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“Please,” she whispered, moving closer.
Before the girl could flee, Noelle did something she never thought she would do. She reached behind her neck, unclasping her precious necklace and extending it towards the girl. “Please tell me what happened. You can have this. It’s valuable enough that you can leave this place,” she added, knowing the girl was likely afraid to speak because of the repercussions.
The girl looked longingly at the necklace, and she seemed to debate for a few moments whether to say anything.
“Please,” Noelle pleaded again. “I need to know where my child is.”
Noelle didn’t know whether it was her anguished expression that finally convinced her or the allure of the necklace, but the girl finally gave a sharp nod. She accepted the necklace, and Noelle immediately felt bereft without it.
He would have approved, she told herself. Raf would not have been mad at her for using the necklace for such an important thing. And even though that necklace held a small piece of her heart, her child was more important.
“El señor asked Lucero to bring the child to him,” the girl replied.
“Where?” Noelle rasped out, fear unlike she’d ever experienced eating her from the inside out.
She pursed her lips, her fingers tightening over the necklace.
“The temple. She took him to the temple.”
“Thank you.” She gave her a nod. She didn’t wait for the girl’s reply as she went out the door. Not surprisingly, there were no guards stationed there. Perhaps Sergio had thought her too weak to move or do anything after the birth so he hadn’t bothered. Or, perhaps, he intended all along for her to come to him.
“Please, God… Please let my baby be safe and sound,” she chanted as she walked as briskly as she could considering the state she was in.
No one paid her any mind as she crossed the small expanse of land between the house and the temple, but Noelle was too busy to worry about her child to notice anything amiss.
In her mind, everything hinged on the wellbeing of Mali, and with each step she took toward the temple, she feared she would encounter the worst scenario—after all, why would Sergio require the baby so soon after the birth? She was convinced he had nefarious intentions, and she was afraid she would arrive too late.
“Why, Lulu? Why did you take him to Sergio?” she asked, her features twisted from pain.
She could not believe that her friend would betray her like that—not when she’d told her that the baby came first. Noelle didn’t care anymore about what happened to her as long as her child survived. He was the most important thing in her life, and if she had to fight to the death to protect him, she would.
Determination entered her features as she reached the entrance of the temple. She might be physically weak, but her will was strong. Regardless of what Sergio thought to do, she would prevail.
Entering the temple, she immediately heard a low melody echoing through the chambers. Frowning, she followed the sound. The hallway was dimly lit, leading into the main chamber that was bathed in light. There were a few people on each side of the chamber, all wearing the same robes and masks they’d done when she’d witnessed one of Sergio’s insane rituals.
Her eyes took in her surroundings, cataloging every little detail for later use.
In the middle of it all was Sergio, wearing his full regalia. But where was Lucero? And where was her baby?
“Alas, you’ve joined us,” Sergio exclaimed when Noelle stepped inside the room.
He removed his own mask, flinging it aside. Coming towards her, he looked her up condescendingly, his mouth tipping up in a derisive smile.
“You don’t look too bad.”
“Why, thank you,” Noelle replied dryly. “My baby. Where is he?” she demanded, meeting his gaze head on.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” His smile deepened.
“Give me back my baby, Sergio, or youwillregret this. Youallwill regret this,” she said as she looked around at everyone sitting on the sidelines.
“As if you can do anything in your condition,” Sergio laughed.
“Oh, I can do more than you think,” Noelle snarled. “My baby. Where. Is. He? I won’t ask twice, Sergio. The next time I do is going to be with my entire family backing me and with the FBI and the Mexican police on your trail. Are you sure you want to risk that?”
“You speak as if you’d survive long enough to be able to do that,” Sergio mocked.
Before Noelle could ask him what he meant by that, he turned, heading to the back of the room.
