Chapter Eighteen #2
Misha suddenly began barking, rushing toward the studio door. Someone knocked loudly on the door, and then the knob turned and the door began to swing inward.
She hadn’t locked it. She usually did, but she’d forgotten in her haste to give Misha her treat and get to the photographs. Then she’d become so immersed in her search that she didn’t think about safety again. Wilder was going to give her the lecture of all lectures.
She stepped back toward the drawer where she kept a gun. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a magazine in it. She kept them separate. It was in the drawer, but she didn’t have time to whip it out. To her absolute and utter relief, Guadalupe burst into the room.
“Harlow, I’m so sorry for the interruption, but I need to talk to you alone. Right now. It’s so important.”
She was visibly upset and very anxious, looking around the room. She turned back and locked the studio door. For some reason, that didn’t make Harlow feel safe.
“Sit down, Guadalupe. What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been doing some things I’ll regret for the rest of my life and I’ve put you in terrible danger.
I’m the girl your father got pregnant. When I first met you, I realized who you were.
I swear, I wanted to not blame you for what he did to me.
I didn’t feel any animosity toward you because I believed you were most likely a victim, as I was.
I never saw any evidence of you associating with your parents. ”
She took a deep breath and once again looked around the room and then at the windows. “There are too many lights in here. Can you dim them? Or turn them off?”
“Slow down. Take a deep breath. Did someone follow you here?”
“He knows where you live. I did that. I told him about you. He despises the senator, your mother and you. He sent the death threats, and he’s coming here.” There were genuine tears in Guadalupe’s eyes.
“Who?” Harlow asked, reaching for her phone.
“My son. Your half brother. He’s coming, and he can be…” She hesitated as if searching for the right word. She finally settled. “Dangerous. He can be dangerous. Like Rainier or Wilder kind of dangerous.”
Harlow’s hand wrapped around her phone, and she brought it to her chest, right over her heart. Her brother. He was alive, and Guadalupe believed he was coming to harm her. After all the dreams and fantasies she’d built over her entire life, this was the final result.
If she texted the security detail Wilder set up for her, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he made one wrong move. She wanted to at least have the opportunity to talk to him. Let him know she’d searched for him. That she had nothing to do with her parents.
“Tell me what happened to you, Guadalupe. And him. Tell me about him.” While she spoke, she wrote a text to Larado and Falcon but didn’t hit the send button.
She knew she was stalling, but there was no evidence of her brother, the studio was locked, and the lights were dim.
She leaned against the cabinet where her gun was kept.
She intended, as casually as possible, to load it.
“They dumped me across the border right into the Delgotto Cartel territory. I was terrified they would kill my baby or sell him and I’d never see him again.
I wanted him the moment I knew I was pregnant.
I happened to be distantly related to the Delgottos.
I came up with a plan to save my son. Unfortunately, it sold us both into servitude.
Once you’re in with the cartel, the only way out is death. ”
“Having the senator as your son’s father had to be a huge bargaining chip. They could blackmail him.”
“I wanted to save that particular asset for my son. I was certain he would need it someday, particularly if I didn’t survive.
The only way for me to serve the cartel was to be trafficked.
That isn’t a life one can live for too many years.
I planned everything out very carefully, and then I went to the head of the cartel, Enrique Delgotto, and offered to swear allegiance and the future allegiance of my son.
I convinced him that my son would be a tremendous asset, as would I. ”
Harlow’s heart ached for her. That must have been so terrifying for a sixteen-year-old girl to do. She realized that not only was Guadalupe resilient, incredibly strong, but she was also extremely intelligent to plan out years ahead and make the commitment, knowing exactly what would happen to her.
“Guadalupe,” she murmured, wishing she could somehow take all the years of pain away.
“They allowed me to carry my baby and take care of him for the first few months. I worked out and made certain I looked good. They had a school where we supposedly taught Spanish to the local ranchers. Of course, it was all about serving their needs. I met Benedict Brown there. He was much older and almost immediately became enamored with me. I will admit I encouraged it. My goal was to become a United States citizen. I needed a sponsor. Benedict was a very powerful man with a lot of influence. He was thoroughly entrenched with law enforcement and politicians in that region. Again, I convinced the cartel that the match would be a good thing, and in the end, they allowed the marriage.”
