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In all the years that passed, his old life became nothing but a memory. The fragments of an unattainable dream. Here in this rebel camp, Esai had managed to put those memories far away. Life here was hard, he worked in the vegetable gardens every day until the blisters were on his hands and he was too tired to even think about his fiancée and his son or daughter. Life was hardly a life—it was all about survival. Without a future, for he knew he could never return to his family. He was forever cut off from them. Here, among all the young cartel victims—of which Alesia had been one too—Esai felt he was still doing something good, even if it was nothing like the life he had always dreamed of.
Seeing the Mayan kuttes, however, had shaken the ground beneath his feet.
Suddenly even this little world was no longer safe.
Gilly had looked straight at him—and it had sent both a jolt of fear and sadness through him. If the man ratted him out, he was a dead man. His father would lose everything, for he had betrayed the club by taking his son to safety.
And yet...
Would Gilly still have contact with Alesia?
Was she now married to another man? Had she ever overcome his loss? For nights, these questions haunted his mind. Should he take his chances, the next time Gilly came by? He yearned for answers. Suppose she wasn't doing well as a single mother... then she could come to this side of the border. Then they could resume their lives here.
For the next few days—no, it was weeks—he lingered around the opening of the tunnel from which the Mayans had come the last time. He waited and waited—and finally, three Mayans visited the camp again.
Esai snuck up behind them. Gilly fell slightly behind, looking around—did he want to speak to him too? Finally, their eyes met. Esai disappeared between two tents, while the Mayan stooped to tie his laces.
"Alesia," Esai whispered. His voice trembled at the mention of her name. "Is she ... is she all right?"
"She misses you."
Esai squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Emotions waltzed over him. "Can you get her here?"
Gilly looked aside. "How are you still alive?"
"It's safer for you if you don't know any details."
Gilly heaved a sigh, then nodded. "I will bring her here ... along with your daughter."
A stab went through his chest.
A daughter ... He had a daughter ...
A tear detached itself from his eyelashes and slid down.
Two days later, someone told him there was a visitor. Immediately he left the allotments and ran toward the encampment. It had to be her. It couldn't be anyone else.
Just before he reached the first tent, a paralyzing feeling swept through him. Maybe Gilly has betrayed me and they're here to kill me, this time for real.
His world stood still when he saw her, and he remained standing as if petrified.
There she really was, her hair tied together in a high ponytail, the scar winding across her face. She was still so damn beautiful. And she was holding a girl's hand.
His daughter.
He tried to urge himself to walk on, but it was as if his feet were cast in concrete. Were they real? Or was his imagination running away with him?
As if sensing his hesitation, she turned her head to the side. Her eyes grew large, and her lips parted. Although she was still too far away to hear anything she'd say, he was sure it was his name rolling from her lips.
The whisper tore him loose from his stupor and he crossed the last few meters running. Her body trembled against his as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her tightly against him.
"You really are alive," she sobbed. She bent away from him, stroked his chest, and then cupped his face. "I don't understand ... I thought ... I saw you die."
"I know." He buried his hand in her hair and kissed her. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I thought I was dying, too. Except for my dad, the man who stabbed me and the one who smuggled me here, no one knows I'm alive. Not even Mom."
They embraced again, then he cast a silent glance at the girl.
"This is Eslin."
Nervously, the girl looked up at him. He crouched down by the child. She was beautiful, just like her mother.
"Hey Eslin. Do you — do you know who I am?
The girl nodded. "Daddy! Mom said ... mom said you're my daddy."
"Yes." He pulled the girl against him. "I am your daddy and I will never let you go again." He looked up at Alesia. "And neither of you. It might not be an ideal life here but..."
She stroked his hair. "But we"ll figure it out."
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Pariah ✔
Action[Completed. Words: 17.683] When Esai fucks up, his father fakes his death and sends him over the border to Mexico, not wishing to see him again. The only persons knowing that he's still alive, are his father, his so-called killer and his girlfriend'...
