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“He’s going to hurt her!” I yell back, my nostrils flaring. “He’s a criminal. His entire family is. Remember, I know how often they’ve involved you in their drug smuggling schemes.”
“You know nothing, girl,” he spits back, anger and fear swirling in his dark eyes.
“The fuck I don’t. Who is it that’s always clea—”
“He’ll kill Daddy if I don’t,” Alma whispers, pulling my attention back to her.
“We can’t be sure he’ll follow through,” I tell her. “We can move far away.”
“With what money?!” she cries. “I’ve heard you two talking when you think I’m out of earshot, but I’m not. There’s none left.”
“Alma,” I say pleadingly. Desperately.
“Don’t.” She wipes tears from her eyes and takes my hand in hers. “I’m not as fragile as you think. I’ll do it.”
Our father practically falls from his chair onto his knees. He crawls to her and takes her in his arms. “Thank you, sweet girl. Thank you.”
She hugs him back, but when she looks at me, tears are streaming down her cheeks in thick rivulets. My heart shreds to pieces.
It’s easy for me to tell exactly what’s going through her mind. Not only because she’s my twin, but because I’d be thinking the exact same thing.
She’s just been sentenced to a lifetime in Hell.
4
CARINA
This morning, we were informed that Luca would like to visit his new fiancée. It’s been a week since the day Alma put on her big-girl pants and agreed to marry him.
He’s been by three times now. It’s a courtship he seems to take seriously, bringing her flowers and chocolates, things he must believe will make her more malleable.
It does.
While the first “date” was a stiff event, with frightened, wide eyes and little conversation, now she seems calmer. She might even be looking forward to tonight.
“You were right, Cari,” she says as she applies pale-pink lipstick at her vanity while I watch from her bed. “He’s as nice as he was when we were kids.”
I prop myself up on my elbow. “He’s always had a soft spot for you.”
As for me… He’s exactly as he’s always been too. The gentle gaze he reserves for my sister evaporates the moment he sees me. Then his eyes go dark and brutal.
He hates me. Can’t stand the sight of me and turns away as soon as I come into view.
“What?” she asks when I giggle.
“Nothing. Just remembering the day I pinned him down.”
Her hand stops on a stroke of her blush. “Oh my God, I totally forgot about that.”
“Yup.” I giggle. “He was such an easy target with that stupid ponytail. I just jumped on his back and held on tight to it.”
It was more like I fell onto him. At least, the first time. But his reaction was instant and harsh. Some of the curses that spewed from his mouth, I’d never even heard. And I’d heard many by that point. It made me want to do it again. I’ll be the first to admit I was a pest, but that was years ago. No reasonable adult would hold a grudge this long. Then again, that may not be what makes me intolerable to him now.
“He dislikes me,” I say.
“He does not.”
“Sure does. I don’t care, though.” Big sourpuss with a chip on his shoulder. “All I care about is that he likesyou.”
