Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 65872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65872 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 329(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“N-no. Thank you, Thomas. I better go find my papi.”
They all move to walk away from me, but I’m startled when King lays his hand on my shoulder. “Keep your head up, Wildcat,” he says gently. I swallow, feeling too full of emotion to speak at first. My need to cry is so mammoth that it almost overwhelms me.
As he walks away, I find myself looking back. “King?”
“Yeah?” he says, stopping to look at me.
“If I don’t see you again. I just want to thank you for everything you did.”
“I didn’t do a lot. You took the fucker down all on your own, Gabby. Remember that. You didn’t let him beat you.”
With his words, one lone tear leaks from the corner of my eye. I wipe it from existence immediately and nod my head quickly before turning around and nearly sprinting the ten feet between me and the door. I stand there, letting my heartbeat calm down. King and I both know he’s lying. He saved me. I may have stabbed Lucky, but I wouldn’t have had that chance if it wasn’t for him being there with the knife. I would have never gotten away if it wasn’t for him. I owe him everything. Still, what he said means something. At least someone doesn’t see me as weak and pathetic. He doesn’t know me, but it still means something.
Drawing a deep breath, I carefully open the conference door, making sure Dragon and Papi aren’t still going at it. Their friendship has always been a mystery. They fight often, but there’s a mutual respect there that has always remained. Mom says it’s because they’re too much alike and maybe she’s right. Papi isn’t as scary, though. Dragon has always intimidated me. He’s never liked me. I used to want to prove to him I could be good for his son. Instead, I proved to him he was right all along.
“Skull, she’s your daughter. She just lost her brother. You need to—”
There’s a darkness that seems to unfurl inside of me with Dragon’s words. I don’t understand it, but it’s like my body is telling me to run. I can’t, however. It feels like my legs are frozen where I stand.
“I can’t deal with her right now. Beth was right. I spoiled her. I’m the reason that she has turned out the way she has.”
Pain once again pours into me. I don’t know how my body continues to stand. Every word from my papi’s mouth is like a death blow.
“Skull, She’s young—”
“She was older than Diego. My son will never get to see her age and yet, he was more adult than her. The things she did to try to trap your son … It blows my fucking mind. That is not the daughter I raised, Dragon. That is not the Gabriella that I carry in my heart.”
“Kids make mistakes, Skull.”
“This mistake cost my son his life. If Gabby had left Dom alone, she wouldn’t have been here. My son wouldn’t have been here, helping me seek revenge in her name. She caused all of this.”
There it is. That’s the death knell—the blow that I can’t recover from. I’m done. I can’t take any more.
I should turn and leave, but something in me makes me speak out. Sadly, I think it’s because I want him to see me and tell me he didn’t mean what he said. I really need him to tell me he doesn’t think I’m the reason Diego is dead.
“Papi.”
They look up at me, but all I see on Papi’s face is anger and grief. It hurts me to see him like that. He’s not going to tell me he doesn’t blame me. He can’t, because he would be lying.
“Gabriella—”
“I’m going to have one of the men take me into town so I can get a change of clothes. I don’t have anything to wear home. Well, except the outfit Ayita gave me when I got here,” I interrupt. “I won’t be long. I would like to travel back for Diego …”
I tremble. I can’t help it. Right now, it is a mystery to how I’m still standing, but that isn’t the reason I’m shaking. No, I’m terrified that he will forbid me to return home. He could demand that I not attend my brother’s funeral.
“Si,” Skull answers, “that’s fine.”
I exhale in relief and briefly nod my head. “Thank you, Papi.” I look down at my feet. Briefly, King’s words about not looking down enter my mind. I immediately discard them. King doesn’t know me. My father does. He knows the monster I am. I quickly back out of the room, afraid to give him my back. I’ve seen what my father does to those that he hates. I shut the door and make it about five feet before I crumple onto the floor.