Just being in the same room with Marcus made me feel like I’d stepped back in time, and all those old feelings of hurt, anger, and resentment came rushing back. I was so overcome by those emotions, I couldn’t move. I simply stood there—staring at the ghost from my past as I tried to come to terms with the fact that he was actually standing right in front of me. There was a time when I trusted Marcus, and I truly believed he cared about me. He made me feel loved in a way that my father never could, but those days were long gone. For so many years I was lied to, manipulated, and deceived until I finally uncovered the truth about my life and all the people in it. I was devastated by my discovery, but sadly, there was no one for me to turn to—no one I could trust, especially Marcus.

I could hear the emotion in his voice as he said, “It’s hard to believe that my Alejandra is all grown up.”

My entire body tensed at the sound of my given name. I hadn’t heard it in almost eight years, and I didn’t want to hear it then, especially from him. He had a way of saying it that made me feel special, but I’d learned that I wasn’t special at all—to him or my father. “You didn’t answer my question, Marcus. What are you doing here?”

Acting as if it was no big deal that he was here, he stepped towards me and said, “Memphis, Tennessee. An interesting choice. I always thought you would’ve chosen a place like New York City or—”

“New York is overrated. It just so happens that I like it here.”

“I can see that. It clearly suits you.” He took a quick glance around as he said, “You were lucky that you landed here when you left home. You got a job. A place to stay. A make-believe grandmother. Yeah … I’d say Hallie was a great help to you.”

“She was.” He’d obviously done his research on my time away from home. I wasn’t surprised. Marcus was a man who had a way of uncovering anyone’s darkest secrets, and I had no doubt that he knew all of mine. I tried to hide my shaking hands as I said, “I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”

His eyes narrowed as he growled, “Well, you could’ve come to me.”

“Why would I do that? It’s not like I could’ve trusted you not to tell my father that I was planning to leave.” My anger helped me forget about my nervousness, and I was finally able to say all the things I’d always wanted to tell him. “After I found out the truth, there was no way in hell that I was going to let either of you stop me from leaving.”

“What truth?”

“I know about my mother.”

“Your mother?” he asked, sounding confused.

“Stop pretending like you don’t know. I know exactly what you and my father let happen to her. I know everything.”

“I’m not pretending. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “This whole act is beneath you, Marcus.”

“I have no reason to lie to you. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about, Alejandra.”

“Oh, man. You’re good, Marcus, I’ll give you that … but I’m not buying it. Not anymore. I’m done being lied to, so take it somewhere else.”

“I’m not lying to you, Ale. You know how I felt about Camilla.”

“Yeah, I thought I did, but I was wrong. She was like me—just part of the job.”

Concern crossed his face as he stepped closer, and I could hear the sincerity in his voice when he said, “No! That’s not true. You both were like family to me. You know that!”

“Then, why would you just let her die like that?”

“What exactly was I supposed to do, Ale? She was killed in a car accident.”

I ran my hands over my face as I groaned with aggravation. “She didn’t die in that car accident, and you damn well know it! The sad thing is you could’ve stopped it. You could’ve convinced Dad to help her, then those men wouldn’t have—”

“Wait! Stop!” He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What men? What are you talking about?”

I studied him for a moment, and as I saw the disbelief in his eyes, I realized that I’d been wrong to think Marcus had played a part in my mother’s death. My voice trembled when I asked, “You really don’t know?”

“No, dear. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who are these men?”

“I don’t know who they were. I just know they were holding Momma for some kind of ransom. They wanted Dad to pay for her freedom, and when he refused, they tortured her, raped her, and God knows what else.”

“When did you find out about this?”

“It was a few months after her funeral. I’d gone up to Dad’s office to ask him something. I was about to open the door when I heard him talking on the phone. You know how he hated to be interrupted, so I just stood there and waited for him to finish the call. That’s when I heard him talking about it.” I felt tears burn my eyes, but I refused to let them fall as I continued, “He was laughing … bragging to whoever was on the other end of the line about how he refused to pay them the money. He said he’d never pay a dime to those idiots. He wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of making them think he could be forced to do anything, even if it was to save her.”

“Are you sure he was talking about your mother? It could’ve been anyone.”

“It was her. He called her by name, Marcus.”

“Damn. I’ve always known your father was a cold, heartless man, but I never dreamed he would let something like that happen to Camilla.”

“We both know she’d have done anything in this world for him.” My heart ached as I thought back to my mother. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever known, inside and out, and I never once doubted her love for me or my father. I saw it in her face, heard it in her voice, and felt it every time she held me in her arms. I missed her dearly, and I hated my father for taking her away from me. “A man who would let that happen to her is nothing but a monster. I wish he was dead.”

He reached into his pocket, and as he pulled out an old photograph, he said, “Well, unfortunately, he’s not dead. In fact, he’s very much alive, and now, he knows everything about you and your new life here in Memphis.”

“What?”

“You had to know he would be looking for you.” He placed the picture on the counter and slid it over to me. I gave it a quick glance, and my heart sank when I saw that it was a picture of me at the Backyard Dogs concert. I’d seen that very same one in a magazine article that was published right after the concert, but I didn’t think it was anything to worry about. It was just my side profile, and it was dark. Apparently it was enough, and now, I was screwed. “I trained you better than this.”

“But how?”

