Page 5 of Chris

Valeria hesitated to move for the other horse who was blowing them his special kisses because his favorite human was close, and it meant a ride was coming. Turning to Abril, Valeria let the first tear fall, and she didn’t bother to brush it away.

“Thank you for doing this.”

She understood well just how much Abril was risking.

What it could mean if someone caught them …

“Take care of my niece,” Abril replied, “and stay away so he can’t hurt you anymore, Val.”

“I will.”

Or she would try.

It was all going to fall on a hope, a wish, and a damn prayer, though. She didn’t doubt for a second that once Jorge knew she had run away, he would come after her. He would never stop tracking her down.

She was his trophy.

His thing.

He won her.

She belonged to him, and only he decided when to toss her away like trash on the sidewalk. But that was okay because Valeria would keep running. As long as it meant her baby was safe, and Jorge couldn’t hurt their child, then she would keep going.

To the ends of the fucking earth.

Abril checked the watch on her wrist, and said, “You only have three hours, now. Do you remember the spot where you’re supposed to meet Cruz? He has the fake papers you’ll need with him, and he can get you across the border, but only for a small window of time, Val.”

“Can I even trust him?”

“Papá killed his father—he’d do anything that went against my father or brothers. It’s only because he was my … it doesn’t matter,” Abril whispered, shaking her head. In a flash, the emotion she had showed speaking about her lost love, something she guarded even from Valeria unless she slipped up like now, to cold in a blink. “He will be at the meeting place, but he will not wait past the time we agreed. You need to go, so go.”

“Right,” Valeria said. “Now or never.”

“Good luck.”

Those words—good luck—echoed in Valeria’s mind long after she had taken Maple from the stables and headed out toward the cliffs to the east of the compound. Two hours later, when her back ached, her legs felt like pins and needles had settled into her bloodstream, and her stomach cramped, she still thought about those words.

Maple never slowed.

The darkness turned black.

Valeria thought about those words.

Good luck.

Luck hadn’t found her yet.

And while she could taste the promise of freedom with every gallop of Maple’s hooves against the ground, it still felt temporary.

How long could she run?

How long would it be before Jorge found her?