Dual Eclipse

15

Fear.

I’ve heard of the word and never thought I’d come close to feeling anything like it. I rush out of the building, running until my feet hurt to Rosaline’s address. Blue and red blaring lights rush past me, and I don’t stop. They must be on their way to that fucking death house.

I pressed the phone to my ear for the tenth time, and it cut off. That won’t happen today. I rush down the staircase to where many old houses sit close to each other. I never said anything about the danger of living in Medellin and let them be for all Destina’s life on this earth. I knew it would catch up. It always does.

Not to mention the damn rain that has now soaked my suit, hair and shoes—rain was never a good sign. Everyone in the bratva or crime syndicate knew it. I furiously knocked at the door, deciding against kicking it down. I didn’t know how to act.

I don’t know what Rosaline expects of me, and I don’t care. I lied. Something deep down wishes otherwise, but it’s been years. That little boy wants to see his mother and for her to tell him it’s a dream. To wake up from the nightmare that never stopped. I shoved that vulnerability behind a door and locked it.

The door opened, my hand stopped midair and a troubled woman I didn’t know stared at me with the most beautiful brown, big eyes. Tears lick from them, and I trace them with a frantic heart. That five-foot-five woman didn’t age one bit. She was just how I remembered. The only difference was her deep smile lines and the silver strands in her now short hair. She still kept her beauty.

I swallowed the clog in my throat and clenched my jaw. “Are you going to tell me where Destina is or waste another minute where we won’t find her in time?” Those were not the words I expected to flow from my lips, but I don’t feel remorseful. She nodded her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

I reached forward like a son, but she stepped back like I expected her to. Her eyes lowered to the red stain on my forearm and the tattoos peeking through my wet shirt. I’d put those tattoos to hide who Alexandr Voinov was before the chaos—before the first life he took. Rosaline’s scrutiny made me regret it the moment, but she had no idea how hurtful she’d left me and how comforting a knife, gun or needle gun was.

The door opens wider by her hand, and a rolling duffle bag and a backpack sit on the concrete floor. “I know how men like you work.” She distracts me, and I raise my head. Not once did she invite me out of the rain. “You’ll take her away from me.” She shakes her head gingerly. “But you shouldn’t.” I invite myself in, and she steps backwards. She’d better be careful with her following words.

“I didn’t come for a fight. You knew I’d take Destina away but still phoned me.” Her jaw ticks. “Don’t do that with me,” I warned her.

“You can’t be on the run with Destina!” She almost yells.

“Yet, you packed her things.” I taunt the woman I was trying to understand.

“The last thing I want is for the police to gun you down because of your foolishness.” She spits. “And you coming here just put my baby girl’s life in danger. Don’t act a fool with me. The Marino bastard has a hit on your head. The first thing you do is go to the dead bastard Julio, then straight here!”