Page 103 of Rise To Power

I’d been in her position. This was her prison. Orlando and Emilio offered a temporary escape.

“I’m good. Orlando has a new best friend in Santi. So whatev’s. You can go now.”

I slid off the bed, came up behind her, and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She didn’t try to hide her computer. I’d take that as a good sign. “I love you, Dee.”

“Yeah, love you, too.”

Once I left her room, I headed downstairs to find Tim.

Santi, Tim, and Orlando gathered with Rio, Troy, and another soldier in the office. I softly tapped on the open doorjamb. All eyes turned to me.

“I’m ready to go.”

“Now?” Santi’s spine stiffened. “We need a few more minutes.”

“I don’t mind waiting.”

He exhaled, his shoulders relaxing. “Thank you.”

What was that?Thank you.A few weeks ago, he would’ve told me to get out if he wasn’t ready to conclude his business. I stepped out of the room.

“It’s not her fault,” Tim said.

I paused to listen. What wasn’t my fault? The door closed. A knot tightened in my gut. They were talking about me. My penchant for eavesdropping had no limits. Approaching the door, I tried to listen. The voices inside had grown quiet.

Avoiding my mother, I went to the front porch and sat on the stoop. I was sick of the boot. A sprain shouldn’t need six weeks. I loosened the bindings, slipped it from my foot, and rolled my ankle.

Although there was still discoloring from the bruise, the swelling had all but disappeared. Other than showering, I’d lived in the stupid boot. Standing, I tentatively put weight on my ankle.

“Ready?” Orlando asked.

I glanced over my shoulder.

“Fuck, are you okay? Is it your ankle?”

“No. I’m fine,” I snapped. Then regretted the sharpness of my voice. It wasn’t Orlando’s fault I was suffocating. “Sorry, but I don’t need the boot.” I scooped it into my hand. “That doctor is full of shit. Six weeks? Google said two with light activity. I won’t run in the woods or jump from the wall.”

Orlando bounded down the steps and turned to face me as I carefully stepped on my ankle. “I’ll catch you if you fall.” He spread his arms and winked.

I rolled my eyes and walked with one bare foot. “Are you worried you’ll get blamed if I get hurt? Don’t worry. If I get hurt, itwillbe my fault. Where’s Tim?”

“He’s staying. I’ll take you home.” He pointed to the black Mercedes sports car. “How much did you overhear?” he asked as I slid into the passenger seat. He took the boot from my hand and tossed it in the space behind me in the two-seater.

Before I answered, he closed the door, went around the front of the car, and slid behind the wheel.

“I heard Tim say it wasn’t my fault. Considering I haven’t done anything, I’m not sure what I’m being blamed for.”

Orlando chuckled as he gave the high-performance engine a bit of gas and rocketed down the driveway. The gate rolled open. Orlando shot past the guard, took a left, and gunned the engine. With a jolt, my back pressed into the seat, and the G’s hit my belly.

He cast me a quick side glance. “Ally, you have no idea what you’ve done?”

I had a laundry list of transgressions, but I wasn’t going to confess to Orlando.

“Marco,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“What about him?”

Orlando’s mouth tightened.

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