Chapter 24

Lilly

I can't believe them! How could every person in that room actually believe Rose would do this to me? Put me through what she’s been through. I can’t believe they think so little of the relationship we’ve built. Gunner especially.

He knows how much time we spent together when I was here on the weekends. He may not have been privy to our girl talk, but he could hear the giggles just the same. Our girl talks taught me a lot about my sister...

Losing her baby and knowing she may never see her other children again kills Rose every day. I wish I knew how to help her. I do the best I can, just listening to her and holding her while she cries.

“Lil, I’m so worried about what the cartel is going to do to Olivia,” Rose whimpers in my arms.

“Shhh,” I coo, stroking my hand down her hair.

“Knowing what they do with girl babies is why I refused to learn the sex of my last baby. The one I…” Her sobs prevent her from finishing.

I squeeze her tightly and rock her.

“I knew in my heart it was a precious, baby girl. And I knew what they’d do to me for birthing another daughter. While I was at the compound, two of our sisters were killed for having baby girls,” she said in a trembly voice.

“Why?”

“It’s a crime to the Infierno cartel to have girls,” her voice is matter of fact.

“Don’t they know it's their damn fault if it’s a girl and not a boy? I mean it has nothing to do with the woman carrying the child but their damn soldiers,” I admonish.

“My Evaristo is different though.” The look in her eye when she says his name is almost affectionate, like maybe she loves him. Is that possible?

“So, he’s not a chavenistic pig like the rest of the cartel?” I scoff.

“In time, we came to understand each other. I came to know the man underneath the cartel exterior. When our first daughter was born, Evaristo feared for me and her. If he didn’t love us, he wouldn’t have cared. But he didn’t want our baby girl sold on the black market or to be raised for use in the cells. And he didn’t want me killed for failing to produce a boy.”

“Hmm,” I mumble skeptically.

“Because Evaristo was high-ranking enough, he was able to convince Enterrador that it would devestate me to lose my little girl. Told him I’d be more likely to give the cartel more boys if they let me keep Olivia.” Tears start pouring again. “My sweet Olivia. What have they done with my girl?”

“Hey now, we’re going to find her. G told me that the task force doesn’t think she’s been sold. That’s good. We have to remain positive,” I try to sound hopeful. I need to distract her, but I know next to nothing about her. I was so young when she was taken. “So, how did you come to be… uh… married to Evaristo?” It’s a stupid question, but it’s the best I’ve got.

“I’d only been at the compound a week, when this handsome man came by. He was distinguished looking, not criminal like some of the others. He took me from the common area back to what became our apartment. He said my beauty took his breath away. In the beginning, a few other men tried to steal me away from Evaristo and make me theirs. I was terrified. I stopped leaving the apartment,” she tells me.

“How could they take you when Evaristo already had you?”

“Until a woman is with child, anyone may claim her. Evaristo doesn’t like to lose what’s his. So, in the beginning there was a lot of … you know.” Her face flushes deep red. “I was no more than a glorified sex slave. Don’t get the wrong idea, he wasn’t rough with me. He was always gentle.”

“Rose, it doesn’t matter that he wasn’t rough with you. That he didn’t beat you. If you didn’t want it, it’s still rape,” I tell her calmly but firmly.

“I know. But believe me, I was fortunate that Evaristo found me beautiful. If I’d been claimed by any of the others…” She shudders in my arms. “Anyway, I got pregnant, and things changed. Something about a man taking care of his pregnant wife, doting on her, and then caring for a baby, changes the perspective of both people. And once I was pregnant, it was official. No one could take me from him, and the urgency to make me pregnant disappeared.”

“So, things got better after you became parents?”

“Oh yes. But I was still terrified. I kept to myself. For years, I don’t think I spoke to anyone other than Evaristo and the kids. Then Emily came to live with us. I talked to her.”

“I’m sure that was nice,” I say.

“Yeah. It was.” She goes silent for several long moments. “Lil, do you think I’m ever going to see my children again?”

A knock on the door snaps me from my trip down memory lane. Gunner pushes it open to enter.

“It's your room. You don’t need to knock,” I huff.

