Page 27 of Hunted By the Cartel

And I was thinking specifically about the new life growing inside me. I placed a hand on my still-flat stomach, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I couldn't wait to become a father.

I thought back to all the moments I imagined that happening and couldn't quite believe it was happening for real this time.

Being a father was something I had always wanted, even before I met Diego. He was helping me realize my dream. After doing so much for me, he became the most important person in the world to me.

I knew Diego shared my excitement. We wouldn't be together if he didn't care so much about me, after all.

We had talked about having children together, and he had been just as eager as I was. Of course, my pregnancy had only started, and we hadn't shared the news with anyone yet.

We hadn't had the opportunity to do that yet, after all. We were still on the run from the cartel.

For now, as much as I didn’t want it, it felt like our little secret. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but at the moment, there were no buildings and we were in the middle of nowhere. Plus, we couldn't make much noise. We couldn't attract unwanted attention to ourselves.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Diego's deep voice interrupted my reverie, and I turned to find him standing behind me, his eyes warm as they met mine. He almost startled me, but after my eyes registered it was him, relief washed over me. He could make me feel calm no matter the circumstances.

"Oh, just thinking about the future," I replied, my smile growing. "Our future."

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and resting his chin on my head. It was like we weren't running away from the cartel anymore. It was as though we didn't have anything to worry about.

"Our future together, with our little one," he murmured, his voice full of love and wonder. "I can't wait to meet them."

I leaned back into his embrace, relishing the feeling of his strong arms around me. "Me too," I murmured. "I just hope they know how much they're already loved. I plan to love them as much as possible."

Diego kissed the top of my head. "They will because we'll never stop reminding them. I'll make sure of it."

I closed my eyes, soaking in the warmth of the moment. His words made me chuckle. If there was something I knew would happen, it was that. He was going to be a good father, I knew.

This all felt like a dream come true. Here I was, with the man I loved, starting a family. It was everything I had ever wanted, and more. Though, I had to be honest, first we had something important to deal with. We had to make the cartel stop hunting us somehow. How to do that? I had no idea.

"We should get going if we want to make it to the safe house before nightfall," Diego said, sounding worried. He was concerned about what might happen. I shared his sentiment. We both didn't know what was going to happen.

I nodded, knowing he was right. We had been on the run from the cartel for days, and while we had managed to stay one step ahead of them, it was a constant game of cat and mouse. I couldn't help but wonder how much longer we could keep outrunning them.

The safe house Diego had mentioned was supposed to be a temporary refuge, a place where we could rest and regroup before moving on to our next destination. So, we had to leave this place as soon as possible. Staying in one place for too long was detrimental to our efforts.

As we packed up our meager belongings, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in my stomach. I felt something bad was going to happen, but with Diego keeping me safe, shouldn't we be fine? But then, what if we encountered something he couldn't deal with? What then? What would we do? So many questions and so few answers. It was maddening.

I had grown accustomed to this life of running and hiding, but it never got any easier. Would it ever? I didn't think so. That was something I should put into my mind and forget about it.

The next time we went somewhere, I hoped it would be the last, that we would finally find a place to settle down and raise our child in peace. And yet, that objective appeared to be further away from us. My heart was tight just realizing that.

Diego must have sensed my apprehension because he squeezed my hand as we walked. He understood me perfectly, which was one of the reasons why he was meant to be with me. I had never felt surer about that.

"It's going to be okay," he murmured, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand. Who could've thought he could be so gentle? "We're almost there."

I nodded, grateful for his unwavering support. It meant so much to me and made such a big difference.

"I know. I'm just tired of running."

He pulled me closer, his free hand sliding around my waist. "I know, love. But we're in this together. We'll get through it. I know we will."

His words comforted me, and I leaned into his side, drawing strength from his presence. His warmth enveloped me, making me feel safe and loved.

We had been walking for about an hour when the peaceful sounds of the forest were shattered by the roar of motorcycle engines. I didn't like this at all.

My heart sank as I recognized the distinctive sound of the Nightshade Wolves' enforcers. They had found us again. We never had a moment of peace. Those people were always in our tail.

"Run!" Diego shouted, pushing me behind him as he drew his gun. He was going to do something dangerous and I didn't know if he was going to survive. He had to, though. Without him, I wouldn't know what to do.

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