Page 45 of Game of Revenge

“Is she his girlfriend?”

“Ha ha, en sus suenos,” laughed Dolores.

I also laughed. I didn’t know Dolores could be mean, but of course she was protecting the man she saw as a son. I had no complaints.

“Well,” I pushed further, “I saw them kissing…”

Dolores sighed and sat down on my side for a minute.

“Bueno, they, uh, do…como se dice…things,” she said with clear frustration.

“Don Alejandro is a man, and Karina knows how to use that. But Don Alejandro doesn't love her,” she said, putting her hand on mine.

Dolores gave me a faint smile. I knew what she had in mind. She thought I was jealous, and she was trying to reassure me. I couldn’t hide my smile or the little bud of hope flourishing inside of me, however silly. I tried to look away to hide my feelings.

“I don’t care, really,” I clarified.

“Señorita, mire, I know that things are…difficult…but Don Alejandro is a good man. He is a great man. He would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. He cares a lot about you.”

I searched Dolores’s eyes for mockery or lies, but all I saw was a woman, who could do nothing else but love, tell me what she really felt. I leaned in to hug her. I needed to feel the love and warmth of a person I felt I could fully trust.

“Can you please tell him I need to talk to him?” I asked Dolores.

“He is not home, but I can tell him.”

“Tell him it’s very important,” I insisted. “The sooner he can come home, the better.”

“I will, señorita,” she promised. “I am going to visit family today and tomorrow, but when I come back, I will make you a delicious caldo with dinner to give you strength,” she said, looking at me tenderly.

“Thank you, Dolores. I don’t think I would have survived so long here without you.”

Dolores gave me another hug and got up to leave.

When Dolores left, I lay down on the bed, thinking. My instincts told me to tell Alejandro what I had seen as soon as possible. I wasn’t sure if I was making a mistake, because if this cop was here to save me, I could ruin everything.

But the way both he and Karina looked around to make sure no one else saw them gave me a bad feeling. Karina could not be trusted. It was anything but reassuring to see her talk to a cop.

I considered what would be the best course of action all evening, stress toying with my insides, but I always got to the same conclusion: I had to tell him. Dolores had told me that Alejandro was busy in meetings but would be back home as soon as possible. I would tell him everything when he came back.

Chapter 20

I suddenly woke up when I thought I heard a door close. I had fallen asleep, waiting for Alejandro. Darkness filled the room. I turned on my lamp, but it didn’t work. That was weird. I got up, guided by the moonlight, to turn on the bedroom light, but still nothing. I knocked and opened the door to Alejandro’s room. He wasn’t there, and his lights were not working either.

Great, a power outage, I guessed, and Dolores was not home. Wariness seized my chest. I didn’t know who else was in the house, and I was hesitant to peek outside. The hairs on my arms were up—something was off.

But I figured if Alejandro was home, he could be in his office. I looked around for matches in the dresser. Thankfully, I found some and lit the candle on top of the dresser to carry with me. I slowly and silently walked down the stairs. It seemed like there was no one in the house.

As I started walking toward the hallway where Alejandro’s office was, I heard two very loud bangs.

Startled, I lowered myself to the ground. Those sounded like gunshots, and they sounded very close to me! I felt needles of panic invade me. I didn’t know where to go. Where was Alejandro? Was he okay? I heard more gunshots and heard a lot of movement and things breaking. It sounded like the noise was coming from the kitchen.

Shit!

I quickly turned around, trying to look for cover, my eyes getting more familiar with the darkness. I had no idea where to go, so I quietly started heading away from the kitchen, leaving the lit candle on the floor. As I was getting closer to the front door, a man entered, obstructing the exit. It looked like he was armed. I couldn’t see him well but was hoping that it was Alejandro. The closer I got to him, I noticed that he was wearing a cop uniform. I took a couple more steps. There was someone here to help keep me safe. As I walked toward him, he started to look more familiar.

I recognized him as the cop who had been talking to Karina. I tried to hide by the stairs, but he had seen me already. I was frozen, just watching him close the distance between us at full speed.

“La tengo,” he said with a frightening smile on his face. He lifted his gun and pointed it at me.