
She bites down on the corner of her lip, her gaze searching my face.
"Aren't you coming?"
I glance toward the cabin. Toward the woods, Navarro disappeared through.
“No, I need to find him and I have to end this.”
I wonder how she feels knowing I will be the one to put a bullet in her father’s heart. From what I can glean, she doesn’t seem overly attached to Ignacio, especially not after what he did. Perhaps she never really was. I know now that the reason she made the choice in the warehouse was because of me. She was terrified of how I would react to the secret she held close to her heart. And now that it’s all over, I have no clue what I’m going to do.
I told her she was dead to me. But for that to be true, my heart would have to stop beating entirely.
I watch as fear flashes through her expression. Not for herself but for me.
"I'll be fine,” I’m quick to assure her.
Her eyes search mine. As though trying to determine whether or not she believes me.
The truth is simple.
The only two people capable of stopping my heart are standing right in front of me.
"Elio!” I shout.
