Chapter Nine Choose Your Poison
Henry
“What thing?” I asked her quietly.
“They were going to poison the kids,” Maya replied.
I didn’t feel surprised. Those two were as evil as their brother Santiago.
He had threatened to kill those kids several times, according to Carlos.
The reason they remained hidden for years had been because of that.
Santiago told Carlos that if he ever tried to rescue them, that they would be killed.
“I gasped in fear and they heard me,” Maya went on with her story. “They demanded that I come down the steps. I told them I was going to bed. Omara then stepped out into the light at the base of the steps and pointed a large gun up at me. She ordered me to come down.”
“Bloody hell,” I whispered.
Nodding, Maya went on, “I believed that I was about to die, Henry.”
I reached over and took her trembling hand into mine.
“When I got to the dirt floor at the base of the steps…” She paused and shook her head.
“I saw two open graves. I couldn’t believe this because those two never even picked up a sponge to clean.
So I knew that they would never pick up a shovel and dig.
I asked them how they dug those holes? They both laughed and told me they hired the man who came to fix the pipes.
Saying he was the sort that accepted dinero and kept his mouth shut.
” Maya shook her head. “They said they got news about Carlos disappearing and were told that the cousins were coming. They were very afraid of those men. Then they finally told me that the kids were gonna be worm food.” Maya choked on a sob.
I squeezed her hand. I really didn’t know how to comfort a woman. Take her to bed, yes. Walk away after the bedding, yes. But comfort? No.
“They had the twins’ graves dug!” Maya exclaimed with tears in her eyes. “While I stared at the mounds of dirt and the open ground, I felt my heart pounding so hard that I couldn’t even hear their cackling.”
I noted that her breathing had picked up and she looked ashen now as her hand felt cold in mine.
“Let me get you a drink. I spotted a mini bar when we came in.” I knew that alcohol might help like it did when a person was in shock.
I stood and went to get something to relax her nerves.
I grabbed the first bottle I saw and poured her a small shot then took it over to her.
“I don’t drink that stuff,” she told me.
“You need something. It will help.” I handed it to her.
With a shaky hand, she took it then downed it. Setting the shot glass down, her eyes widened as she coughed.
Yes, I already regretted the taking a shot idea.
Her eyes teared up and she kept coughing.
I patted her on the back then went to the small fridge and opened it. Yes! Bottled water. I turned and headed back to the sofa as I uncrewed the cap. Handing it to her, I said, “Sorry ’bout that.” Like I said… I was crap at comforting a crying female.
Grabbing the bottle, she took a big swig of it. Then she lowered her head and continued with the horrid tale, “Those two bitches held a gun on me as they forced me to dig my own grave.”
I stared at her and felt a sudden rage that I didn’t think I could keep hidden. I regretted something else now. The fact that I couldn’t kill those two hags from hell myself.
“They taunted me as I dug. Telling me if I had minded my own business, they just would have fired me and sent me on my way. But now I had to die first. That I shouldn’t worry though.
I would go to heaven like they knew I counted on doing.
They laughed at me as they called me a good girl that should have been a nun.
I cried and dug as they wouldn’t stop. Then… ” Maya’s voice faded away.
I waited for the rest of it as I tried hard to reel in my anger.
She turned her head to look at me. “They said terrible things about the twins. Like they were the children of a whore and a loser. That Hope was a whore like her mother and Alex was a loser like his father. That they weren’t worth the time they’d spent taking care of them.
They hated every minute of it ever since they were babies.
They were happy to be free of such miserable children and they would get to live on Santiago’s money while sipping margaritas on the beach.
Then they kept yelling at me to DIG…DIG!
” Maya peered up at me and her eyes looked red rimmed.
“Omara asked me, did I know that the poison would make them puke with unbelievable pain before they died? I panicked as I knew I had to stop them even if they shot me. I l-lost it. I swung the shovel at Omara and she stumbled back. The gun in her hand went off and the bullet hit Pilar in shoulder. They were both screaming and yelling. I stepped up out of my shallow grave and swung that shovel at them again and again.” Sucking in a deep breath, she stammered, “B-before I even knew it…I-I had crushed their h-heads in…”
I grabbed her up and folded my arms around her.
She made no sound and had no tears as I held her close for a few minutes.
Then she spoke quietly, “I don’t even remember most of it.
I think I just kept hitting them?” She sniffled and went on, “I prayed to God that I would be forgiven for this sin. Then I rolled them into the graves and spent two hours burying them.” Maya finally looked up at me.
“I do not regret it. I felt nothing but relief. But we couldn’t leave because Alvaro and Miguel came the next morning before I could get the kids out of the house.
Then they watched the place closely. I did fear that they would find out about me killing the sisters.
But I made up that story that the tías were afraid and ran off.
I told you all the very same story. I moved their luggage to that basement.
I admit that I took the money they had from Santiago and hid it.
I thought I may have to flee with the kids on my own.
I was so afraid those men were going to kill the kids.
I had Omara’s gun and hoped that I would be able to stop them. Then you all showed up that same day.”
“I am known to wax poetic, so they say. It drives Rainmaker crazy too. But I have one for this subject too. It...” I paused and admitted, “It always reminded me of my father, but it fits those witches perfectly. On the human heart a stone—They are neither man nor woman—They are neither brute nor human—They are Ghouls.”
She stared at me and slowly nodded her head as a lone tear streaked down along her cheek. “But Henry that could describe me too. I murdered them!”
