Page 187 of Plunge into Obsession

We waited until Elena was out of the room before we rushed toward each other.

Kaia wrapped her arms around me tightly.

“Hey,” I said, hugging her back. I couldn’t see her face, but her body was tense. “What’s this? Are you okay?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Then I heard it. A barely indistinguishable sniff.

What the fuck?

I pulled away from her and, sure enough, she was crying.

I wiped her tears with my hands. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, but nothing came out when she opened her mouth to speak.

I led her to the couch and sat next to her.

I waited until she composed herself, until she could tell me what was going on.

“Everything is such a mess right now,” she said, her gaze moving about erratically, almost as if she was moments away from having a panic attack. “I have to get out of here.”

“Get out? Where? Why?”

“Out of here. Out of New Mexico… out of this country.”

“Why?”

“Raphael.”

“Raphael? What does he have to do with anything?”

Her lips trembled. “Everything. He has to do with everything.”

She grabbed my hand. I was so confused, I didn’t know what I could say or do.

And a small part of me doubted she was talking about the Raphael I was thinking of.

I squeezed her hand. “Raphael Bardales? That Raphael?”

She nodded.

“I don’t understand—”

“Please, Bianca. I don’t have a lot of time. He’s not in New Mexico right now, and I don’t know when he will be back, but I need to leave before he does.”

“Why?”

“Because he w-won’t let me go.”

“I don’t—”

“I’ll explain everything later. But I need your help.”

“Anything. You know I would help you with anything.”

“I need a way out of the country.”

I looked away. “Gabriel—”

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