AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Almost six.”
I bob my head. “Does he speak English or Spanish?”
“English is his first language,” Zamudio answers. “His parents were volunteers of sorts. Those people who go from one country to another to help those in need. We befriended them. When he was eight, they died, and I adopted him since he didn’t have family in America. He’s like a son to me.”
“Sorry for your loss.” It’s too fucking hard to sound sympathetic when I know he’s lying.
My theory is that Travis’s parents were missionaries, this asshole killed them, and the kid became part of his cartel at a young age.
Travis watches me as if I’m yet another person he can’t trust. I want to stay, help him and make sure he gets the fuck out of here. He can have another life. The one his parents lived or something totally different.
“Has he said a word?”
“No. As we told you during our conversation, he doesn’t do much. We hand-feed him and carry him to the bathroom to do the basics.”
“I brought some books about language and speech therapy with me. We’ll work through everything and see how much I can help. You might want to consider a long-term facility if we don’t see much progress.”
He nods thoughtfully. “He’s family. I can’t abandon him. You have to help him recover from this.”
“And I will,” I assure him, but I wonder if he’s telling me the truth. “About my accommodations. I rented a house only a few miles from here.”
“You have to stay with us. He needs your support twenty-four-seven. More so if you want us to give him another room.”
This is all my fucking fault. “I’m going to need at least a half-day off a week. Once he’s more independent, we’ll discuss my housing arrangements.”
His jaw hardens, but he nods.
“Travis, my name is Derek, and I’ll be helping you for the next few months.”
Travis’s gray eyes narrow, but he doesn’t say a word. I’m glad that, along with the books, I also brought an adult picture communication book.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to answer. I’m a stranger. Why don’t I go for my things so we can get acquainted?”
ChapterFifteen
Derek
August 17th
For the first two days, I stay at the Zamudio compound. On the fourth day, I go back to the city to buy a few supplies I ordered to help with Travis’s recovery.
Though I have to pick up those packages, this is also a test to see how close Zamudio is watching me.
His men don’t know how to be stealthy. If I were in charge of the Zamudio Cruzes cartel, I would run it differently. Then again, I wouldn’t be trafficking drugs.
Don’t get involved,I tell myself as I make my way back to Pedasi.
I have plenty of theories about the relationship between this kid and the Zamudio family.
The first one is that they kidnapped him when he was young and forced him to become one of them. Though, he doesn’t have the tattoo on his neck.
It’s supposed to be a family symbol. A skull with a C next to it and a cross hanging from the hook of the letter. It’d be cool if it didn’t mean you belong to a bunch of assassins who kill innocents so they can profit from drugs.
My second theory is almost as bad. He was at some beach celebrating his high school graduation when these assholes kidnapped him.
I always circle back to the original one. Zamudio killed his parents and adopted this kid.
The reason why he’s here doesn’t matter. All I want is to shove him in my SUV and take him to a safe place. I can’t. These assholes will hunt us until they kill us. That’s not a way to live.
