Page 3 of Burning Bridges

I return the rug to its spot so she doesn't see what I found underneath. It would only upset her, and these days, we walk a fine line just trying to keep her lucid enough that we can hold a basic conversation. "Everything is fine, go back upstairs." I dismiss her, not needing her interference right now. She's clearly intoxicated and will be no help to me.

I attempt to guess the combination to Dad's safe for the millionth time, but it's futile. I hit the cold steel as if it might yield to the strength of my hand, but it only leaves me with a sore palm. Though I was born into privilege, the reality of our situation is far different. My family, now down to just the two of us, is on the brink of losing everything we have left.

"You won't get in there. No one has since he died," my mother states matter-of-factly. "He took that combination to the grave with him, along with my heart. He was a nasty man. But I don't have to tell you that." Bitterness laces her voice. While my father was alive, she always appeared to be the picture-perfect wife, never speaking ill of anyone, especially her husband, but in his absence, she's grown more hostile by the day.

I massage my forehead, trying to stave off the headache that's beginning to pound. I wander over to her and place my hands on her shoulders, giving them a gentle rub. "Go relax upstairs, Mom. Put on one of those soap operas you like," I suggest, attempting to keep my cool with her.

She looks at me, her eyes glassy. "He took the love of my life away from me, and I'll never forgive him for it."

I let out a heavy sigh. I've heard this story a million times before. Every time she gets drunk, she brings it up, like a broken record. I know she despises my father for everything he did to her. "Mom, I need to take Hannah to her dad's, but as soon as I'm back, you can tell me everything, okay?" I feel guilty for her miserable life, even though she never cared about the hand I was dealt.

She gives me a half-smile. "You're a good girl, Piper. A good girl," she says before wandering off with her glass in hand.

I close my eyes for a moment and try to refocus. I take one last glance around the room, hoping to spot something, but it's no use. I slam the door to his den, leaving the mess I've made behind. It's not as though he'll be back to scold me for it.

I make my way to my bedroom on the opposite side of the house. Although I'm back in my childhood home, I don't sleep in the same room I did as a teenager. When I returned to assist Tony with our mother after Dad was killed, I took the guest room for various reasons, one being that it's closer to Hannah's room. It also has an ensuite, and when you're a grown woman returning home with your child in tow, you need some luxuries.

In its heyday, this place was one of Palm Springs' finest mansions. My parents used to throw parties just so they could flaunt its opulence. As a young child, I felt like a princess in her castle, and I believed I was the luckiest girl in the world. How deluded I was.

I'm running out of time, so I quickly pull myself up onto my solid four-poster bed, wishing I had time to kick off my boots. I grasp onto the headboard to avoid falling back onto my ass. Moving aside the cheap copy ofVase with Fifteen Sunflowerspainting, I reveal the hole I created to stash the last of the cash I managed to hide when the Rivera brothers took over all my family's businesses following my brother's death.

The mere thought of the Rivera brothers sends a shiver down my spine. I hate them, all of them, but I despise Leo Rivera, the leader of their organization, most of all.

Feeling around inside the wall, I retrieve the shoebox, pop open the lid, and count out the fifties, totaling two grand. Internally, I curse myself as I realize I'm short on funds. I knew I would be, but part of me hoped that the other eight grand would magically appear in the box so I could make the ten grand payment I now owe him. I kick the solid wood headboard with my stiletto boot, immediately regretting the decision when throbbing pain shoots up my leg. "Fuck," I whimper, louder than intended, as my ten-year-old, Hannah, is just up the hall reading in her room.

I sit on the bed, massaging my toe, and curse my brother once again. The selfish prick could have at least given me a heads-up if he intended to off himself. He should have known the nightmare he would leave me to deal with in his absence. Until now, I've managed to scrape by because I stashed whatever loose cash I could find the night I was told what he had done. But this is my last handful of bills, and when it's gone, I'll be forced to sell my mother's beloved house.

I've put off the inevitable until now because I know she won't cope; she's barely holding it together as it is. Losing her home of forty years, after everything else she's already lost, will destroy her. As the remaining Acevedos, we're broke and vulnerable as hell. My mother is a shadow of the woman she once was, hiding out in this house as if it's a force field keeping her safe from the outside world. I do my best to help her, but she's getting harder to manage by the day. When I tell her we have to sell, it's going to break her heart.

