Page 28 of To Have and To Hold

Isabella

Itried to keep calm as Horace and José drove Liliana and me to the apartments. No matter how much Mia told me about my new job, the reality was terrifying. A sheltered life doesn’t prepare someone to work with whores. Smoothing my slacks, I rubbed away the moisture from my palms.

As we drove, the scenery around us changed. There was no longer the opulence of Mia’s neighborhood and no more gated homes. Houses became smaller and manicured lawns were replaced with stones, weeds poking through the white gravel. My heart beat against my breastbone as yards filled with broken-down cars. I even saw a washing machine. Looking over at Liliana, I spoke low. “Are you ever scared at the apartments?”

She looked up from her phone. “Scared? No.”

“Probably because you’re used to the cartel. You know who you can trust and who you can’t.”

Her lips curled slightly on the ends. “I trust Mia. She’s done everything possible to give the residents a safe haven, and that includes us.” She tilted her head toward the front seat. “José is always there. Horace will be too. And the building is heavily guarded.”

I gave that some thought. “Okay, no one is getting in to harm us. That still leaves the…tenants.”

“It’s really rather simple. Be nice to them, and they’ll be nice to you.”

It was my turn to smile. “I think I’m guilty of overthinking and overanalyzing this. Did you do that when you started?”

She shook her head. “Mia asked me to help when the project was still in the planning stage. My husband had recently died, and Sofia and I moved into Valentina’s home.”

I nibbled my lip. “I’m sorry. You just said a lot of names that sound familiar….?”

“I was married off to Gerardo Ruiz, the brother of Andrés—Catalina and Camila’s father,” she added.

Multitudes of questions came to mind. I recalled something. “Oh, and Valentina is their mother.”

“Em’s too.”

My cheeks unexpectedly rose at the mention of his name. “You lived there, with all of them?”

“Catalina was gone, but the rest, yes, for a while.”

I wanted to push for a more personal opinion of Emiliano. Instead, I asked, “Who is Sofia?”

“Sofia is my husband’s daughter.” Liliana shrugged. “She’s my age. We were best friends until…” Her smile dimmed. “Anyway, after Gerardo’s death,el Patr?nwanted us to live with people he could trust.”

“Where is Sofia now?”

“She moved back to Sacramento. She’s working on her degree.”

“College, really?”

Liliana nodded. “I’m not suited for that.” Her big brown eyes opened wider. “Are you going to go to college?”

My attention went to my hands on my lap. “My parents don’t see it as a priority.”

“Catalina went,” she said. “Camila is in college.”

“My mama says it’s a waste of money. Look at Catalina. She has her degree and spends her time shopping, popping out babies, and catering to Dario’s needs.” I looked her direction. “You don’t need a degree for that.”

“Catalina majored in art. I can’t remember the whole name, but Valentina told me that she’s on the board at some art museum in Kansas City. She has done some good things through there. Including scholarships.”

I inhaled. “Shit. I didn’t know any of that.”

“But you live near her, don’t you?”

“Yes, but my dad doesn’t have a positive opinion of…” I hesitated, wondering if the men in the front seat were listening.

“The cartel,” Liliana offered.

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