Page 64 of Velvet Deception

I had only myself to blame. If I had been smart enough not to bring a stranger into my home and then fall in love with him, I would’ve been more on my guard. I would’ve been paying attention and focusing on protecting my precious son.

And now, I’d lost them both, one captured and the other foolishly thinking he had a chance to go after my worst enemy.

I was alone.

And I always would be.

Another fat, hot tear slipped from the corner of my eye as I drew in a shaky breath and wondered how I could ever have faith that things could get better, how I could trust anyone—including myself—ever again when I’d erred so grievously by letting Diego in at all.

26

DIEGO

My first instinct was to move as far and fast as possible. If Sofia had only just been hurt, if the Cartel men had only just shown up, they couldn’t have that big of a head start on me.

Ramon had been in school all day. He’d made it home with Señora Vasquez. The window of time that he could’ve been taken was slim, and that meant I needed to act wisely.

Every minute I lost was too much to bear.

Stopping at Sofia’s car, I tried to imagine the map of where I’d go. I was familiar with this city, and more increasingly since I’d started walking to get food for our meals, I was aware of what lay where near the house.

What I didn’t know was where this Cartel compound could be. I was sure many routes led to it, but they would be heavily guarded.

Instead…

I turned to look in the direction of where I’d walked with Ramon.

The market.

I’d seen someone from the Cartel there. Manny had been there to recognize me. He’d tried to coax me back to the compound. Surely, he’d know where it was. And if he was there, interested and seeing me back there from some kind of a break I was supposed to be considering, whatever that meant, he could lead me there now.

I ran, ignoring the rain pelting in my face. Thunder boomed and shook the earth, but I didn’t pay attention. With tunnel vision, I sprinted as hard as I could until the sheltered and tented vendor stalls came into sight.

Between the storm washing out shoppers and a low crowd with many people likely already inside and preparing or enjoying family dinners before Christmas, the market was almost empty.

But there he was. Walking out a motorbike from under a tent was none other than Manny.

“Manny!” I yelled to stop him before he could disappear. He was my lead, my only lead right now, and I wouldn’t let him escape without serving a purpose for me.

He turned, squinting to see through the rain. Before, he wore sunglasses and narrowed his eyes against the harsh sunlight, but now, he was shielding his vision from the rain.

“Manny!” I yelled again as I hurried to him.

He didn’t start the bike. He didn’t move it an inch further as he waited for me to reach him. The closer I came, he nodded as though he recognized me.

“Diego.”

I caught my breath, skidding to a stop and blinking at the rain that dripped into my eyes. “Manny. Wait.”

He didn’t reply, watching me under the tent. Rain pattered down on it, like a steady drum, but he seemed to want to wait for me to speak. He didn’t have much patience. As I panted to catch my breath, more from the rush of adrenaline than the run, he lifted his chin and eyed me carefully. “Why’d you run away from me, man?”

“I…” I cleared my throat, latching on to the first idea, the first lie, that came to me. “I was playing around,” I said, using his words from our former conversation. “I was just messing with you.”

He arched a brow.

“I was still on my break,” I added, borrowing a little more from what he’d revealed. “That break that I wanted.”

He nodded.

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