Despite his flaws, I truly believe Tony did everything he could to take care of us in his own way. However, after his death, things went from bad to worse. I realized that I didn't know as much about the business as I thought I did. All that information was shared with Tony's supposed friend and second-in-command, Leo Rivera. Tony trusted him above all else, but he was so wrong. Once Tony was out of the way, the Rivera brothers absorbed most of our men into their organization, acting like they were doing me a favor while they did it. They also took over our businesses, helping to cover the insurmountable debts Tony had built up in the few years he was in charge.

Leo was kind enough to leave me with my hair and nail salon so that, in his words, I could make an income of my own. At the time I was grateful I didn’t have to give up my business, but now it’s a constant debt I have to him. Even if I wanted to move, the refit alone would cost more money than I have, and I would still have to pay rent I couldn’t afford to someone else, and Leo knows it.

I think he loves it, having this over me. The way he looked at me with so much pity the day I signed the contract with him made me hate him even more than I already did. He knew what he was taking from me, but he did it anyway. All those years, I should have been watching him closer. I knew how smart he was, and I should have known what he was up to all along. Leo had so many reasons for wanting what my family had built up over years of hard work. The biggest one was what my father took from him. And I only have myself to blame for not seeing how powerful Leo had become within our organization.

But they have no idea what I have done behind the scenes or what I'm capable of. Tony taught me everything he knew, and together, we eliminated our enemies by any means available to us. I could keep this town in line under my rule, with just my pistol and the snap of my fingers.

Right now, I don't have time to think about how I'll get it all back. I need to work out how to get through my next torturous meeting with Leo. I'm sure he takes great pleasure in making me suffer and watching me hand over the little money I have to him. Otherwise, I could just be paying rent via direct deposit like you would with a normal landlord. My chest aches with everything I have lost. I never would have thought that the boy I used to be so in love with could turn into the heartless creature he is now. I was so naive. But maybe I don't know anything or anyone at all. It certainly feels like that now. So much has changed from the world I grew up in. This town is hardly recognizable now.

My heart races as I try to come up with a plan. Part of me wants to run away with my daughter, Hannah, and start a new life where no one knows the name Acevedo. But I know I can't do that. Her father would probably track us down and kill me for even trying. Despite being divorced for seven years, he's still very much involved in Hannah's life, and she adores him. He's an excellent father, and he also holds a lot of authority in our town. I know he has eyes watching me, and the feeling of being trapped is getting stronger by the day.

I've even considered running away without Hannah, but I can't bring myself to do it. Being away from her would kill me. She's my little girl, and I adore her. Having her was the best thing I've ever done, and I know I wouldn't last a week without her. So, my only option is to stay and fight.

I hold my head in my hands, trying to silence the swirling thoughts so I can think straight. I need a plan to not only survive but get back on top where I belong. Pills. I rush into the bathroom in search of the Xanax my doctor prescribed me to cope with the added pressure. They don't really help me manage, but they do numb the pain for a while and stop the swirling thoughts that won't quit.

The alarm on my phone sounds, and I swipe the home screen aggressively to turn it off. I've run out of time. I need to drop Hannah off at her dad's and meet Leo, even if I'm short on what I owe him. I rub my temples, trying to stop the migraine that feels like it's taking over my brain.

I drag myself to Hannah's room and pop my head through the open doorway. She's wearing a pale pink dress with bright striped leggings underneath, and she's lying on her bed with a book open, her eyes madly scanning over the words. The cover readsThe Secret Garden, it's another gift from her soon-to-be stepmom, Jasmine, whom she has a great connection with. Part of me is jealous, but another part is grateful that Hannah has someone she can connect with. I'm no role model for a child or soon-to-be teen. I'm a mess, and Jasmine has taken to mothering her like a duck to water. I push my jealousy aside and embrace the new situation I find myself in because my ex, Axel, has successfully moved on with his life. It's better for Hannah, and I remind myself of that.

"It's time to go to Dad's," I tell her, trying to keep the strain of the financial pressure I'm under from my voice. I need to protect her from it all, something my family failed to do for me. I made a promise to myself that Hannah won't grow up knowing the ugly side of what her family is involved in, and I will protect her at all costs.

“I'll just grab my bag.” She smiles up at me, closing her book and sliding it into her school bag. She slips on her Mary Jane style shoes, and I grab her overnight bag that she takes between houses. Even at ten, she's so responsible and able to organize herself. She's such a good kid.

Chapter 3

PIPER

WhiledrivingtoHannah'sdad's house, we talk about her school schedule for the week, and she tells me about a science project she's going to work on with her dad. Although she didn't ask for my help, I don't feel insulted, as schoolwork isn't my strong suit.

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