Vanessa
"Jefe said we need to go. Now." Danny's voice reverberates through the house, prompting all the men to converge near the door, ready to guide us to the waiting car.
Alicia and I trail behind them, but Danny halts me abruptly. "Put this over your heads," he grumbles, thrusting a face covering into each of our hands.
"What the hell is this for?" I demand, a hint of frustration in my tone.
He rolls his eyes. "Just put it on. We don't have time for you to argue." The urgency in his voice leaves no room for protest.
With gritted teeth, I obediently slip the cover over my head, and Alicia silently follows suit. Danny leads us out of the house, herding us into the black SUV like we're a pair of lost cattle.
Once settled inside, we both discard the covers. The SUV's seats are arranged to face each other. Alicia occupies the seat opposite mine, and our eyes meet, exchanging silent glances amid the unnerving uncertainty surrounding us. Sitting near the doors on either side are Leroy and Danny. Though my sister attempts to mask her emotions for my sake, the worry is unmistakably etched across her face. Like me, she's suspicious about where we're heading.
As the vehicle takes off, a nagging thought begins to weave through my mind. Could the events of yesterday and today be linked? Danny's unsettling words linger-his fear of Diego taking him to the back and shooting him. What if that's the fate he has in mind for us? A journey into the desolate desert, where our screams won't echo, and our bodies will never be found? But logic tugs at the edges of my fear-why would he take us out there when he could easily kill us inside the estate?
"Be honest, Danny. Are we being led to our deaths today?" I ask in a hushed tone, my nerves evident as I gnaw violently on my bottom lip and pick at the cuticles on my fingers.
He chuckles. "No."
I shoot him a glare. "Then, where are we going?" My eyes lock onto his, demanding a straightforward answer.
"You'll see when we get there." There's a hint of amusement in his voice like there's an inside joke that I'm missing.
Fear claws at my insides, a desperate urgency to escape coursing through my veins. My eyes dart around, looking for a way out of our impending doom. I wonder if the doors have child locks or not. The car isn't moving fast; perhaps I could somehow outmuscle Danny, jump over his lap, and leap out of the car with little to no injuries. But that would leave Alicia, and Diego might punish her for my actions.
As the men engross themselves in their phone, I manage to catch Alicia's gaze, silently gesturing toward the door. An unspoken understanding passes between us - the slim chance that, if we both take the leap, we might just outrun them.
"Whatever you're thinking, it isn't a good idea. Get it out of your fucking mind," Danny suddenly mumbles, his words laced with an undercurrent of warning.
I meet his gaze with a defiant glare. "Tell me where we're going, or I'll find a way to get out of here," I threaten through clenched teeth, the determination in my voice cutting through the tense air.
His eyes flicker to the window behind me. "No need," he says, a smirk playing on his lips. "We're already here."
Trepidation washes over me as the black SUV rolls to a stop in front of an imposing structure that eerily resembles a church. Its steeple pierces the sky, casting a looming shadow over us. My mind grapples with disbelief-this can't truly be a church, can it?
I pinch my arm, blink my eyes three times, close them, and count to ten-anything to end this fucking nightmare. However, when I open my eyes again, the building is still there. The realization crashes over me like a sack of bricks, stealing the air from my lungs.
Diego Reyes is going to force me to marry him.