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While he weighs his words, I take the moment to look at the city that is now my cage. Though it’s late at night, everything still seems to be alive. People walk in and out of businesses, couples make out on the sidewalk like they’re alone, families laugh together inside the restaurants, and party goers stand in line for brightly lit clubs.
It’s a lively cage.
“I did research on your family.” Alvaro’s voice pulls my attention back to him, “And quickly learned that you lived two lives.”
He turns down a cobbled stone driveway where a wrought iron gate slowly opens. “It’s the first life, the public life you played well, that needs to be your priority here. It’s the only life my father knows of you.”
My brows furrow. “You mean he doesn’t know I race?”
He parks the car outside a giant forebody mansion and turns the car off before looking back to me. “He doesn’t know you havecorrupted desires.”
He says the last two words with meaning, as though he’s speaking about himself. My face burns as he lifts his hand, letting his thumb rub across my bottom lip. “Keep it that way,Bruja.”
He drops his hand just as my door suddenly opens, making me spin in place to find an aged man standing there with a warm smile. “Bienvenida,Señorita.”
I take his proffered hand, but Alvaro is suddenly at his side. “I’ll help her.”
The man nods respectfully, bidding me goodnight before walking away.
Alvaro’s rough hand slides into mine, helping me from the car. He places a hand against the small of my back and leads me up the front steps of the house.
No one is around as we enter a large foyer with stairs on either side of the grand room.
“Through there,” Alvaro points ahead of us, “is the kitchen and dining room. All the bedrooms and offices are upstairs.”
He tries to guide me to the steps, but my feet are frozen, fear like I’ve never felt seizing me tightly.
“Bruja,” Alvaro says, making my eyes connect to his, “he’s not here. He’s meeting with another local cartel don. He most likely won’t be back until morning.”
“He’s not here?” I ask to be sure.
“No, only me and a few of the household staff, but their rooms are in the back of the property. They won’t bother you.”
I still don’t want to go up the stairs, but I know I have to. Forcing myself to move, I take one step toward the stairs, repeating the process until I’m standing at the top with no memory of how I made it without falling.
We walk down a long hallway and I see large framed pictures hanging. I notice that each image is of the same woman. I look back at Alvaro and find him staring at me.
“What?” I ask him, subconsciously wrapping my arms around myself. He makes me feel naked when he looks at me like that—it’s not unpleasant, just unfamiliar.
He shakes his head and looks away as he stops at a door. “This is your room.”
I scoff. “You mean your father’s.”
“No,Bruja, I meanyours. The only time you’ll enter his room is when he calls.” His fists clench and his jaw ticks, but those are the only signs that tell me he doesn’t like this situation anymore than I do.
Breathing out a sigh, I nod my head and move toward the door but he stops me. “I meant what I said, Vicenta: play your part well and you’ll survive.”
I tip my head back and look into his eyes, standing on the tips of my toes so I can feel his quick breaths on my lips. “Worry aboutyourpart,mijito.” I open the door and slide into the room, slamming it shut on his angry face.
I lodge a chair under the door knob and rush to the windows, unlocking them, but stop when I notice the burglar bars bolted to the frames on the outside.
I’m never getting out of here.
I turn and slide down the wall until my ass lands on the soft carpeting. I let myself cry again, crying out to the emptiness of the room. I sob at the loss of my freedom and family, at the unfairness I’ve been given. I let the tears fall as I close my eyes to the unfamiliar room and lay down on the floor beneath the window, the moonlight kissing me like a lover. The tears don’t stop, even when the sobs have long since gone.
I don’t know how long I cried for but soon I’m dreaming.
My body floats from the floor, lifting me into the sky and away from my troubles. The rays of the sun blind me from seeing my surroundings but I have no fear in me.
