Chapter 10 #3
Dominic simply gripped Carlos’s arms. “This has nothing to do with Lorena.” His voice was surprisingly steady. “Your sister has made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you right now.”
Carlos growled. “It really pisses me off how you’re acting so friendly and familiar with her. Why now? You wanted nothing to do with either of us before.”
Mayté’s shoulders shook and her face was just as red as Carlos’s. She looked as if she might burst into tears.
“I know it won’t mean much to you,” Dominic said. “But I’ve been occupied with some other matters—”
Carlos drew back his fist, ready to punch.
“Stop!” Lo jumped up from her seat. Not for Dominic, but for Mayté.
Carlos froze instantly, as if her words were infused with magic.
She had that effect, even on him, without trying.
“Enough, Carlos.” She grasped his arm. He didn’t look particularly muscular, but his arms were strong.
Likely from the strenuous odd jobs he had to do to keep his family afloat.
“It won’t help anyone if you make a scene. ” She looked up at Carlos.
“Yes, please don’t do that.” A new voice chimed in.
Lo and the boys whirled around with a jolt. Misterioso stood inches behind them. When had he even arrived? With a jovial grin, he tipped his white top hat.
Lo’s heart skipped several beats. “Thank you,” she said.
He gave Carlos and Dominic a hardy smack on the back, before turning to the table now filled with the rest of the players. Just like last night, one seat remained empty. “Top of the morning to you, dear contestants. I hope everyone rested well.”
No one said they had. Someone coughed. Another person mumbled something under their breath.
Misterioso ignored the lukewarm response.
“Our next game will be in …” He checked his giant hourglass.
“An hour’s time. Don’t be tardy. Our croupiers and most certainly our Banker do not enjoy waiting.
Now, then. I’m sure you’re curious about what’s to come.
Each day, there will be two rounds.” He held up two fingers.
Even when wearing gloves, it was obvious that his fingers were long and bony.
“One in the afternoon, and one in the evening. This will go on day by day until the winner or winners are declared.”
Lo’s stomach lurched.
“In the past, the eliminations have taken as long as a week. I wish you all the best of luck and a satisfying breakfast,” he said with a bow.
Carlos turned back to Mayté, but she still refused to look his way. His face twisted with pain and anger. “Tch.” He stomped to the elevator.
Mayté lowered her head and roughly wiped at her eyes.
“Listen,” Lo whispered. “Try not to let him get to you. Remember our plan.”
“I know,” Mayté’s voice cracked, but then with a stubborn grunt she took a big bite of food. Good.
Lo needed to focus on her plan too. From the corner of her eye, she watched Misterioso as he moved around the table.
Her heart beat faster as she plotted and planned.
Maybe he was the one she should have pursued all along instead of searching for Mamá last night.
She shoveled down the rest of her breakfast before turning to Mayté.
“I’ll see you in the next round.” There wasn’t any time to explain herself.
She practically jumped out of her seat and rushed after Misterioso as he stepped into the elevator.
“Mind if I join you?” She slipped through the doors just before they closed.
“Oh! Lorena.” Misterioso looked surprised and eyed her up and down. Displeasure sparked in his dark eyes, visible even behind his mask. “Shouldn’t you finish your meal? There will be no time for eating once the next round begins.”
That wasn’t the reaction she had been expecting. Most men would be more than pleased to have a private moment with her like this, but Misterioso pulled out a cigar and began puffing away. He seemed less than interested.
Lo carried on, undeterred. “I’m a light eater,” she replied. The elevator slowed to a stop. She needed to hurry. “And I wanted to make sure all was well after last night. I hope it’s okay that I accepted that key from the Banker.” She twirled one of her curls. Come on. Take the bait.
Misterioso exhaled a puff of smoke and pulled the cigar away from his lips. A few glowing cinders flitted to the floor, transforming into marigold petals. His narrowed gaze turned almost wary. “All will be well as long as you remember you are simply a contestant. Nothing more.”
Lo’s eyes widened. “I—”
“Do not get it confused.” With a ding, the door opened and Misterioso stepped out, leaving behind a puff of smoke. For a moment, it looked like a skull.
“Wait.” She tried to follow, but someone grabbed her arm.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The Banker stood among the smoky haze. Had he been in the elevator this entire time? He smirked, as if amused by her shock.
Lo recovered quickly. “Oh, so I have a guardian angel now?”
The Banker let out a breath, a mixture between a sigh and laugh. “You could say I’m looking out for you. Trust me when I say Misterioso holds his cards close to his chest.”
