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We’reallscared. Ever since Isabella left, it’s been nothing but fear. We all heard how Diego sent her to the bride-tamer for her insolence, for how she’d refused to give in to him. It had only been a few days later when my father had received the first threat from him, and we’d found out that she’d escaped.
The communication from the Kings had come a little while later, and we’d known then that the Irishman had saved her, and taken her to Boston. She’s safe now, far away from here.
We’re anything but.
“He could make assurances that he won’t hurt her,” my mother insists, her voice carrying louder now. “Make that a term of the deal. Her safety. That he treats her the way a husband should treat his wife.”
“You’re out of your mind, Lupé.” My father’s voice is rougher now, angrier. “What will we do if we make that deal, and he goes back on it? How would we enforce that? How would we protect her? He’ll have her then, and we’ll still be where we are now–weaker than ever, because he’ll have the threat of her life to hold over us.”
There’s a moment of silence, and I can see in my mind’s eye the way my father must be shaking his head, his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. I’ve seen it before, when I’ve caught sight of them arguing.
“I’m not going to throw her to the wolves like that,” he says, so quietly that I almost don’t hear it. “It’s not going to happen. We’ll find another way.”
“He’s going to kill us,” my mother murmurs, and this time I can hear the panic clearly in her voice. “You have todosomething, Ricardo. We can’t rely on the Irish–”
The same panic floods through me, and I clench my fists against my stomach as I crouch there, listening, my blood turning to ice.
I miss Isabella. I miss her so much. She would know what to do, what to say–
It might be objectively true that she’s the reason we’re in this position, but I don’t blame her, not like our mother does. How could I? She had always been the wilder one, the braver one, not much older than me, but enough for me to look up to her. To want to be as brave as she was.
As sheis.
She’d gotten everything that she’d wanted, everything that we’d both been too afraid to dream of for our future. She’d gone out and claimed it for her own, seduced the Irishman, and he’d fallen in love with her. He’d saved her and taken her far away from here, like some kind of fairytale. It was exactly the kind of adventure, the kind of romance that we’d whispered about once upon a time, a story that had never ever seemed like it could come true.
I want my own happy ending now. But I can see that it’s not going to happen.
The best that I can hope for is that somehow, my father will keep me out of Diego Gonzalez’ clutches. That he’ll keep him from claiming me as restitution for Isabella–for his lost bride.
I can’t help wondering, as I listen to my parents fight over my fate, if Isabella knows what’s happening. If she would have done things differently, if she’d known that Diego would come for me next.
I hope that she wouldn’t. I want her to be happy–and I want my own happiness, too.
The right-side door to the office flings open suddenly, so quickly that I jump, and tumble backwards onto my ass, letting out what my mother would term a very unladylike squeak of shock.
It’s my mother who is storming out of the office, and she pauses, her face tight with anger as she looks down at me sprawled on the stone tile floor.
“I see you were eavesdropping,” she says icily, her eyes narrowing. “What did I do, to be cursed with no sons, and two such rebellious daughters who–”
“Lupé, that’s enough.” My father’s voice booms past her as he pushes open the other door, stepping around my mother as he reaches out to help me up from the floor. “Elena is scared. We all are. There’s no need to make that worse.”
It’s meant to be reassurance, but somehow hearing my father say that he’s scared, lumping himself in with thewe all are,makes this all feel a hundred thousand times worse. I can see it on his face, as I get to my feet slowly, dusting myself off. His expression is as composed as ever, but I can see the fear in his eyes, lurking there.
Throughout all my life, my father has always been the steadfast rock, the one who I knew could keep us safe from anything. I always felt secure that he loved Isabella and I, that he would protect us, and I knew we were lucky in that regard. In our world, daughters could be nothing more than a means to make alliances, only valuable because they could be used as a bargaining chip.
I knew our father had never seen us like that. Even when he’d felt forced to promise Isabella to Diego Gonzalez, it hadn’t been because he’d wanted it. It hadn’t been because he’d thought that was herpurpose.
And now, he’s trying to protect me from the same thing.
“Lupé, go upstairs.” His voice is colder than I’ve ever heard it, speaking to my mother. “Let’s take some time to cool down. We’ll talk about this later.”
I see her mouth tighten angrily. She hates when my father orders her around, I’ve always known that. But surprisingly, she doesn’t argue.
“Are you alright?” He brushes off my arms, looking at me with clear concern. “How much did you hear?”
I press my lips together, feeling a little sheepish now that he’s caught me eavesdropping–but I’m also still terrified. “Everything,” I admit quietly, looking up at him. “Is Diego really going to–”
“No,” he says sharply, cutting me off as he pulls me in for a hug, wrapping his arms around me in the embrace that I’ve always found so comforting, all my life. “I’m not going to let that happen, Elena. I’ll keep you and your mother safe. I promise.”