Walking over, he grabs my hands from my lap. Kneeling in front of me as I sit on his bed, he declares, “It's our room now, baby girl. I'm sorry for upsetting you in church. I… I just can't lose you.”

Pulling my hands from his grasp, I look down at him. “Rose would never hurt me like that. And I never thought you could either.”

Looking up into my eyes, hurt fills his, and it takes me back. “You left me, Lilly. You ran with no explanation. No calls. Nothing. I cannot lose you again. The thought of having to go through it another time literally guts me. I’d rather lose my life than go through that again.” Standing, he begins to pace the room.

“Now, they’re saying someone’s here. Someone’s been helping this fucker for God knows how long. And Mythic,” he hollers, throwing his hands in the air, “she has some crazy ass plan that everyone’s just willing to follow along with. While we know nothing, not a god damned thing, about her. Well, aside from the fact that Diablo wants her. The fucking head of that damned cartel wants her. What the fuck for?”

“I don’t know, Gunner. I really don’t. But if it gets me out of this mess, I'm willing to trust her.”

“When it comes to your safety, baby girl, I don’t trust anyone but me,” he says with a huff before walking out of our room, slamming the door behind him.

Jesus, this is not how I expected the day to go.

I need him to trust her. I need him to understand that Mythic wouldn’t do anything to put me in harm's way. But this plan… I need to know what she's thinking.

Leaving my room, I wander downstairs looking for the woman in question. She's not in the main room, not that I thought she would be in the first place. As usual, she’s in Snoopy's lair. I make the mistake of not knocking and walk in on her in Snoopy's arms as she cries.

Looking up at me when I step into the room, he gives a small shake of his head.

“You don’t know what will happen, Mythic. There's no way to know if Enterrador will even know who you are, let alone Diablo,” he tells her as he rubs her back.

“Enterrador will know. I have no doubt about that,” she says with a sniffle.

“Who are you to them, Mythic?” I ask. “This can't just be about the Amijos if Enterrador will know you. You weren't even home when he came for them.”

Turning to look at me, she wipes her nose on her arm. With a sniffle, she says, “The Armijos are known to run the Asesino, but that’s not true. I know more about the Infierno cartel and Asesino than is healthy for any one person to know. Diablo has wanted my head on a platter since I was sixteen.”

“You told me once that Jesús was targeted as a way to get to you. Why?” I ask, tilting my head to the side.

“Jesús didn’t order the kill on Enterrador’s wife. But if it was blamed on him, the Infierno would have a reason to go after the family without repercussions. Something Diablo had been wanting for almost ten years. I don’t think he expected Enterrador to take out the family on his own though. It put a kink in his plans and gave me a chance to run. And I did. I ran as far and fast as I could.”

“You ran. I already know that. But you’ve yet to tell me why you would even need to run from Diablo in the first place. Jesús hid you for what eight, ten years? Why?”

Mythic’s face transforms from sadness to pure rage. Within an instant she’s in my bubble of personal space. “There are things you have no right knowing about me, Lilly. Things I don’t and won't talk about. Jesús hid me because my daughter was his niece. A baby born out of the continued rape I suffered at the hands of his brother. That’s all you need to know. I didn’t even get to bury my baby girl, Lilly. I haven't been able to go and talk to her or even see her headstone. Nothing,” she exclaims. “She was taken from me for simply being born. Do you know how much guilt I carry because of that?” she screams in my face.

“Back up, Mythic,” Gunner growls from behind me. I didn’t even hear him come in. The door is cracked behind me. I didn’t shut it when I walked in. Beyond Gunner, a small crowd is gathered in the hallway. Angel has tears running down her cheeks, and Cessy clutches Phoenix to her chest.

“I'm sorry for what you’ve been through,” Angel says quietly.

Pushing the door open so everyone can see her, she says, “ I understand you don’t know me. And I understand that what I'm asking might seem crazy, but believe me no one, no one in this clubhouse wants to come face-to-face with these people less than me.”

Looking at me, she asks with a bite, “So are you going to trust me to take care of this, Lilly, or do you want to keep running?”