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Chapter Three

Elena

W hile my abuela worries about my health, apparently I’m not sick enough for her not to throw a chancel at me. She can whip that chancla off, throw it around the corner, and somehow, still hit me in the face.

While I give her a hard time playing with her rocks— crystals —and her mushroom eating habits, she is good to me and Luis. Better than I deserve, after going out with a man who did not deserve my time and attention.

She’s more than my abuela. She was Emm’s and my mama. She taught us how to be strong and independent women when our father became what he is, a cold-blooded bastard.

We needed to be strong women, but along with that independence I decided to have a rebellious streak, while Emm was trying to take care of us.

My selfishness got me in trouble and the universe was now kicking my ass for it. I’m in more trouble now since having Luis. Being pregnant with him sped up my condition, but there isn’t one day that I regret having him. He will be my one and only, and I thank the stars he’s mine.

The only man in my life .

I gripped my cane and leaned on my left side.

I hated the thing, but it was a necessity when I had a flare-up.

As long as I didn’t have to use the wheelchair, I didn’t feel completely defeated.

I am my abuela’s granddaughter. I held my head high.

I have a full-time job and can take care of myself, most days.

Wheelchair be damned!

Unless Luis wanted to go to Parque El Agua; the little booger was smart, and if I brought my wheelchair, we would have perfect parking.

I bent over and picked up both the chanclas from the floor. I could hear Abuela blabbering to Emm about finding a man on the phone. Dios Mio . Emmie needed a man to calm herself down. She had enough money to take care of us for at least the next ten years.

Now that I had my online editing business, a job where I could work from home and was getting steady money, I could take care of Luis by myself. From living frugally and the money I’ve saved from Emm’s line of work, which none of us approve of, we would sit comfortably for a long, long time.

Firing the in-home nurse will also help save us money.

Emm would just need to learn to stay hidden and not flaunt her butt all over Venezuela.

I stood up and stretched my back, hearing it pop a few times. I winced when I heard my back pop two more times, and I let out a long sigh.

“Get in here, Elena. I need to talk to you.” I heard Abuela’s voice carry through the small house.

I swiftly entered Luis' room, just a stone's throw from where I stood. The sight of him engrossed in a book, with its content far beyond his tender years, filled me with a mixture of awe and disbelief. With a gentle shake of my head, I reluctantly tore my gaze away.

It keeps him occupied. I just wish the school would understand that if they gave him more challenging classes, he wouldn’t be such a nuisance to them.

I could homeschool, but then that would take away time from work.

And what about a flare-up?

“Elena!” Abuela shouted. “Are you dreaming about your dream man?”

I scoffed and entered the room. Abuela was putting suitcases by the door. They were all lined up in perfect order from the largest to the smallest.

My eyes bugged out of my head as I walked closer. Abuela was humming a song and stepped away from the door. She headed to the kitchen, put two kettles on and hit the gas. The flames ignited as she smiled. The crinkles around her eyes got deeper by the second.

Slowly, I opened my mouth, afraid of what might come out of it. “What is going on? Why are there suitcases by the door?” I lifted my hand to point at the problem, and Abuela shrugged her shoulders.

“We are moving. Don’t worry, I packed all the necessities.

” She waved her hand like it was no big deal.

“We won’t need the furniture, everything will be provided.

I won’t need much at all. I won’t be knitting anymore.

I did bring your computer, because I know how much you want your independence.

Your medication is in your purse, along with your medical history.

Oh…” Abuela walked to the coffee table and grabbed a clear plastic bag.

I groaned when I realized what it was. Magic Mushrooms.

“I told Emm you stopped those.”

“Liar.” Abuela hissed. “I could be an alcoholic. Now let your abuela have her herbs. I rub it on my joints.”

I rubbed one of my temples with my index finger, trying to figure out what to do with her. I could put her in a home, but then I would have to give the place her real identity. I couldn’t do that because somehow the cartel would find out.

