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CHAPTERTWO
Beep. Beep. Beep…I groaned as I tried to smack at my alarm. But when my hand connected with nothing but air, I opened my eyes slightly. My head was pounding, and I groaned.
“Oh, thank God.”
My father’s voice permeated my mind, and I groaned inwardly. My mother must have called him, and no doubt, he was in my room to scold me for being out.
The pounding in my head intensified, and I tried to bring my hand to my temple. “What the—” A hiss escaped from between my lips as the skin of my hand pulled.
My eyes opened, and the beeping of the monitor intensified.
“Carla?” My father’s face came into view. His dark eyes were wide. He reached out and grabbed my hand, encasing it in his own.
“Where am I?” My throat felt as though it were on fire, and my voice came out as a croak.
My father released my hand and reached for the water pitcher that someone had placed on a small table near my bed.
I was in the hospital, but I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten here.Shit,I thought to myself.Did I OD?
The last thing I remembered was dancing with Caleb at the club. He slipped me a pill, and like a moron, I’d taken it without question.
“Here.” My father placed the cup to my lips. I tried to lift my hand to hold it, but I couldn’t.
“Papa?” There was panic in my tone. I couldn’t move my hand because I was restrained. My eyes grew wide, and I pulled on the restraint. There was not a lot of strength in my arm, but the restraint rattled loudly against the metal of the bed.
“Drink, Carla.”
Water went everywhere as I shook my head. My father pulled the cup away from my lips with a loud sigh. His large hand went to my wrist, stopping my movement.
“Don’t. You’ll hurt yourself.”
His free hand reached out and cupped my cheek. His eyes filled with tears and something that I could not put my finger on.
My father was the head of the Cartel outfit in Los Angeles, and because of that, he was not someone who showed emotion easily. I had never seen him cry, and yet, there were tears in his eyes.
“What’s happening?”
The pounding in my head made it impossible to think clearly, but I tried. Closing my eyes, I continued to try and think about what had happened that led me here.
My father’s voice snapped my eyes open. “Carla.” There was tension in his voice, and I could see the deep, purple circles around his eyes. He hadn’t slept. “The police are going to come in here soon, and they are going to ask you some questions.”
“About what?” Panic surged within me. What the hell had I gotten myself into? “Where is Mom?”
“Don’t tell them anything.” Both of his hands cupped my face. “Do you understand what I am saying to you?”
The door opened, and a man in a suit and a doctor both walked into the room. There was no opportunity to talk to my father, and for the first time, I felt real fear.
That fear sparked something inside my mind, and immediately flashes of bloodied bodies played in my mind.
“Oh God,” I groaned out. “I’m going to be sick.” Gagging, I tried to lean over the bed, so that I didn’t dirty the stark, white hospital blanket.
The doctor’s eyes widened, and he rushed forward, placing a pink bucket under my mouth. I gagged but nothing came out.
“Mama.” Tears were streaming down my face as memories started to surface. My mother wasn’t at the hospital because she was dead. A scream erupted from me, and my father rushed forward to grab me.
“Are these really necessary?” He was gesturing to the manacles that kept me shackled to the bed.
The detective looked at my father. “They have to stay on until we can clear her.”