“Facial recognition. All it took was that one simple photograph, and after a few months of connecting the dots, he was able to track you down.”

“Is that why you’ve come to see me? Did he send you?”

He shook his head. “No. Your father has no idea I’m here.”

“Then, why did you come?”

“To warn you, Alejandra.” He shook his head mournfully. “You know how he can be when he wants something, and right now, he’s made it his mission to get his daughter back.”

“I don’t care what his mission is. I’m never going back there,” I snapped. “He’s just going to have to accept that I have a life here, and it doesn’t include him.”

“You wouldn’t have run away, changed your name, and stayed hidden for as long as you have if you truly thought that was possible. It’s you who has to accept that things can’t go the way you want them to. You have to face the fact that your life here is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a life.” He reached into his back pocket and took out a large envelope. “Here’s everything you’ll need to get started.”

When I peeked inside, I found a new ID, social security card, passport, and enough money to buy two bookstores. Angered at the thought of leaving, I snapped, “No. I’m done running, Marcus. I have a life here … the store, my friends, my home, and I can’t just walk away from that.”

“You can, and you will. You have no other choice. Think about what he did to your mother. What makes you think it will be different with you?”

“Because he doesn’t really care about me.”

“That’s exactly why you should be worried! Think about it. There was a time when he loved and adored your mother, and look at what happened to her. Just think of what he’ll do to you.” He cocked his eyebrow and continued, “Your father always gets his way no matter what the cost, and right now, he wants you back home. You and I both know he’ll stop at nothing to make that happen. Do you really want to see how far he will go?”

My heart ached as I answered, “No. I don’t.”

“Then, you have to leave.” He glanced down at the envelope and said, “There’s an address inside. You’ll be safe there.”

Realizing the risk he’d taken to help me, I asked, “Why are you doing all this? You have to know that he’d kill you if he ever found out.”

“I’m well aware of what he would do.” His eyes skirted to the floor as he continued, “I meant what I said. You are like a daughter to me, and I’ve always loved you like you were my own. From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you didn’t belong in that house with him, then after Camilla died, I prayed that you would find your way out. You deserve so much more. You always have. Now that you’ve found your way out, I plan to do everything in my power to keep you from going back there.”

“And you really think this is my only option? There’s nothing else I can do?”

“No, Alejandra. There’s not.”

Accepting my defeat, I asked, “How much time do I have?”

“Not long. If I had to guess, I would say he’ll be here by morning.”

“Then, I guess I better get my things together.”

As he handed me his card, he said, “Here’s my number. If you ever need me, I’m just a phone call away.”

“Are you leaving?”

“I have some things to tend to, but I will be close … at least until I know you’re out of harm’s way.”

I reached out and hugged him tightly. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry that I ever doubted you.”

“None of that matters now.” He took a step back as he looked down at me with concern in his eyes. “I better get going. Remember to call if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Seconds later, he was gone, and for a brief moment, I wondered if his visit was just a figment of my imagination. Then, I felt the envelope in my hand, and suddenly, the weight of the world came crashing down on me. I looked around the bookstore and started to cry as I thought about all the wonderful memories it held. The thought of having to leave everything I’d worked for, everything and everyone I loved behind, I cried and cried some more. After several hours of trying to accept my new-found fate, I wiped the tears from my face and headed upstairs to pack. Searching around my apartment, I grabbed what I could fit into my duffle bag and a couple of boxes. I was about to take the first load out to my car when I heard a strange noise coming from downstairs, and I felt a sudden rush of panic as I remembered that I hadn’t locked the front door. Worried that I might’ve left a customer unattended, I dropped my boxes and rushed downstairs. When I got to the bookstore, I was surprised to find a man hovering over the front counter as he sifted through some of my papers.

I cleared my throat and asked, “Excuse me. Can I help you with something?”

He quickly turned and looked in my direction, and as soon as I saw his face, I recognized him. I studied him for a moment, taking in his size and what weapons he was carrying, and I was surprised to see that he seemed different than I remembered. When I was a kid, I did my best to steer clear of my father’s goons, especially Berny. He was tall and slender with a deep, jagged scar that ran across the left side of his face, and he had long, greasy hair that he always kept braided down his back. I was often intimidated by him in the past, but now, he didn’t seem nearly as threatening. As I took a step towards him, Berny gave me a wicked grin.

With a sinister smile, he snickered. “Long time no see, Alejandra.”

There was no question as to why he was there. He’d come to take me back to my father, and knowing him the way I did, I knew he would use any means necessary to make me go with him. I thought about everything Marcus had taught me as I quickly surveyed the area, doing my best to prepare myself for what was next, because there was no way I was going anywhere without one hell of a fight. I let out a deep breath as I stared him right in the eye and said, “What are you doing here?”

“Your father wants you to come home. He misses you,” he answered sarcastically.

“My father doesn’t miss me, and you know it.”

“Doesn’t really matter if he does or doesn’t. I’m here to bring you home and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Berny, please don’t do this. I can’t go back there. Not after everything that has happened,” I pleaded. “Just let me walk out that door and you can pretend you never saw me.”

“That’s not going to happen, Ale. If I go back without you, it’s my head and you know it.”

“I’m not leaving here with you!” I barked.

“Now, isn’t that precious. Little Alejandra wants to act all big and tough.”

I cocked my head and gave him a coy smile as I sassed, “What makes you think it’s an act?”