Page 147 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

“It was a good thing you didn’t come, little Esme,” Cesar tells me, putting his fingers under my chin and pushing my face up to meet his eyes. “It was… not what I expected.”

I frown, noticing for the first time the expression my brother is wearing. In only six days, he has aged a decade, it seems. His eyes are dark and sunken. New lines mark his face.

“Cesar… what happened?

He shakes his head. “Papa showed me some things.”

“What kind of things?”

He hesitates. “Scary things,” he says eventually.

His eyes are turned inward like he’s remembering what happened in Tulum.

Whatever he did.

Whatever was done to him.

I don’t understand what he means by that, but I’m afraid to ask because if I do it’ll just prove that I’m too young to be told certain things.

And I don’t think I’m too young anymore. I turned seven last week. It was a big deal.

“Scary?” I repeat.

Cesar nods as he swallows hard. “I don’t think I’m cut out to run the business, Esme,” he admits quietly. “I… I don’t really want to.”

“So tell Papa,” I urge him. “He’ll understand. Tell him you want to be a doctor instead.”

Cesar shakes his head. “I can’t do that, little bird,” he says. “Papa will never understand. Not like you do.”

I feel proud of that. I wear his compliment like a badge of honor.

Cesar and I share a bond that no one else can touch. Not even Papa.

“Maybe I can talk to Papa,” I tell him.

Cesar smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “No. I appreciate you offering, but it won’t make a difference.”

I’m secretly relieved. Papa scares me, and I prefer avoiding him even on the best of days.

But I still need to know.

“Why won’t it make a difference?”

“Because this was never a choice,” Cesar tells me. “It’s not about what I want. This is about duty. I am Papa’s only son and I have to be ready to take over after him. That’s just how things are done.”

Again, I don’t understand, but I don’t ask him to explain either. Papa doesn’t like when I ask too many questions, and it’s made me self-conscious about my curiosity.

“Don’t worry,” I tell him, hoping my words make sense. “One day, we’ll run away together, just you and me. You can be a doctor and I can be a flight attendant.”

Cesar balks with laughter. “A flight attendant? Is that what you want to be, little doll?”

I glare at him, offended that he would laugh at all. “Yes! They visit so many different places and I want to travel to every country in the world.”

He considers my answer and his laughter dies slowly. “That’s a good ambition,” he says. “I hope that one day you’ll travel far away from this place.”

“I will,” I tell him with a smile. “And you’ll come with me.”

His expression grows sad, but he takes my hand and kisses it softly. “Wherever you go, I’ll be watching over you.”

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