“This was the man who abused you so severely.”
Guadalupe nodded slowly. “He used me to blackmail businessmen and politicians by having me seduce them, but then he would fly into a rage and beat me after I gave him the videos. That went on for some years. Through it all, my son was very aware, and as he grew it was under the influence of Enrique. Enrique treated him like a son. He had no heirs, and as Salvadore grew up, Enrique taught him more and more of the business. Naturally, Salvadore wanted me away from Benedict and out of the trafficking business.”
“I can’t imagine how painful that must have been for a young boy, or growing teen, to see the way his mother was treated.”
“It has scarred him,” Guadalupe admitted. “I didn’t know how else to save him. We’re very close. Enrique discouraged our relationship at first, but Salvadore refused to allow him to drive a wedge between us.”
“I’m so glad you’ve had that relationship, Guadalupe.
” She felt tears burning in her eyes. “I always wanted a brother. I wanted you in my life as well. I know I didn’t suffer anywhere as much as you did, but I thought of us as being close.
I wanted to be close to someone. Until I came to Knightly, I didn’t feel as if I had a single person in my life.
I was such a dreamer. I would always go into my head and create these ridiculous scenarios where you and my brother would come save me. That you would want me.”
“And instead,” Guadalupe said, shame in her tone, “I put death threats in your mailbox.”
“I don’t blame you, either of you, for hating me. I couldn’t help you. I didn’t know how, but honestly, I would have if I could have.”
“I realize that. I tried to tell Salvadore that you’re innocent in all this, another victim of the senator. I knew he was coming here tonight. He told me. I think it’s best if you’re locked up safe somewhere. I need more time to talk to him.”
It occurred to Harlow she’d been so engrossed in Guadalupe’s story that she hadn’t sent the text to Larado or loaded her gun.
She reluctantly hit send, mostly because she knew Wilder would be furious if anything happened to her.
He’d most likely try to take on the cartel single-handedly.
And she wanted to live to be with him. To spend a lifetime with him.
She may have dreamt of having a brother, but the fact was, she didn’t know him.
She might feel empathy for him. She wanted the best for him.
She knew he’d had a difficult life, but she wasn’t responsible.
She wasn’t going to pay with her life for his need for vengeance.
Making up her mind, she slid the drawer open and reached in for her gun.
“When your hand comes out of the drawer, it had better be empty.” The voice came from across the room, somewhere in the shadows.
Harlow immediately looked around frantically for Misha.
She hadn’t made a sound. The dog lay on the floor, unmoving.
She started toward her, but Guadalupe stepped directly in front of her, both arms wide, blocking Harlow as best she could.
Harlow was tall, and Guadalupe not so much.
Her son would still have a head shot if he was inclined to shoot.
The sound of an exaggerated sigh could be heard. “Really, Mama? You’re being overdramatic. It isn’t like she’s not a head taller than you. Stop flapping your arms around. You’re short; just accept it.”
“That isn’t funny, Salvadore. Don’t you dare shoot her.”
“I’m not going to shoot her. Put your arms down.” Salvadore sounded amused.
Harlow wasn’t amused in the least. There was nothing at all funny about the situation. “What did you do to my dog?”
“The dog is fine. I darted her. She’ll sleep for a few minutes and give us time to talk. My madre is convinced you’re as much a victim of the senator as she is.”
Harlow shook her head as Guadalupe reluctantly dropped her arms. “I didn’t have it that bad.
He beat me, but he didn’t molest me. I’m certain my mother had threatened him against that.
I found out about you when I was ten. I walked in on him trying to rape one of my friends when I was older.
It wasn’t a great childhood, but I assure you, it was nothing like what he condemned you and your mother to. ”
“Mama, step away from her so I can see what my sister looks like.”
Harlow couldn’t help that her stomach somersaulted at the implication that he viewed her as a sister.
She should be wary of him. Keep her distance.
He was a member of the cartel, perhaps even the reigning heir.
He did despicable things, things she could never condone.
He’d sent her death threats and meant them.