Page 106 of Shadows of the Past
Voices drift from up ahead—not screams, but a conversation. As we get closer, I can make out a feminine voice and Aleksandr’s.
“If we’re going to take this chance, it has to be now,” says the snake’s anxious voice.
Who the hell is he talking to?
Maksim looks like he’s wondering the same thing, and then a woman’s voice, shaky but unmistakable, answers, “Isn’t there any other way?”
I don’t waste another second. I close the last twenty feet, gun raised, and step into the living room.
Lupe and Amalia are there, along with Aleksandr and one of his men. The soldier at his side spots us, gun coming up fast.
Aleksandr turns, surprise flickering across his face when he realizes his little camera trick didn’t work. He spins to Lupe, shouting, “See! I told you they’d never let us be together! They both hate me!”
It takes a second for the words to sink in. When my eyes meet Lupe’s, I’m already shaking my head.No. Not her.Not mywild little sister who used to sing at the top of her lungs in the bathtub.
But all I see in her eyes is love and it’s aimed at a viper who’s swallowed too many souls like hers.
“Julia?” Amalia’s voice trembles from the corner.
I turn to her, forcing a small smile. How am I supposed to explain any of this? How do I tell them I’m not the enemy, that the real monster is the man in front of them? How do I do that with a gun pointed at someone right in front of them?
“Let them go, Aleksandr.” Maksim’s voice is ice, all soldier.
“Let them go?” Aleksandr almost laughs. “I’m not keeping them here by force. They came with me willingly.”
I look at my sisters, but I see no fear, no panic. They’re really here by choice. The only thing in their eyes is pain and curiosity directed at me.
How did I miss this? When did they even meet Aleksandr?
“Aleksandr is Lupe’s boyfriend. They're in love,” Amalia whispers, as if she can feel the storm of questions swirling inside me.
She was always the rational one. More mature. I hope she can somehow sense that I don’t want to hurt them, I just need to get them out of this house.
Jeremy’s voice crackles in my earpiece: they haven’t taken out all the guards. Any second now, more could burst in.
Amalia’s words hit me so hard I have to physically steady myself, grounding my feet on the floor so my knees don’t give out.
In love? In love with a monster who’s ruined thousands of girls like her?
“Please, you need to come with me.¡Ahora!” My voice is firm because I know bullets could start flying through this room at any moment. The sounds of fighting echo from the side of the building. I just hope our guys can hold them off long enough to keep this from turning into a bloodbath in front of my sisters. I’m not letting them leave with Aleksandr, and I pray my eyes are saying what my words can’t.
For a few seconds, the twins just look at each other. Amalia’s eyes fill with tears as she takes a step toward me.
My grip tightens on the gun. If Aleksandr’s soldier so much as glances her way, I’ll put a bullet through his skull.
“Amalia.” Lupe’s whisper is thick with emotion, but the strongest note is betrayal and it breaks my heart.
“It’s Julia, Lupe! Julia, who got us out of that house when they came for Dad. Julia, who washed us, who made bubble baths, who sang every Patito Feo song with you in front of the TV.”
“Where have you been all this time?” Lupe’s gaze swings to me, and I swear I see nothing but anger and disappointment. Her hazel-green eyes are glassy with tears, and for a second, it’s like looking at our father. Even their hair is the same as his, straight and dark brown, though Amalia's is long and Lupe's is cropped to her shoulders.
I open my mouth, but how can I explain everything right now?
“She’ll explain everything once we’re out of here,” Maksim says, stepping closer to Amalia.
I see the doubt in her eyes, and all I want is to tell them what I feel.
“I’ve loved you from the moment you opened your eyes in this world, and I’ll love you until my last breath. But please, I’m begging you, come with me. Por favor.”