Very well, Lo thought. Change of plans. The energy coming off the Banker was decidedly different from Misterioso’s. “What about you?” Lo curled her lips into a smile. She didn’t make a move to pull her arm out of his grasp.
“What about me?” The Banker raised an eyebrow, blue eyes gleaming.
“Maybe we can help each other out, hmm?”
“Oh. And how can we do that?” he replied.
Lo laughed. There was something about the Banker that made him easy to talk to.
Something almost familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
She playfully looked out toward the hall, needing those precious few seconds to choose her words carefully.
The long hallway was barren, save for a large mirror at the end.
She turned back to him. “Well, you see, I—”
Wait.
She glanced back at the hallway. No longer was there a mirror, if there had even been one in the first place: a woman stood with her back to her.
With her voluptuous curls, the color of dulce de leche, she could have been Lo’s reflection, her double.
But she wasn’t, and that was the most terrifying part.
Because at that moment, Lo knew she wasn’t looking at some mysterious doppelg?nger, but someone very familiar.
“M-Mamá?” she choked. She rushed out of the elevator, forgetting about the Banker and everything else.
She stumbled over her gown. When she looked back up, the figure was gone.
“Wha—”
A door slammed.
Cursing the lacy frills of her dress, Lo scooped them up and followed the sound. She turned the corner and found a single door. She yanked it open and barreled inside. But what she found was an empty room. Completely empty. White walls. A wood floor. No windows.
No Mamá.
The door slammed shut behind her. She whirled around and jiggled the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t budge. No. This couldn’t be happening. She tried the knob again, before pounding and kicking at the door. She was trapped.
When she turned back around, her heart stopped. The room had completely changed. No longer empty, it was Mamá’s suite in their hacienda.
Sometimes when Lo closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough, she could remember times when Mamá was still around.
Softly singing alabados as Lo fell asleep in her arms. Sitting at Lo’s bedside and soaking rags in water mixed with Alivio Frío and putting them on Lo’s forehead whenever she was sick with a fever.
Laughing until she snorted at the silliest of jokes.
But this time, Lo didn’t have to close her eyes for the memories to unfold.
Mamá’s gown fluttered around as she rushed around the suite, packing a small satchel.
“Mamá,” Lo whispered, the memory overtaking her. “What are you doing?”
Mamá whirled around; in the glow of the night, she looked like Santa Belleza. “Oh, Lorena.” The tightness in her bronze face unraveled.
Back then, Lo couldn’t comprehend her facial expression, but thinking back, it was probably a blessing.
“What are you doing awake?” Mamá caught her in a hug. Much tighter and longer than the usual embrace.
Lo hugged herself, desperate to recapture the feelings of comfort and safety.
“I had a bad dream. Why are you awake, Mamá?” Lo asked, clinging to Mother’s dress. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes.” Mamá knelt and took Lo’s hands. “But you must not tell anyone.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a surprise.”
“Oh!” Lo beamed, bouncing on her toes. Surprises were the best. Better than a brand-new dress or the sweetest flan. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
“Good girl.” Mamá kissed her forehead with a loud smooching pop. “My clever, clever girl.” She stroked Lo’s cheek. “I’m going to Fortune’s Kiss.”
“Wow! Really?” Lo’s heart did somersaults inside her chest. Earlier that day she and Mayté had been talking about Fortune’s Kiss. They didn’t know much about it, but it sounded magical and exciting. “Can I come too?”
“Oh, no, no, no.” Mamá shook her head and grasped Lo’s shoulders. “I won’t be gone for long, and I’ll bring back a surprise for you and your sisters; so, remember, you mustn’t tell anyone.”
Back then Lo envisioned gifts. Toys and new dresses. But now she knew the surprise would have been much more meaningful than those. Mamá intended to have enough money for all of them to escape from Father and start a new life together.
“When will you come back?”
Mamá looked away and bit her lip. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ll see you soon.” She looked back at Lo, her smile sincere. “I promise. Okay?”
“Okay,” Lo said, satisfied.
“Oh, Lorena, my precious mamita.” Mamá hugged her once again, even tighter than before. “I love you so, so much.”
“I love you too, Mamá.”
Lo should have never let her leave. It was the biggest mistake of her life. She wasn’t sure when she ended up on the floor, but she stared up at the ceiling, full of cobwebs and dust from years of neglect.
Maybe she shouldn’t have come to Fortune’s Kiss either. Maybe she was doomed to the same fate as Mamá, trapped here.
Forever and ever.
With no one to know where she had gone.