I kept my arm around her. “Crikey, Maya. You are a courageous soul. And the last thing anyone would believe is that you are a ghoul. You saved those kids. They claimed that you had saved them already but they don’t even know that you—”
She raised her fingers and placed them over my lips. “They are to never know!” she pleaded.
I nodded at her then murmured through her fingers, “I would never do such a thing.”
“You promise that you will not tell anyone?”
I chuckled and grasped her hand to kiss her fingers. “I will not betray your confidence.”
Her face went pink as she whispered, “Henry?”
I kissed her palm now and hummed, “Hmm?”
“Why are you kissing my hand?” she asked.
I paused mid-fingertip-kiss and looked up at her.
She stared at me and told me in a soft voice, “O via. You have the most amazing eyes. Where did you get emerald eyes from?”
I stared at her as that had been the last thing I expected her to say. I laughed and replied, “The eyeball fairy?” Then I shook my head and told the truth, “My mother.”
Her cheeks went pink as she added, “I have never met a man with green eyes before.”
“Well, I am glad that I stand out in some way.”
She chuckled. “Spacca. You are built like a tank, Henry. Of course, you stand out. You have this sound to your voice when you speak. It is so…” Her voice fell away.
I looked into her eyes as I never guessed that she noticed anything spectacular about me really. “I have a list too,” I confessed.
“A list?” she asked.
Nodding, I replied, “About you…There are sparkling gold flecks in your eyes. I have never seen that before either. Then your hair is so damned silky.” I reached up and rubbed a lock of it between my fingers. “I also love the tone of your skin. You have like a beautiful sun kissed look.”
She dropped her gaze down as if she couldn’t look at me.
“Then this shyness,” I added with a chuckle. “It is adorable.”
Raising her head, she looked at me. “I really like you Henry…a lot. But we can’t…
I cocked my head at her. I knew what she meant but I intended to change her mind.
I really liked her too. In fact, more than any woman I had met in a long time.
I took her hand in mine again. “We can wait on deciding that. What I need to know about is that you told the twins you would need to leave soon.”
Nodding, she sighed. “I have to be in Catemaco before the blood moon. And that will be the day after tomorrow. I will be leaving here as soon as I can.”
I paused at this odd answer to ask, “What?”
“It is a lunar eclipse where the moon turns red and—”
I nodded as I raised my hand up at her. “I know what that is, but why?”
“It will happen over Catemaco…” She shook her head.
“But according to my brother, you were already in Mexico, looking for your family.”
Nodding, she looked away.
I waited for her to give me more information. “Maya, I can help you. I—”
She stood from the sofa and snapped at me, “No!”
“You can’t go back there by yourself.”
“I was there for three years by myself.” She moved away from me.
“Then why didn’t you leave in those three years? I mean obviously they aren’t there or you never found them.”
“I did not find them,” she replied as she paced the area in front of the bar.
“I’m confused. You said you stayed because of the kids?”
She halted her pacing and finally looked at me. “I did, but this is set to happen…” She shook her head. “It is really dangerous, Henry.”
I stood and went over to her. “Yes Maya, kidnappings in foreign counties is usually dangerous. That is why you need help.”
Shaking her head, she stepped back. “I do not want anyone else to get killed over this.”
“Anyone else?”
She bit at her lip and nodded. “I hired a private detective to look for them and he was murdered.” She stared at me as he lips trembled. “Then my brother went looking…He was killed too.”
“In Mexico?”
“Yes. So, I cannot let you—”
I grabbed her upper arms. “You are going back there by yourself after people have been murdered because they were looking for your parents?”
“Yes, Henry and my sister.”
“You already placed yourself in danger there. You must have known…”
“I did know. That is why I became a nanny. I hid in that job, in that part of town. I was very careful.”
“But now you will be right out in the open with no real cover. And you still haven’t explained what is happening. If you were there for three years and you never found them, why are you returning?”
“I already told you.”
“The blood moon.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Look…” I dropped my hands from her arms. “My job is done here. The twins are safe as is Carlos. I can go with you.”
“If you were killed…” Tears filled her eyes. “I would never forgive myself or you!”
I chuckled. “If I’m dead, I would hope that you would forgive me.”
She stomped her foot. “No! I won’t live with that. I pray every day for forgiveness. I’ve gotten a few people killed because of my search. I can’t—”
A knock sounded on my door.
I sighed and told her, “This discussion is not over.” I went around her and opened the door.
Rain stood there.
I shook my head at his sudden appearance at this particular time and motioned for him to come ion. “How did you find me?”
Rain came through the door. “Really Sir? You are going to ask me that?”
I smirked at him, knowing he was being a smartass about being the best tracker in the universe. “Yeah, it was sort of redundant.” I shut the door.
Rain paused when he saw Maya. “Funny thing. I was looking for you, Miss Maya.”
I laughed now. “You found someone by accident?”
Rain rolled his eyes and used a British accent to mock me, “Oh, do shut up, sir knight.”
“So, what do you need with her?” I asked and even I could hear an edge in my voice.
Swinging his gaze over to me, he raised a brow. “Is that your business?”
“Yes, it is,” I replied almost instantly.
“It is not,” Maya spoke up, refuting what I just said.
Rain looked back and forth at us. “What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Maya replied.
He stared at her then at me.
I let out a breath and crossed my arms over my chest. I wanted something to go on between us, I admit. I hated the fact that Maya was determined to push me away. I knew she liked me too. Up until I insisted on going to Mexico with her. I stared at Rain and said, “We need a tracker. Are you busy?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Do you have information on the package or person already?”
I looked over at Maya.
She stomped her foot and glared at me. “You are not going!