We weren’t stupid, they weren’t stupid. I’m sure they could find a way to have someone hunt us down if they thought we were even in Venezuela. “Abuela, are you high right—”

Loud, heavy knocks landed on the door, and I jumped, causing a sharp pain in my hip. I groaned and sat in Abuela’s favorite cushioned rocking chair.

Abuela ran toward me and patted me down. “Now, don’t get stressed. You are having a good day, right?” I nodded, but it appeared she was telling herself that more than me. “Here, let us brush your hair. Make you look presentable. It isn’t every day you, you know, meet… people.”

Maybe she was having a stroke.

“You want to put some gloss on? Make your lips shiny?”

The hell?

“Abuela, open the door!”

Three more raps on the door shook the tiny house and made my chest shake. She went to the door and blocked my view. In a sickly sweet voice I’d never heard before, she said, “We’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in, come in.”

Two people stepped into the room, their slightly confused faces evident. As they entered, the air filled with the scent of trepidation.

The shorter woman, with two buns adorning the top of her head, dropped her perplexed expression and replaced it with a warm smile.

Her steps echoed softly on the polished floor, a subtle sound that blended with the hum of the low-quality appliances in our home.

I noticed her attire, which surprised me, given her angelic face.

She was clad in sleek black tactical gear, her black boots making a soft thud with each step.

A bullet-proof vest hugged her torso, adding a weighty presence to her small figure.

A walkie-talkie was securely strapped to her chest, its faint static adding to my mini-freak-out.

As soon as my eyes landed on the man next to her, my senses heightened, and I felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through me.

The world around me seemed to sharpen, every sight becoming more vivid, every sound more pronounced.

I could almost taste the electrical charge in the air, as my heart pounded in my chest, and the scent of anticipation filled my nostrils.

I gripped my cane, unsure if it was something in my coffee, maybe I was drugged, or my body was finally giving out. But it never stopped, especially when I took my fill of the man next to the woman.

Tall, clean-shaven, lips parted as if shocked he was even here.

He was dressed similarly to the woman, overloaded with technical gear, yet his face strove for a non-threatening appearance.

His dirty blonde hair was messy, like he ran his fingers through it too many times, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead.

And wow, those cheekbones were something.

The man straightened his back, and his eyes widened. His hand touched the woman beside him, and he leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I felt jealous that he touched her. He was a man, and I hated them myself. The only male who was allowed near me was my son.

I stood up, holding onto my cane, and pulled back my shoulders. “Abuela, what is the meaning of this? Who are these people?”

While the elders are supposed to be the leaders of the home, mine was crazier than a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter.

Abuela cleared her throat and nodded for them to introduce themselves.

“I’m Nadia, and this is Anaki. We are here to collect you and take you to your sister.”

I narrowed my eyes. The audacity of these people. “We just spoke to my sister, and she mentioned nothing about us leaving.”

I stepped toward the side table where my gun nestled safely in the drawer. Luis knew about the gun, and had been told many times never to open it. The fingerprint safety device was a necessity since he was a curious child, but would I be able to get to it in time while these two were here?

Neither had guns on them, that I could see, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have a knife or a taser, and I wasn’t fast.

“I suggest you leave,” I said. “We have already activated the security monitors and the silent alarm.”

Heavy footsteps came from the open doorway. A man, no, a freaking bear of a man stepped up behind the woman. He pushed her until she was behind him. I looked up at him, and my heart raced when I saw the gun holsters at his side.

“We do this the easy way, Elena. We mean no harm. Security camera lines have been cut, you have no panic button, and you will never reach the gun in that drawer fast enough.”

I was absolutely raging.

They had been watching us.

Instead of taking my anger out on them, I whipped my head around to my abuela. “What have you done?” I hissed. “Did you give us away? They are going to take us all to get to Emmie. It’s your fault!” I took my cane and threw it to the other side of the room.

I ground my teeth, knowing full well we were absolutely screwed.

I promised to keep them both safe, especially since Abuela had been acting strange.

My legs felt weak, and my body fatigued.

I let my arm settle on the stand beside the rocking chair when I felt two arms come behind me and save me from falling over.

