Page 58 of Dina's Favorite Mistake

“Where is this?” Steve pointed to the photo Diego had sent Camila.

“They’re old ruins from an ancient war. The Chichimecas against the Spanish. Diego and I used to meet out there when I was still a teenager,” Camila explained, her face flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t have to finish that awful story. Steve was smart enough to fill in the blanks.

“Does she know where it is?”

Dina nodded. “I’ve taken her there a few times.” At Steve’s frowning face, she explained, “Not out of nostalgia or because I want to be close to him again. It’s actually a very beautiful place, and at night, the stars are perfectly clear. Camila likes astronomy, especially comets and shooting stars. It’s the best place I know to watch them.”

“How far is it from here?”

“Two hours?”

“I need a map.” He pulled out his phone and typed in the name of the ruins. He navigated along the map with his finger. “There’s nothing along the way. No place for her to stop to get cash.”

Dina gasped. “Oh, no.”

“What? Dina? What?”

She ignored him as she sprinted to her adjacent home office. Her stomach lurched at the sight of the safe behind her desk wide open. She flung aside her rolling chair and began to frantically search the contents.

“You have a safe in your office? That Camila could open?” Steve asked in disbelief.

“I didn’t think she’d try to open it!” Dina silently cursed her stupidity. “I know, Steve! Okay! I should have used a different keypad code than her birthday. I just never thought—.”

“It’s okay.” Steve embraced her from behind, quieting her panicked breaths. He pressed his cheek to hers and stroked her hair. “Just breathe, okay? Deep breaths. Calm down.”

“I should have been more careful,” she sobbed, her voice tearing with panic. “I shouldn’t have left it in here.”

“It? Money?”

“No, Steve.” Dina’s eyes closed briefly as she imagined all the terrible ways this day might end.

“What was in there, Dina?”

“A gun.”

Chapter Eighteen

Well. Fuck.

Spurred into action, Steve kissed Dina’s temple. “See if she took anything else from the safe or her room. Meet me downstairs.”

“Where are you going?” She wiped at the tears gathering on her face.

“To get answers.” Walking away from her as she cried was the hardest thing he’d done, but he couldn’t tarry. Camila needed him laser-focused.

“I’m so sorry, Steve,” Lola said when they nearly collided at the foot of the stairs. Jasper was no longer with her, and she had shed the baby carrier as well. “I should have kept a better eye on her.”

“You couldn’t have known she’d run off like this.”

“I should have known,” Lola insisted. “She’s a teenage girl in pain. She hates everyone and everything. She feels powerless. She wants to be seen and heard.”

“It’s not your fault, but you can help us find her.”

“How?”

“When did she leave?”

Lola glanced at her battered watch. “Maybe an hour ago? A little longer?”

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