Page 89 of Luka

Are they here?

Is Papá really here?

The chaos outside erupts with machine guns firing together at what must be an army, and the more I search for an alternative, the more hope I feel.

It’s Papá. It must be Papá.

He found me.

“Papá!” I scream, my toes slipping from the dirt floor as I thrash. “Papá, in here!”

A loud, explosive bang rattles the chain I dangle from and makes my body still. I hold my breath while listening. The gunfire outside has ceased. One man screeches in agony, but his voice is the only that I hear.

The door at the top of the stairs opens before the large, goatee-having brute who brought me down here barrels down the stairs. He says nothing to me as he hurries to unlock my cuffs, and I don’t ask. The fact that he’s letting me out of the cellar so soon tells me everything I need to know.

I keep my head lowered in submission, but as soon as the shackles unlock, I hurl my fist at his neck, my eyes trained on the massive Adam’s Apple I use as a target. I expect him to stumble back in shock, his eyes wide, his hand flying to his neck, but he doesn’t even cringe. It’s my eyes that widen.

“Papá!” I screech when the man throws me over his shoulder like I’m a doll and takes quick, long strides toward the stairs. “Help!”

I bang on his back and try to kick to no avail while he hauls me upstairs then into a garage.

“Shut her up,” Mendoza barks when we enter, his voice holding a panic to it that makes my pulse jump.

“Papá! Papá! Papá!”

Goatee throws me off him onto the hood of the SUV that brought me here. When I open my mouth to scream, he slams my head on the hood, effectively silencing me.

My eyes close as my mind fuzzes. I slide off the hood, but before I ever hit the ground, Goatee scoops me up and puts me in the SUV next to Mendoza’s son, Manuel. As if the aching in my head isn’t enough, Manuel takes me by the hair and yanks me toward him while Mendoza takes the seat beside him and Goatee starts the SUV. Mario is in the front passenger seat, andweirdly, I wish it was him next to me. As if it would ever make a difference. As if his grip in my hair would be any looser.

“Please,” I say as the SUV pulls outside. “I won’t run.”

Manuel yanks harder. “Silence.”

I cringe and press myself against him just to ease the strain. I can’t imagine ever living with this man. I can’t imagine how Mendoza could ever believe it was an option. As if Papá would stay away just because I said I wasin love. As if he’d ever allow his worst enemy to have me.

He was always going to come. It was just a matter of time.

Men, guards I presume, collect into another SUV and exit first, machine guns hanging out the back windows. We make it a quarter of the way down the driveway before the SUV jolts with a pop of the tire. My hand slaps the door, but I don’t intend to flee. I’m just as concerned with the gunfire as the others.

When another tire pops, Mendoza curses. “Get us the fuck out of here!”

Goatee hits the gas, but then lets off of it when the SUV in front swerves off the path and crashes into a tree.

Manuel’s hand moves to the back of my neck where he grips hard, and curses under his breath. “Get us back to the house.”

Goatee yanks the car around and speeds back to the garage. The other SUV is going up in flames by the time I turn around to gawk at it.

I search for Papá but don’t see him anywhere. I don’t seeanyone.

Is there asniper?

When Goatee gets us back inside the garage, Manuel hurries me inside, Mendoza, Mario, and Goatee on our heels. He leads me back to the sitting room then shoves me to the floor and takes out his gun.

“Papá!”

Manuel’s venomous eyes snap to me as he uses his boot to shove me backward. Air rushes from me as I land on my back and regret the moment I have a chance to take a breath but don’t. Manuel’s boot presses down on my neck hard enough that my eyes burst with panic. He keeps it there for several moments while the others try to figure out what to do now that they’ve lost their protection.

“Mario,” Manuel snaps. “Keep her quiet.”

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