I touched her cheek gently. “Trust me,” I whispered.
She nodded, but her eyes were full of tears.
I hated that she still believed I could fix this. That I still believed it too.
In a few minutes, we were out of the main building. The estate was crawling with guards.
Twice we had to duck behind columns when footsteps approached.
Once, I nearly tripped over Gabriela’s dress.
We made it to the garden gates, the old servants’ entrance, half-forgotten.
Yuri was supposed to meet us there with a car. Freedom so close I could taste it.
My heart was thundering so loud I could barely hear over it.
Gabriela clutched my hand so tightly her nails dug into my skin.
“Almost there,” I whispered.
Almost.
I looked down at Gabriela, whose small hand shook in mine, eyes wide with confusion. My heart clenched painfully.
“You don’t know how much I wish I could fix this,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I’ll get us out of this, I swear it. No one’s touching you.”
Her fingers tightened around mine, but her eyes were already too knowing for a girl her age.
We were so close, so close I could see the headlights of a black car waiting just beyond the property line.
The car Yuri promised.
One more step.
Then another.
Gabriela’s hand was trembling in mine.
I squeezed it tighter.
A shadow moved ahead of us.
For a breathless second, I thought it was Yuri.
Relief flooded me.
Until a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I spun, swinging the knife I’d hidden, but a gloved hand caught my wrist easily.
Two more guards materialized from the darkness, weapons drawn.
“Luna Rojas,” the taller one said, voice cold. “Come quietly.”
I kicked. I fought. I screamed.
Gabriela cried, begged. But it was useless.
Steel arms locked around me, dragging me back toward the estate like a feral animal. And somewhere behind me, I thought I saw a figure watching. Unmoving.
