Page 66 of Heart of a Villain

“I…he…”

“It’s all right, querida.”

More silence fell between them.

“You know him?” she asked.

“I did.”

“What kind of man was he back then?”

“A cartel lieutenant, and I was his enforcer.”

“But you never hurt anyone, did you? You wouldn’t do the things I’ve seen him do…to other people.”

“Would I have eventually? If I hadn’t left, I might have?—”

“No,” she said, damn-near shouted. “No, you didn’t need to reduce others’ power to feel powerful. What you went on to do? Lorenzo could never. You were just as much a victim as those Chamas took hostage.”

“How do you think that?”

“Because you never went back.”

They were reasonably close to the border of the expansive lake, between a grouping of trees. There, the soil was soft, almost fine, and the air smelled of moss.

He pulled a red string of ribbon from his pocket. “Tie this to your favorite tree,” he said. “Whichever one calls to you.”

The minute the words left his mouth, one slim trunk seemed to stand out from the rest. It seemed to do just what he’d suggested, called to her.

She took the ribbon and walked over.

Before tying it around the trunk, she pressed her forehead against the bark and silently asked for its permission. What she hoped to one day bury here would become part of its base, its roots. It would intertwine with its core, providing part of its nourishment.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

She tied the ribbon into a tight bow. When she turned around, Adrían had his hand outstretched.

“Can I ride back on your back?” she asked.

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m very fond of my spinal column.”

“I’m, like, five pounds.”

“And my spine’s limit is four.”

She wrapped her arms around him, laughing, and pressed her cheek to his middle. Then she closed her eyes and swayed.

“Music,” she said. “You brought back the music. Eesh brought back my voice, and you brought back the music.”

“What do you hear?”

“It’s a song you probably don’t know. It’s a Bob Dylan song that Adele covered. ‘Make You Feel My Love.’”

“Sing it for me. If you sing it, I will surrender my vertebrae.”

“Say no more.” She released him. “Turn around.”

Mumbling under his breath, he turned around, crouched, and she hopped onto his back.

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