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“Let’s make this quick,” Emiliano makes a ‘hurry up’ gesture with his hand, and I reach up to unfasten the clasp of my necklace.
The other girl does the same, and we wordlessly exchange the jewelry. Her necklace feels like feathers compared to the one I was wearing, and I easily fasten it in place.
Once she has the genuine diamonds on, she pulls a small USB drive from the wide cuff bracelet she’s wearing, then stands and strolls out of the room.
I hurry to follow her, but Manuel closes the door before I can escape. “You’re staying here with us. We’ll leave in a little while. We have a few things to discuss.”
My heart leaps to my throat. Doing my best to keep cool, I smile in what I hope is a beguiling way. “Do you mind if I just use the ladies?”
Manuel is not deterred. He points to a dark doorway on the other side of the bedroom. “There’s a bathroom you can use.”
I nod and turn around, glancing to my left and catching Emiliano sliding the USB drive into his sock.
As soon as I’m in the bathroom, I close the door gently, then push the lock button and pull out my phone.
I sit on the toilet and attempt to pee, waiting for the slow device to boot up. Finally, the screen lights up, and my lock screen fills with notifications of voicemail and texts from my mom.
Fuck.
Ignoring them, I open a message to Vincente and start typing furiously.
The exchange is done, but Manuel and Emiliano aren’t letting me leave.
Manuel saw me talking to some random guy I met here tonight, and he thinks I work for him or something.
What do I do?
* * *
Vincente replies immediately.
* * *
Where are you?
I’m in a bedroom, toward the back of the penthouse
Sit tight, help is on the way
* * *
Banging on the door makes me jump, and I gasp. “Yes?”
The doorknob twists. “What are you doing in there? It doesn’t take that long to pee.”
Vindictively, I reply, “Sorry, it’s my time of the month and it’s gotten messy. Just give me a minute.”
I hear the disgruntled Spanish muttering and grin to myself. Even though I don’t speak the language, the context is pretty clear.
I take as long as I can to clean up, applying lipstick and washing my hands for a laboriously long time. The CDC would be quite proud of my efforts to prevent spreading germs.
When I can no longer put it off, I slip my phone inside the bust of my dress—I don’t know why except I have this strange expectation that they are going to take my purse—and step out of the bathroom.
Emiliano and Manuel are speaking rapidly in low voices. As soon as I appear, they stop, and their similar, suspicious faces turn toward me as one.
Sudden knocking on the bedroom door makes me jump, my heart leaping into my throat again.
The door opens, and Miguel appears, wearing a perfectly neat tuxedo just like his twin. “Good evening, Summer. May I borrow you for a moment?” My knight in shining armor with a beard presents his hand.
