Page 178 of When Lies Unfold

With a jerk of his head, he gestures for me to precede him. Once I exit the bedroom, he jabs me in the lower back with his rifle. “Move.”

Super. Yet another asshole who’s eager to rough up a woman.

Once we arrive in the dining room, the guard ushers me to the chair directly to the right of where Hidalgo sits at the head of the table.

Lit candles adorn the enormous antique wooden table, a pristine white table runner along the length. If it were anyone else, I’d assume he was setting the mood for romance.

But all Hidalgo’s programmed for is violence and hatred.

He’s reading something on his cell phone, but when his focus lifts to me, there’s no denying the satisfaction I get from his reaction to my attire. His entire expression sours, mouth thinning into a punishing line.

Without tearing his eyes off me, he barks out a command. “Leave us.”

The guard closes the doors, leaving us alone in the enormous dining room.

I slide onto the seat and unfold my cloth napkin with flair. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

“What”—he forces each word from between clenched teeth—“are you wearing?”

I glance down at the same clothes I’ve had on all day. “Oh, this? Well, I’ve lost some weight but gained muscle in other places, so I thought?—”

The backhand is expected. But it’s the last one he’ll ever deliver.

He just doesn’t know it yet.

Holding his gaze, I run my tongue along my lips and gather the fresh blood. With my hands in my lap, my fingertips tingle in anticipation as they inch closer to what’s tucked in my jeans pocket.

Once I ease the knife open beneath the table, confidence sparks to life inside me.

On the heels of that confidence, though, comes a flood of calm relief. Knowing I’ll be ending this monster’s life once and for all is a heady sensation.

Certainly, there are dozens of other monsters out there—I would never deny that. But I’m going to seize the opportunity to extinguish one who single-handedly made my life a nightmare, along with countless other women’s.

I know this is it. That I’ll only get one chance. That I’ll likely die, too, by the hands of one of his guards before I can make my escape.

The difference is, last time, I was terrified of death. I wanted to avoid it at all costs. I needed someone else to provide a way out for me.

Before, I didn’t have the courage to extinguish this demonic monster.

This time, however, I’ve come to terms with my fate. I’ve accepted the prospect of death, because I’m not the same woman I once was. I’ve now loved with all my heart. I’ve been granted the taste of freedom. I’ve experienced the trust of one of the jungle’s most beautiful and dangerous creatures.

This time, I know I’ve actually lived.

This time, my heart is full and not arid and empty.

I’m ready to reunite with my abuelita and Belleza.

Hidalgo’s smile is chilling. “I see you’ve become quite unruly and obstinate. I look forward to curing you of this.”

Boom! The deafening sound jars me in my seat. My bones feel as though they rattle violently within my body. Everything on the dinner table bounces along the wooden surface, the tremors knocking over the candles. The table runner bursts into flames.

Boom! The second explosion rocks the entire house. The hairs along the back of my neck rise in warning, as if to alert me that this is an obvious sign.

Hidalgo jumps from his seat, rushing toward the window where the view consists of nothing but black smoke. With his attention diverted from me, I launch myself toward him, driving the knife’s blade directly into his right jugular.

I yank with all my force, dragging the blade across his neck to puncture his left jugular, ensuring there’s no chance of survival.

Blood rushes from his neck as he clutches at his throat, his legs giving way. He drops to the floor, and I follow him down.

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