Page 75 of Lethal Vengeance

QUINN

Aunt Quinn. I’m an aunt. The little boy waves hi, and I automatically raise my hand to wave back. He giggles.

Armando watches our interaction closely. “Do you want to hold him?”

In a fog, I hold my hands out to take Gabriel from him. For a second, he looks a little uncertain, but I hold his eyes with mine and patiently wait for him to make up his mind. In a sudden move, he launches himself forward.

Oof, he’s heavier than I thought he would be. My arms close around him tightly. His smile is sweet as he stares at me. With her eyes. Sophia’s eyes. But unlike the ones I see in my nightmares, these are full of life.

Once upon a time, I held her in my arms. A gangly thirteen year enamored with her beautiful three-year-old sister. It was like having a living baby doll to carry around, and I never got tired of it. My mother used to tell me I was spoiling her. I’d laugh and retort, “who cares?” Sophia would mimic me and laugh, too. My mother would throw up her hands and join us silly girls.

When Armando guides us off the stage, the crowd surges forward, jolting me out of the past and into the present. I swing to place my body between Gabriel and his guests.

A fiercely proud expression crosses Armando’s face.

Blocking him out, I absentmindedly accept congratulations from those around us, but my mind is a whirlwind. Thoughts slide by like smoke on the wind, but all I have are questions. No answers.

How did they meet? Did Julio kidnap her or was she in a van with others? Why her? Did my sister care for Julio, or did he force himself on her? If he cared for her, why did Armando kill her?

The autopsy reports showed older bruises under those given to her when she died. Her life here wasn’t peaceful, but was it Julio or Armando abusing her? Or both?

My phone pings, but I can’t get to it with Gabriel in my arms. Is that the signal for the attack? How long have I been here? Panic engulfs me.

Sweat beads on my forehead, and my neck starts to feel clammy. I scan the room rapidly, looking for a way out. My eyes skim the fireplace, then stop and return to the ornate gold clock sitting on the mantel. Is that the time? Relief makes my knees weak. Thank God. I’ve only been here forty-five minutes, which means the attack is an hour away. My arms close protectively around Gabriel.

Seeing the motion, Armando snaps his fingers. Men surround us.

He holds his hands up to the crowd. “If you’ll excuse us, it’s time to put Gabriel to bed. Please enjoy yourselves. We’ll be back in a little while.”

Striding toward the corner of the room, he leads us out of the party.

Along the way, the woman from earlier joins us. She tries to take Gabriel from me, but I shake my head.

We head upstairs and down a long hallway. The noise and music fade into a murmur. The men surrounding us slowly drop off until it’s just the four of us— Armando, the woman, Gabriel, and me.

The woman scurries ahead and opens a door. I follow Armando into the room and stop.

Gabriel’s room is decorated in various shades of green and filled with jungle animals. Toys and books lie scattered in the corner. A brown toddler bed in the shape of a tree sits on the floor to the right.

It’s the idyllic setting for a little boy.

The woman reaches for Gabriel, and I narrow my eyes.

“Maria is Gabriel’s nanny. She’ll take good care of him,” Armando informs me. “It’s time for bed.” He holds out his arms, and Gabriel falls into them. After a couple of airplane swoops, Armando gives him a kiss and hands him to Maria.

He giggles when she makes faces at him.

She holds out two pairs of pajamas.

Gabriel points to the one he wants to wear.

“Come, let’s leave them to finish,” Armando urges. Gripping my elbow, he steers me into the hallway and closes the door.

I jerk my arm from his. “I want answers.”

He sighs. “Julio met your sister in Austin. He’d gone to the university to investigate the best spots to ‘find’ girls for our new operation. He must have looked lost because your sister asked if he needed directions.”

How many times have I told her not to talk to strangers?