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“Mila, what the fuck.” The gun disappears. “I almost fucking shot you. What the hell are you doing out here?” I turn to face him.
“I’m here to see my father.”
He misreads my intent.
“Came for the show, huh?” He chuckles. “Well, go on in then. You’re just in time.”
I don’t correct him. He may think I want my father dead. I’m sure me helping them figure out my father’s plan solidified that, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m not here to watch my father die. I’m here to try to save his life.
I nod, watching him slink off into the night, no doubt scouring the grounds for any of my father’s men who still might be alive.
Taking a deep breath, I reposition myself at the edge of the open doorway, inching closer so I can hear what’s going on.
“You think you’ve won?” The unfamiliar voice causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. It’s my father. I can’t explain how I know, but I would bet anything on it. “My men will never follow you.”
“No?” It’s Mateo who speaks next. “Not even with theirprincesastanding by my side?”
“My daughter would never.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mateo lets out a menacing laugh. “You’d be surprised how easy it was... Poor girl. All I had to do was show her a little attention and she practically fell into my bed.”
My stomach twists violently, my mind not able to fully process what he’s saying.
“She wouldn’t.”
“Oh, but she did. She did exactly what I knew she would do. And now, there’s nothing stopping me from seizing control of your entire empire. Everything you have is now mine. Including your daughter.”
I did exactly what he knew I would do...
What does that mean?
I try to focus on their words but my pulse is pounding so hard in my ears it muffles everything around me.
“It was easier than I had anticipated,” Mateo continues. “In fact, it was your daughter that helped us figure out your plan. Here you thought you were coming to save her when in reality, she’s played a key role in your demise.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. She was all too eager to help. I guess I’m better at this than I thought.”
The reality of what he’s saying starts to take hold, slamming into me like a thousand pound weight, the force of it knocking me backward. I stumble to the side, not realizing until it’s too late that I’ve put myself in full view of everyone in the barn.
My gaze darts to Mateo who’s holding a gun pointed directly at my father’s head. I watch as the color drains from his face. Seconds later the shocked expression morphs to anger.
“Marianna.” I turn toward the voice and that’s when I see him...my father. My feet seem to work on their own volition as I step further into the barn.
He’s sitting in a chair, his hands tied behind the back of it and his legs bound together. There’s a gash on his forehead, blood dripping down the side of his face, soaking into his thick beard that looks like it hasn’t been trimmed in months.
He’s not what I expected, yet somehow exactly what I had pictured. Gone is the man from the photo Mateo gave me. His dark hair is now almost completely gray and overgrown, the sides curling up over his ears. His cheeks are sunken in and his eyes? Well, they’re so black there doesn’t look to be an ounce of life left in them.
This is one of the most powerful men in Columbia?
He looks more like a homeless person you would see on the side of the road begging for change. Other than his stout physique, there’s nothing about him that seems even remotely scary. Then again, if Mateo has taught me anything, it’s that the devil can wear many faces.
My gaze swings back to Mateo, my shaky voice breaking the surface.
“You used me.” It’s not a question.
“You shouldn’t be here.” His expression is blank, unreadable. In this moment I realize that the man I thought I knew, the man I thought I loved, doesn’t actually exist. It was a lie. This whole thing was nothing more than a lie. And I fell for it. I fell for him. How stupid could I be?
