Valentina
Diego’s outburst visibly pained him, but there’s no time to process any of that information or even Mindy’s arrival here.
The gathering crowd out here means we have to go.
We grab what we can from the bags, and I slip the black card into my pocket, then Diego takes Mindy’s hand and drags her from the room.
She giggles the entire time, an alarming change from the teary woman ready to hand us over to a hell she knows nothing about.
With Diego in front and Mindy between us, I take up the rear and we sneak from the room while keeping low on the walkway.
Half walking, half running, we make it far enough along the walkway that the next building blocks our view of the parking lot, and from there, we all break into a full sprint toward the end.
Reaching it, we take the stairs down, and Mindy continues to laugh, although all humor is gone from her tone.
She sounds more maniacal than anything else.
My heart pounds but thanks to the painkillers, none of my wounds throb any more painfully than a small bruise, although my stomach continues to gurgle, a mix of hunger and stress.
At the base of the stairs, Diego pushes Mindy into me.
“Watch her,” he says, then he takes off across the back parking lot toward the only car that looks like it has life left in it.
“You shouldn’t trust him, y’know,” Mindy says with a slight slur to her words. She gazes up at me through heavy lids. “He’s not a nice person.”
I wince inwardly. “I know a lot of not nice people,” I reply, holding her arm so she stays steady. “He’s the nicest out of all of them.”
“He did this.” She motions at herself. “He’ll do it to you as well.”
“I don’t think so.” I’m not scared of Diego.
I’m scared of the people in the parking lot, the mysterious men who chase us down.
I’m scared of what they might do to Diego or me if they get ahold of us.
I’m scared that what’s hidden in my memories will be deserving of such treatment and I’ll be the dangerous one out of the two of us.
“He’s a monster,” Mindy snarls. “You’d be better off with me than him. He’s not the kind of man who cares about anyone but himself.”
“Maybe that’s the version you knew,” I reply. “And if so, I’m sorry. But the things you’re doing? Manipulating him and threatening us? That makes you even worse.”
“The fuck do you know?” Mindy raises her voice and starts pulling against my hold. “You’re just some uppity bitch that—”
“Let’s go.” Diego interrupts with a gasp as he makes it back to us.
“I hot-wired the car. Let’s get out of here.
” He takes over helping Mindy and he’s as gentle with her as he was with me, even as she curses him out while we hurry across the parking lot to the stolen car.
He even helps her into the back and ensures she doesn’t bump her head.
For a man she views as a monster, and who has every right to leave her behind, he’s doing a lot to ensure that she’s safe.
I climb into the passenger with the bags at my feet, and Diego drives as soon as my butt hits the seat.
We race out of the rear parking lot and he takes us onto a road that leaves the motel in the dust behind us, along with all those people.
No one speaks, and for the first few miles, there’s nothing but a heavy silence and several worried glances at the rearview mirror.
No one follows.
The road behind us remains dark and quiet with only a few random cars weaving in and out of view.
“So.” Mindy smacks her lips together and leans between the front seats. “You wanna tell me what you’re running from?”
“No,” Diego replies tiredly.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
“Tell me or I’ll scream.”
Diego shoots her a withered look. “Who would you be trying to reach with a scream, anyway? You’d just piss us off.”
She genuinely looks like she’s contemplating it but ultimately decides against it and plays with one of her bracelets as her attention shifts to me.
“What happened to your head?”
“I fell.”
“When?”
“A while ago.”
“Hmm.” She sucks on her teeth. “Why are you with my Diego?”
“I’m not yours,” Diego repeats with the weight of a man who can’t understand why the message doesn’t sink in.
“Sure, that’s what you tell yourself so your new bitch doesn’t think you’re a cheater.”
“I don’t think he’s a cheater,” I reply. “But we have different views on Diego and I’m not going to argue.”
“Why?” Mindy’s face comes close to mine, and her sour breath floods my nose. “Too uptight to argue?”
“Too tired.”
“Tired?” She snorts and leans back. “You look like you haven’t worked a day in your life. How the fuck can you be tired?”
