Page 56 of Ravaged Hearts
“I came back to see my father.”
She grunted. “And now, even the once-powerful Carlos Espinoza can’t save you from Jorge’s twisted games. Looks like you’ll be spending the rest of your days in this hellhole, too. I don’t know whom I feel sorrier for. You or me. You should’ve stayed away when you had the chance.” Gabriela leaned back in her chair and crossed one ankle over the other.
A bird of prey circled overhead, capturing our attention when it dove toward its quarry.
My gaze returned to Gabriela, although hers had drifted tothe high wall surrounding the compound. Sunlight glinted off the razor wire that corkscrewed along the top of the fortification. What kept others out also had the undesirable side effect of keeping us locked within, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Gabriela would very much prefer to live on the other side of that wall.
“Why do you seem so calm about this?” I asked.
She shrugged her shoulder. “I always knew Jorge would kill me some day. Not so long ago, I prayed for it. Then I got pregnant, and my perspective shifted.”
I wanted to tell Gabriela my plan to kill Jorge and escape. Maybe she’d be willing to help since she had nothing to lose. She knew the layout of the compound and understood how it operated. Hell, she probably knew how many guards roamed the property, and their routines. I couldn’t collect that intel even if I stayed for a month, and Gabriela didn’t have that long. The baby would come before then.
Bringing her into the fold was a risk, but we stood a better chance of escaping if we worked together. Besides, I didn’t want to leave Gabriela behind, so very soon I’d have to explain my true reason for being here.
I’d decided. It was time to take a leap of faith.
I nodded to the room behind me, where a guard stood outside the door. “Is it safe for us to talk here?”
“There are cameras, but they can’t hear our conversation. We can speak freely.” She shifted in her seat as though eager to come nearer.
“Good.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “I’m not staying.”
Gabriela clicked her tongue. “Jorge will find you. I should know. I tried to leave once before.Bigmistake.”
“He won’t find me if he’s dead.”
A short burst of laughter conveyed her skepticism. “You and what army are going to accomplish that?”
Her question made me think of Vaughn and the team. Nowthat I understood the complexities of the situation—the orphans, Gabriela, the underground narco army—I was glad they couldn’t find me. It didn’t stop me from missing Vaughn and wishing I could talk to him, tell him I was fine and I’d find my way back to him soon.
I straightened my spine. “No army. Just me.”
“You think you can kill el Señor del Dolor?” Gabriela lowered her voice as if saying Jorge’s well-deserved moniker aloud might make him appear. “Do you know how many men have tried?”
“Then it’s lucky I’m not a man.”
“Jesus. You’re serious?” She shook her head. “You have some balls on you, Sister.”
“What choice do I have? What choice dowehave? Are you just going to wait until your child is born and let that son of a bitch murder you?”
Gabriela took one last drag on her cigarette and stabbed it into the ashtray. “There are fates worse than death, Elena. You and I both know what my husband is capable of. A bullet to the head from Jorge could be considered an act of kindness. Anyone who wrongs that man ends up begging for death. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
I swallowed deeply, knowing she was right. “But if there’s even a chance of escaping, don’t you think it’s worth a shot?” When Gabriela didn’t answer, I added, “Please. I need your help.”
She stared at her belly while running her palm across it. “I’ve had no choice in any of this. Living here, marrying Jorge, having his baby. And now you turn up and tell me there’s a chance to be free of this place for good. That maybe I can raise my baby somewhere safe.” Her eyes came to mine. “You have to understand that I haven’t for one moment allowed myself to dream of a happy future for my daughter and myself. I’m scared to have hope.”
Hope. The name Daphne had once given me when I’d lain unconscious in her clinic, my life hanging in the balance. After she’d patched up my injuries and stabilized me as best she could, all she could do was hope I’d survive.
I wouldn’t let Dee’s efforts to keep me alive be for nothing. I was going to make it out of here, and so was Gabriela.
“There are people counting on us.” I pointed toward the orphanage. “Those little girls have no clue what terrible future awaits them, and the cartel steals women from the streets and sells them to the highest bidder all the time.”
Gabriela pressed her lips together. “I was one of those women once, you know? My father was a detective who refused to be bought. Jorge’s sicarios murdered him and took me as further punishment for my family. They were about to smuggle me onto a ship when I caught Jorge’s eye and he decided to keep me.”
“So you understand why taking down Jorge will impact so many more lives than just ours.”
Gabriela picked at a fingernail and stared down toward the manicured gardens. Then her gaze cut to mine. “Okay. I’ll help you. But what use am I in this condition? I’ll only slow you down.”