Page 94 of When Lies Unfold

Fiery-hot fury pulses through me. “You think I was too hard on the boy who’s continued to fuck up at every turn, draggin’ my name”—I slap my palm against the center of my chest—“through the goddamn mud?”

Marcelo’s mouth parts, but I don’t give him a chance to respond. Tone lethally sharp, my words slice through the otherwise silent room. “You think I was too hard on the boy who tried to kill an innocent woman? And when Andro ended up slicin’ himself open, that same woman saved his motherfuckin’ life!”

His eyes narrow a fraction at that. I let out a humorless laugh before continuin’. “Yeah. And he repays her by attackin’ her”—my next words are pushed from between gritted teeth, ’cause just thinkin’ about it has me overcome with fury—“while she’s sittin’ right fuckin’ beside me at dinner.”

My words hang between us for a moment before I tack on, “That’s the person you’re gonna defend? The one who keeps fuckin’ up at every turn?”

I release a breath, shake out my arms, and flex my fingers. “Look, it’s been a hell of a night, and I’ve said all I’ve gotta say. Appreciate your concern, but it’s not necessary. I’ve vetted her. I’ve got this under control.”

A pause lingers before he nods. “Okay, then.” He offers me a hand, and we shake briefly. “Thanks for tonight. Javier never disappoints, and I’m glad we got everything else sorted for this next shipment.”

He hesitates as if he wants to say somethin’ else but decides against it. “I’ll see myself out. Have a good night, Santy.”

“You, too.”

The moment the door closes behind him, I grip the back of my neck, tryin’ to alleviate the knotted muscles. Silence blankets the room as I stare out the windows, my thoughts goin’ in different directions.

Somethin’ about my conversation with Marcelo is naggin’ at me. I can’t pinpoint why it has the hairs on the back of my neck standin’ on end, and that’s fuckin’ unacceptable.

I need to get to the bottom of this, ’cause if anythin’ happens to Lola, I swear to fuckin’ Christ heads will roll.

“You don’t always recognize evil when you see it.

You recognize what it is when it looks back.”

—Unknown

40

LOLA

I nearly scrubbed myself raw in the shower after Gordo brought me back to my room.

The ghost of Andro’s fingers clenching my hair still haunts me. It’s not like I haven’t dealt with men assaulting me before—it was a staple of my life for the longest time—but it’s just too much on a day like today.

Rubbing the towel over my face, I peer at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My wet hair hangs straight, clinging to my shoulders. My tattoos glare back at me, taunting me.

Why are you letting yourself be kept prisoner here? You owe Santiago nothing.

One half of me wants to bolt. I know I can escape this house—no place is ever infallible when it comes to security.

But the other half has my feet feeling as though they’re planted in wet concrete.

I must be suffering from a classic case of Stockholm syndrome. That’s the only excuse for the slightest fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach each time he touches me and for my reluctance to leave here.

He protected you from his flesh and blood. In front of everyone—his men and his guests—tonight.

His actions are an impossibly bold statement in and of itself. I can’t deny him that. But what happens when he’s done with me? When I’m no longer shiny and new to him?

I can’t afford for that to happen…which means I need to get the hell out of here.

Stashed back at my casita is my ticket to freedom—the only way to put this entire mess behind me and cut all ties with Santiago Hernández.

But it comes at a significant cost I’m not so certain I’m willing to pay—at least right now. It’s why I haven’t used it yet. It means I’ll have to reemerge and deal with the kind of people I despise.

It’s as though everything that’s taken place up until tonight is one glaring sign after the next, urging me to flee.

Plus, today’s relevance has hung over me like a dark storm cloud. It’s as though the universe is screaming at the top of its lungs for me to make my move. That I shouldn’t have been so bold and gotten comfortable here in this village. It’s bad enough that I’ve let my guard down with Santiago. To make matters worse, I’ve let myself become too attached to Alma.

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