I grit my teeth. Maybe that is what I look like. There’s no denying I’ve taken care of myself, but given the skills I unlocked and the men I escaped from, there must be something I’ve been doing. Something I can’t pinpoint.
“Mindy, enough,” Diego mutters.
“Pay me and I’ll shut up.”
“Is that really all you care about?” I turn in my seat to face her. “You just want someone else’s money?”
“It’s drug money, what do you care?” Mindy flashes a toothy smile at me. “And he owes me.”
“Because he’s the reason you’re high?”
“That’s right.”
“So the money you manipulated out of him before, you spent that on drugs?”
Mindy rolls her eyes. “Duh.”
“How is that his fault?”
Mindy leans forward and flicks her finger against my forehead, forcing me to jerk back. “Because I wouldn’t be addicted in the first place if not for him.”
“Did he put the needle in your arm?”
“Basically.”
“But did he?”
“Yes—”
“No,” Diego cuts in, and his knuckles turn white around the steering wheel. “I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit, but don’t you dare lie like that.”
Mindy sighs dramatically and kicks her feet as she lounges back once more. “Fiiiine. I did it because I was curious, but he bought it.”
“You stole it,” Diego corrects. “You stole it and got high and then blamed me.”
“If you hadn’t gotten high and ignored me, I wouldn’t have been bored!” Mindy snaps back.
Diego’s jaw tics back and forth as if he’s restraining himself, then he nods once. “Sure. Maybe it is my fault. But you made your choices, Mindy.”
“Fuck off. Are you gonna pay me or what?”
Diego suddenly brings the car to a stop and we all jolt forward slightly. He turns to face me and flashes me a weak, sorry smile, then he faces Mindy. “I’m giving you money to keep your mouth shut. That’s it.”
“Don’t.” I reach for him and take his hand. “Don’t pay her for that. It won’t matter.”
“Bitch, don’t interrupt!” Mindy snarls.
Diego meets my eyes, then seems to decide in favor of me and hurries from the car. He moves around to Mindy’s door and opens it, then half-helps, half drags her out.
“I brought you home, Mindy. I’ll order some food for you, okay? Just go and get some rest, please.”
“No! Give me money!”
“Here!” A roll from his pocket is all he has on hand and he tosses it at her. “Mindy, please! Just…” He steps away from her but she stumbles back, losing her balance. When she falls, he visibly fights the urge to help her and hurries back into the car.
“Diego!” She’s back on her feet and slamming her hands on the door by the time he starts the car again. “If you leave, I’ll kill myself!”
Diego grits his teeth and starts driving, leaving her screaming and cursing in the distance. He breathes heavily, almost panting, and for a few long minutes, I get the sense that he’s trying to restrain himself from turning back or yelling.
“I’m sorry,” he says suddenly. “I’m sorry I sold drugs.
I needed the money for your meds and the clothes and the food.
Mindy’s right… I’m not a good person. I was an addict.
I hurt a lot of people. I’ve been clean for five years and it’ll never be enough because I went out and I sold tonight because I had no money left.
I’m sorry. If you… If you hate me or don’t trust me or anything, then I understand. I do. I’m sorry, I’m—”
He cuts himself off when I take his hand in mine and squeeze gently. “I don’t hate you.”
“You don’t?” He sounds almost wounded as he speaks.
“I don’t remember my past, Diego. And you’ve been insanely kind to me. I can’t judge you for yours when I’ve no idea what exists in mine. We all have a past life and I see you still trying to help her. So no, I don’t hate you. And I’m not judging you for how you got your money, either.”
He lets out a shaky breath, then nods quickly. “Okay. Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Good.”
“Could you, uh…” Refusing to let me go, he takes his other hand off the wheel and hands me his phone. “Mindy’s address is in there under Cunt. Sorry. Could you order her some food and groceries? I’ve put money in my account so it’ll be good.”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
By the time the order is complete, we’ve driven far from the motel and Diego pulls up in front of a small cafe bathed in warm, yellow light.
“Come on,” he says with a tired smile. “We need to eat.”