Page 16 of Snatched Up By the Cartel

And what awaited me on the outside? And what of Rylan? Was he truly responsible for this turn of events? I had to find out. I had to ask him everything gnawing at my mind.

As I stepped out of the cell, my eyes scanned the hallway, searching for a familiar face. I was hoping to find Rylan somewhere, but I didn't see him.

The second guard gestured for me to follow, his expression impassive. He just wanted to get this over with and nothing more. I could almost feel for him.

We navigated the prison's corridors, my heart hammering in my chest with each step that took me further from Rylan.

This was it. My final minutes in this prison. I could hardly believe this turn of events. And, it seemed, all because of Rylan.

Finally, we reached the main entrance, the heavy metal doors looming before us. I had seen this part of the prison before, when I was put here, and it happened so quickly I didn't remember much.

The guard halted, his hand on the door. "Here," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "You're free to go."

I hesitated, my eyes narrowing. I had to ask about Rylan. I knew he was waiting for me somewhere.

"What about Rylan?" I asked, my voice tight. Truth be told, I didn't even know if the guard remembered his name and who he was. It was a shot in the dark. "Is he being released too?"

Without him being released, I wouldn't go anywhere. Everyone here knew that.

The guard's eyes flickered, a hint of something — regret, perhaps? — flashing in their depths. Could it be that he had lied? Could it be that Rylan hadn't been released after all? Worry gnawed at me.

"He's already been taken care of," he said, his tone final. "Now go."

I wanted to demand more answers, to understand what was really going on, but something in the guard's demeanor warned me against it.

It didn't help that he wasn't clear in his answer, either. I didn't know what to make of it. He could have meant anything.

With a final glance back at the prison's imposing walls, I stepped out into the blinding sunlight, my heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and unease.

Who could have thought I was going to be feeling this way about being released? Nobody could ever have convinced me I was going to be feeling this way about it.

And there, standing just beyond the prison gates, was Rylan. My heart skipped a beat. I had really thought he wasn't going to be anywhere around here. I thought he was still in his solitary cell, feeling more desperate with each passing second.

His eyes widened at the sight of me, his face lighting up with a mixture of relief and joy. Just like me, he didn't know it was going to work. He didn't know, until now, he was going to see me again.

He rushed forward, his steps faltering as he reached me, his arms wrapping around my waist, his head burying in my chest. I thought he was going to trip and fall over. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I would have done anything to prevent it, anyway.

I held him, my arms coming around him instinctively, my heart swelling with emotions I couldn't begin to name. I was thinking about so many things and most of them were good.

"You did it," I murmured, my lips brushing his hair. "You got us out."

He pulled back, his eyes shining with unshed tears. And, he was surprised I knew. I could tell that just by looking at his eyes.

"I had help," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "It doesn't matter now. We're free, Mateo. That's all that matters."

I searched his eyes, seeing the truth in them. Whatever he had done, whoever had helped him, it was a risk, a gamble that had paid off. But I knew Rylan, and I sensed there was more to the story, something he wasn't telling me.

I couldn't help but wonder what it was. Would he tell me? Did it matter at the moment? Yeah, it kind of did, but I also didn't want to sour the moment with questions about that.

I wanted to press him for answers, to understand the full extent of what he had done. But in that moment, seeing the relief and joy on his face, I really couldn't bring myself to ruin it. So, I simply nodded, my hands cupping his cheeks, and I kissed him, pouring all the gratitude and emotion I couldn't put into words into that kiss.

As much as part of me was begging me not to do that, I still couldn't do it, so I ignored it. I wasn't one to worry about something all the time and it wasn't going to be different now.

Rylan kissed me back, his arms tightening around me, his body pressing against mine. It was pretty obvious what he was telling me. He was telling me we were going to be together for a long time and I welcomed it.

Our kiss was filled with relief, joy, and something more — a promise of what awaited us beyond those prison walls. I was already forming so many plans.

We pulled apart, our gazes locked, our breaths coming in short gasps. That was hot. Oh, so hot. I could have kept on doing it for hours on end.

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