Page 12 of Velvet Deception

If Ramon truly knew how bad the Cartel was, he’d change his tune. I was risking too much if the Cartel would want this man finished off for good.

I’d told my son the little I knew, that I’d found the doctor hurt and was worried about whoever had hurt him coming back to finish what they’d started if they saw he was alive.

Stressing the need to keep things on the down low, though, I made sure that Ramon would not tell anyone about what I’d done or who we had in our house. He didn’t have too many friends for me to panic about his being a blabbermouth. And I, or someone I trusted, would always be with him to know if he was chatting about the mysterious unconscious man I’d brought home.

Most importantly, though, Ramon understood that he had to stay away from this stranger until I gave him the okay. Until this man woke up and gave me a clue whether he could be dangerous, Ramon needed to keep his distance, despite how curious he might be.

It was why he sat on the other side of the room, almost as if I were buffering him from the stranger.

“Mama, go lie down. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

I was so proud, so grateful he was such a good little Samaritan like I was. It came as no shock that I was role modeling through my career and everyday actions, that he already knew it was right to help those in need. His trying to help others and pretend he was a medical officer was cute but not right for this situation.

I couldn’t let my innocent six-year-old son watch over an unconscious stranger. What kind of a mother would that make me? Careless and risky.

“No, baby. You can’t just” —a wide yawn cracked open my mouth further, halting whatever I was going to finish saying— “I can’t let you be out here and watching out for any changes without me.” If this man woke up and saw Ramon all alone, I had no clue what could happen. Whether he could be violent. Whether he’d try to steal away my son.

Another yawn escaped me, longer and wider than the last.

“Then you sleep in the chair,” he suggested. “Sleep out here near me while I look over him. I’ll take first watch.”

First watch?I was mildly amused and intrigued, wondering where he’d picked up that phrase from. Likely a movie he’d seen with Juan at the Vasquez house.

“You’ll fall asleep sitting in that chair, Mama,” he said again.

I hated that he had to be this mature, that he was already this perceptive and concerned about what others needed. He shouldn’t have this burden of growing up too fast, of taking on responsibilities and worries as though he were an adult. His childhood should be full of wonder and fun, of learning and exploring, within reason and my sight, not volunteering to be afirst watch.

Now wasn’t the time to flog myself with bitter self-reflection that I was failing him, being only a single mother and not providing him with a father or a fuller family to count on. Sometimes, the idea of it being just the two of us was a sweet one. Just me and him against the world. Right now, in this moment, I hated how helpless we were.

“Then…” I nodded, struggling to open my eyes fully as the drowsiness hit me. “Then I’ll fall asleep sitting in this chair.”

I did, drifting almost instantly to sleep. Despite the anxiety of having a man in my house, I didn’t feel completely vulnerable. With a head wound like that, bleeding and hard enough to knock him out, I couldn’t be sure he’d wake up at all. Having to get rid of a dead body in the house wasn’t something I’d thought far ahead about yet, and I wouldn’t.

In the sweet bliss of sleep, no dreams visited me. That was how tired my body and mind were.

All too soon, though, Ramon alerted me. I could’ve used another few hours of rest to feel recharged, but that wasn’t happening.

“Mama.” He whispered it as he tugged my sleeve, now standing on the other side of my chair instead of being seated near the wall. “Mama. He’s stirring. The doctor is waking up.”

Blinking my eyes open, I registered the instant uptick of my pulse. My heart hammered fast as a sudden spike of adrenaline immediately roused me from sleep.

From the couch, the tall, muscular man shifted slightly. Low groans left his lips. Although he didn’t open his eyes, movement was obvious behind the closed lids.

“What…”

I shot to my feet, hurrying toward him and getting my stethoscope off from where it hung on my neck. Dressed in my scrubs from work, since I hadn’t had the chance to change, I took comfort in the way he’d be able to recognize me as a healthcare figure with my uniform.

“It’s all right.”

My voice was the catalyst to wake him completely. As his brow furrowed, he opened his eyes to reveal the richest brown pools of uncertainty I’d ever peered into. He turned slightly in my direction, but when he winced, I put my hand on the side of his head and stopped him from moving. He wasn’t paralyzed, moving his fingers and feet slightly in his rest. But that didn’t mean he might not have suffered a neck or spinal injury.

“It’s all right,” I repeated as sternly yet softly as I could. Ignoring the confusion on his face as he stared at me, I checked his heart and lungs, still aware that his vitals must be monitored.

“I’m Sofia,” I said, in case he hadn’t heard me before when I told him on the car ride. He’d groaned on the way here, and I wondered if he was waking fully. “I’m a nurse, and I will help you.”

“I…” The creases in his brow deepened as he studied the room.

“You’re safe here,” I added, in case he was scoping out my living room out of fear he’d be attacked again. “You can recover here.”

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