“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” he whispered in my ear.

My heart slowed. I didn’t have the nerve to look up at him, but I knew it was the dirty blonde who stood in the doorway. What was his name? Anaki?

He gently put me in the chair and grabbed the blanket behind me, putting it over my legs.

He tucked the blanket under my knees and kneeled down to see me eye to eye.

“Believe it or not, we are the good guys. Emm just doesn’t know it yet.

You look just like her. Pretty stubborn, too.

” He gave me a crooked smile that could have made me fall into his arms, all over again.

Damn it, stop!

A whistle from the stove broke the trance, and he stood up. “Tea? Don’t mind if I do. Nadia? Bear?”

The bear of a man shook his head and went toward the side table drawer.

He pulled out the gun and grabbed my wrist, using my finger to unlock it.

He promptly emptied the bullets and stuffed them in his tool belt, then he handed the gun back to me.

“Just so you think you are in charge. You know, like your sister.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and ripped the gun away from him.

“Easy, Bear.” Nadia tapped his butt to move him over.

His name is actually Bear?

“You are in charge here, Elena, as well as the woman over there.” Nadia hitched her thumb over her shoulder at Abuela. She had a chancla in her hand, pointing at me.

The only reason Abuela hadn’t thrown it was because there were guests.

“I’m not sure how she knew we were coming. In fact, why do you have suitcases by the door?” Nadia asked her.

Abuela threw her chancla to the floor to put her foot in and fixed her hair. “Because we are leaving with you, are we not? That is why all the vampires have been hanging around outside.”

I slapped the side of my face and groaned. “Abuela, did you chew on some rocks this morning, too?”

Anaki ran to my side and pulled my hand away from my face. “Don’t be hurting yourself like that, love.”

As his palm connected with my skin, a gentle warmth enveloped my body, sending tingles down my arm.

The sensation flowed seamlessly, cascading towards my side and settling in my hip, relieving the dull ache.

It felt akin to a soothing, heated compress encircling the entire joint, easing the pain.

In response, a contented sigh escaped my lips, a sign of immense relief.

As I fixed my gaze on him, I jerked away, realizing I was letting him touch me for far too long. The sharp twinge of pain shot through my hip, bringing back the ache once again.

Once I had let go, the sight of his eyes resembled a wounded puppy, and it weighed heavily on my heart, as if aching in tandem with my physical discomfort.

“Hey! You got some sharp teeth! You really are a vampire!” Luis’ voice screams excitedly from the bedroom. I stood up quickly, forgetting about the pain, and only concentrating on my son.

“Luis!” I let out a piercing shout, my voice reverberating off the walls as I clung tightly to the sturdy table, my fingers digging into the cool, smooth surface.

The sound echoed in my ears, the intensity of it causing a slight ringing sensation.

In a desperate attempt to navigate the sharp turn, I gripped the table with all my strength, my muscles straining under the weight of my fear.

Suddenly, Anaki seized my arm with a firm grasp.

His touch sent a surge of electricity through my body, heightening my senses and fueling my determination.

With newfound strength, I propelled myself towards the doorway, my feet pounding against the hard, cold floor.

Each step reverberated throughout the room, creating a rhythmic thud that matched the pounding of my heart .

As I reached the entrance, a chilling sight greeted me.

There, standing before me, was a mysterious, dark figure.

The dim lighting cast eerie shadows across his face, accentuating the sinister smile that curved his lips.

The corners of his mouth curled upward, revealing menacing fangs that glinted in the faint glow from the dark hallway.

The air grew heavy with a sense of foreboding, as if danger itself had materialized in front of me.

And Luis had no idea.

There was no doubt about what I saw in front of me. It was a damn vampire. He had pale skin with a set of fangs. I’ve seen Twilight , I’ve seen The Originals . The presence of him was too much, too overpowering and made me feel utterly small.

The vampire smirked, showing off not just one set of fangs but two.

Abuela was right; this was a vampire. Does that mean the other people in the room were something? Are they even human?