Page 149 of Deceptive Vows
“The other thing is, I found José’s car parked about two miles from your house behind an alley,” Eric states. “My guess is that’s where he was killed.”
“If he was behind an alley, maybe he was watching someone.”
“I think so. I have a cop associate who works in forensics looking into it for me. I asked him to keep an eye out if anything else crops up.”
“Fuck, this keeps getting more complicated.”
“I know. I’ll check in again if I have anything else for you.”
“Thanks.”
He hangs up, and I release a haggard sigh.
More things keep happening, and I still don’t have answers.
Now I have to break Natalia’s heart.
42
Natalia
It’s nearly sunrise.
I woke a few minutes ago, unable to go back to sleep.
I’m still lying in bed with the lights out, and all I’m doing is gazing out the window at the bright moonlight.
Mikhail didn’t come home last night, and I’ve had no one to ask questions to because it was late when I realized he wasn’t coming back.
The house is heavily guarded outside, but in times like these, I feel alone.
Alone and left to my thoughts and my worries, which is almost as bad as being in a room full of people who aren’t talking to you.
The only times I experienced this type of worry was back in Mexico when I was little and growing up on the plantation. Living there was awful, just awful.
I used to worry about my father when he worked away. I worried something would happen to him. Something was always happening to the men who did the drug runs or any work, really, they did for Raul.
I also worried myself sick about Mom and me being safe while he was away.
Papa would leave, and Mom and I were left alone in that little plantation house. The men on the grounds were so vile and disgusting. They were always wolf-whistling at my mother and propositioning her for sex. Then, when I got older, they did the same to me.
Sometimes, José would come around to check on us, and his presence alone would keep us safe because they knew he was Raul’s lieutenant. They didn’t want to get in trouble with him, or worse, Raul.
I shuffle to sit up when the door handle turns.
When Mikhail pokes his head in, I switch the light on.
He walks in, and the moment I take note of the tentative expression on his face, I know something more has happened.
“Malyshka, you’re awake,” he breathes.
“I was worried.”
I slip off the bed. He walks toward me and gives me a quick kiss.
He then sits me back down on the bed, and as he touches my face, a flicker of sadness dulls the light that normally shines in his eyes.
I notice he hasn’t said that there’s nothing to worry about.
