It was a beautiful name to fit a gorgeous woman.
“Why am I here?” she asked.
“You know why,” I responded. “You have friends in the right places.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re free from Cruz Zeros.”
“And now I’m stuck here…?” She looked at me warily, green speckled eyes stony. Clearly she was a fighter; she was testing me out, determining if I was friend or foe.
“No.” I folded my arms. “I brought you here to clean you up before taking you home.” In an instant she relaxed. Her body eased, her mouth slacked. Though her eyes still watched me, stony and determined, the relief she felt was evident.
“When do I go home?” she asked.
“When you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now,” she responded almost immediately. The response was like a knife to my gut. I didn’t know what I was expecting; I couldn’t keep her locked in my safe house forever, but I thought I’d have more time. More time to explore whatever the hell was happening.
“No you aren’t,” I said, surprised by my response.
“I am!” The girl stood on the bed, her legs wobbling. I reached out and clutched her by the arm to steady her weak legs.
“Clearly,” I said sarcastically.
“So I’m a little banged up.” She shook me off of her. “I want to go home!” It happened so fast. One second the girl was on the bed and the next she was darting out of my room. I ran out after her. She opened the front door and was halfway out before I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back in.
“Let me go! Let me go!” She kicked and screamed against me. Dammit if it didn’t make me hard. I’m a sick bastard. I shoved her on the couch and she jumped up again, attempting to make another run for it. I pinned her with both arms on either side of her body.
“You’re not going anywhere,” I said, my voice low. “Cruz Zeros is still out there and he’s looking for you.” I wasn’t sure if that was true, but it seemed to get her attention. She stopped struggling.
“So what? I’m stuck here?” she asked, averting her gaze.
“I will protect you, girl,” I said, grabbing her chin to force her eyes on mine. “I just need time to figure this out.”
4
VERA
Two days passed before I felt safe enough to leave the bedroom. Every day Charlie would come by at the same times—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—bringing food with him. He never said a word, simply set down the meal on the nightstand. It was almost like havin’ my own ghost—a ghost that knew how to cook a killer tamale, but a ghost nonetheless.
The day after he’d taken me, new clothes had appeared in the closet. Hanging next to the men’s dress shirts and pants were now women’s sweaters, shirts, skirts, and jeans. I touched the fabric, wonderin’ if I’d somehow died back at Cruz’s and was now in Heaven. It all seemed too good to be true.
It wasn’t until day three that I put on the new clothing. After Charlie brought in my lunch and left, I headed to the closet. Call it courage or crazy, but I shed the sweats and men’s shirt I’d been wearin’ for three days and donned new attire. Shockingly, it fit me perfectly. The jeans were snug but not too tight and the sweater fit in all the right places. I looked down at my body, stunned. Gathering a bit more crazy, I walked to the door.
My hand hesitated over the knob and I looked back at the room. It had become my sanctuary. Though it was four walls like what Cruz had held me in, it was nothing like that prison. The room was painted a steel blue color, so different than the dull gray I’d stared at for weeks. There was a big square window that looked out at the Mississippi river. At night, the fireflies danced.
Though I couldn’t be certain where I was exactly, I’d gathered we were somewhere along the Mississippi. Maybe we were in Louisiana. If that was the case, then I had come full circle. After leaving my small-town Louisiana home only months before, I’d been carted back like a lost dog. Shaking my head, I returned my gaze back to the knob. The metal was cold to my touch.
Panic crept into my lungs. What if the door was locked? I’d tried the doorknob in Cruz’s prison so many times. I’d pulled so hard that I’d ripped the knob off. A brief moment of elation had filled me then, as I was able to look through the hole to the other side. It was short-lived, because Cruz quickly discovered my secret. Soon he had the doorknob hole filled with concrete. That day had been one of the worst.
Takin’ in a deep breath, I turned the knob. Unlocked, thank god. I pushed the door open, expectin’ somethin’ terrible to happen, but I was only greeted with a hallway. Tentatively I stepped out, one leg at a time. I turned my head both ways, glancing down the long hallway. There was no plan in my brain, but I did crave answers. Was Charlie my savior, or was he another devil?
Choosing to go right, I took more tentative steps until I was at the end of the hallway. I found myself in a kitchen that overlooked a dining room and a living room. It was breathtaking.
“Going for a walk, girl?” I jumped, spinning around to see Charlie leanin’ casually in the doorway. I stumbled back, afraid, and nearly tripped over my feet. Grabbing the counter for balance, I walked around it and put more distance between us.
“I’m not going to hurt you, girl.” Charlie walked toward me. For the first time I noticed he walked with a slight limp. I was too afraid to ask if he was hurt, too scared for my own being. “If I wanted to hurt you I’d have done i