Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 580(@200wpm)___ 464(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Raize studied both, giving the guy the longer stare before he glanced at me.
That was my signal.
I approached, bypassing Verónica and stepping between Raize and Abram.
“You can take them tonight?”
The woman started to respond, lowering her hands.
Abram cut her off, asking in a clipped tone, “What the fuck? Who are you talking about?”
“You and Verónica.”
“What?” Verónica gasped, moving forward. Her eyes were wide as she was taking everything in. “What are you doing?”
Raize ignored both, asking the woman, “Can you or can’t you? I need to know.”
She lowered her hands all the way, but took a step back. Her gaze was flitting among all of us, but lingering on me before moving back to Raize. She raised her chin up. “We can take them.”
The man moved to the side. He was almost completing a circle with him at the most northern point. “We know you, who you are. We just want you to know that.”
I had no clue what was being said. They were being cryptic.
Raize’s eyes cooled. “I reached out to see if you can hide both of them. That’s all you need to know.”
Guess I wasn’t supposed to know.
“Clay!” Verónica snapped. “What are you doing?”
He turned to her. “Marco won’t stop looking for you. These people are from a network that hides people. They’re the best at their job, and as long as you’re missing, Marco can’t kill me.”
Her eyes were getting bigger and bigger with each word he said.
And, wow. That made sense. A whole lot of sense.
Raize had been planning this the whole time? Was that why we came up here? These people were here?
“You know he’s going to come for you anyway.”
“Marco assumes you’re still with me. He’s not prepared for what I’ll tell him. As long as I’m alive, I know where you are. He won’t touch me. He won’t dare because he does love you in his way.”
Verónica stumbled back a step, her hands rising to knead at her temples. She bent over, muttering in Spanish under her breath.
“You won’t know where they are.” The woman stepped forward again. “We don’t work that way. You know we don’t.”
“I know, but he won’t,” Raize said softly. “V.”
She was shaking her head and turning to walk in a tight circle. Over and over again. Her hands went to her hips. “I cannot believe you did this. I left him for you. One bro—”
“It’s for your safety. These people are the best. Marco won’t know that I won’t know. I can use that, string him along, and it’ll work. He’s irrational when it comes to his sister.”
She stopped, her hands falling back down. A look of utter desolation settled over her shoulders. Her eyes brimming with tears. “I’ll never see you again?”
“No.” Raize continued, “It’ll be a new life. You wanted a new life. You’ll be normal. They’ll help you with a home, a job. Papers. Whatever you need. It’s a new life. Your mother would want that for you.”
Verónica picked up on what he was saying, how he was phrasing it.
He didn’t want these people to know of her relation to them.
“I can’t,” she whispered, the tears starting to fall.
“You have to. You leave, I can use that as leverage to stop Marco. You don’t leave, he’ll keep sending sicarios after me. He’ll keep at it until he gets you back. You know this.” He went to his sister, drawing her into his arms. “You and Abram. You go together. I’ve paid for both of you—”
“No.”
Raize frowned at Abram. “What do you mean?”
He was shaking his head. “I’m not going with her.”
Verónica started crying again. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” She was in full meltdown mode.
The woman and man shared another look, both edging back a step.
Raize raised his voice. “I paid for you. You love her! You be with her.”
“No, brother.” Abram went the other way, gentling his tone. He tried to give Verónica a reassuring smile. It faltered and sadness emanated from him. “I’m sorry, Verónica. I am, but I’ve got too much blood on me. I’d never be able to live a normal life. But you can. You’re a good person. In his way, Marco tried to keep that world away from you as much as he could. I’m going to stay. I’m going to protect my brother.” He indicated Raize. “He’s going to need me, and you know it.”
“No,” another cracked whisper from Verónica. “No, no, no.”
Raize moved back, his gaze going to the couple. “I need your reassurance that she’ll be safe. You’re going to be hiding Marco Estrada’s sister. You know who Marco Estrada is?”
They shared another look.
The woman nodded. “We do. We’re aware of all the dynamics going on here.”
Right. More crypticness. I was guessing they were indicating they knew who Raize worked for. That’s the only thing that made sense.