Page 104 of Gamble with Me

“I have to,” I replied sadly, taking her hand. “Chester lost me and her in a big poker game. It’s my chance to leave him forever.”

“I don’t understand a word you’re saying, Valeria.” Lisa’s wrinkled face twisted with confusion, but I didn’t have time to explain the details. I saw the tiny circle light from a cigarette moving outside, suggesting where Malin was. He expected me to come out quickly, and I didn’t want to jeopardize my escape.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, let go of her hand, and ran to Zara’s bedroom.

My little girl was half-asleep when I stood her up and wrapped her in a blanket. I didn’t take her clothes or shoes, just an old blue rabbit she always had with her. It was a present from Alice for her first birthday, and it quickly became her favorite toy.

“Valeria.” Lisa blocked the door when I cradled Zara in my arms and moved to leave the house. “Chester will be furious. If he finds you, it will end badly.”

“He won’t find me,” I claimed with absolute certainty, trying to push her away. “We are done. Now, let me go.”

“I won’t allow you to do anything stupid,” she stated, pressing her palms against the doorframe to bar our escape. “It will put Zara in the middle of your fight.”

“She’s already at the center of our fight,” I snapped, my deep respect for her slowly dissipating. I had to get out of this fucking house before Chester showed up.

“If you leave like this, it’ll be worse,” Lisa preached, refusing to move an inch.

“Yes,” the low male voice confirmed. “For you, Mrs. Kellerman.”

Malin’s words were a clear threat when he emerged from behind my mother-in-law. My breath stuck in my throat when I noticed the granite black gun in his right hand pointing at her side.

“I suggest you let Valeria leave without causing trouble,” he continued, his demonic eyes piercing her face when she looked at him in pure fright. “You know I don’t have any boundaries when it comes to violence.”

“Why is this devil in my house, Valeria?” Lisa whispered, her voice jumping an octave. Zara snuggled closer to me, still sleeping, but it was just a matter of time before she woke up and started asking questions I didn’t have answers to.

“How do you know each other?” I asked instead of replying, but I quickly realized we were wasting precious minutes. “It doesn’t matter,” I said, pushing past her to leave the house. “Let’s go.”

“Goodbye, Lisa,” Malin uttered in a chilling voice, yet I didn’t care about his past with Lisa, Chester, or anyone else. My only goal was to get my girl to safety.

I hurried toward the car, holding Zara close to me. My eyes focused on the door handle as I attempted to grab it and pull, but a rough, large hand abruptly stopped me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the aggressive male voice said, making all the tiny hairs on my body stand up. I froze in shock, tightening my grip on Zara. “Go back inside!”

The command was harsh and direct, forbidding any resilience or fight. Still, the intruder had no idea what kind of monster was hidden in my shadow.

“No,” I stated in defiance, stepping back from him as he tried to grasp my elbow. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh, you are.” The man chuckled deviously. The street lamp enlightened his long, crooked nose, thick beard, and mouth twisted in a snarl. He was scary as hell.

“No,” I repeated, hastily turning my head toward the house. “Malin!!” I yelled, expecting him to run from the door and eliminate the threat, but he wasn’t inside. Only Lisa stood on the threshold, her hand pressed against her chest.

“Mommy?” Zara’s tiny, sleepy voice momentarily broke my concentration, but my protective instinct was at its peak. I couldn’t let this man touch us.

“What’s going on, darling?” The man mocked me with a broad, sinister smile. “Your friend won’t help you. He’s dead.”

“W-what?” I breathed, gulping the fear down my dry throat. Malin couldn’t be dead. I didn’t hear anything that would suggest a fight. He was a huge man. If he had collapsed to the ground, I would’ve heard it.

“Yes,” the guy confirmed, approaching me like a vulture preparing for a feast. “We’re returning to the house to wait for your husband.”

“Never,” I hissed, forcing my brain to devise an escape plan. But with Zara in my arms, it was a difficult task. I couldn’t run. She was too heavy for me.

“Oh,” the man whined, his throaty laughter feeling like ice against my skin. “How I love women who fight.”

He took a step closer, and I stepped back, unsure which direction would be better. I always considered Lisa my ally against Chester, but maybe I was wrong. He was her son, after all. If she had to choose between me and him, I couldn’t be angry at her for choosing him. Still, it didn’t change the fact that this development was unfortunate. And I had no idea what happened to Malin.

Fuck!

The panic gripped me in a tight embrace, crippling me. Chester would kill me for taking Zara without his permission. He lost us to Zyon, but he would still consider this a betrayal. I couldn’t stay here. It would be my death sentence.