Luisa was trapped in a nightmare. Running through the tunnels as someone chased her. If she stopped, she knew— she would be dead. Sweat poured from her forehead down into her eyes. “Luisa…” a voice called in the dream. “Where are you, little sister?”
She gasped and bolted up in bed. Breathing heavily, she looked around to see just the bathroom light on. Letting out a breath of relief, she swung her legs over the side of the mattress. “It was just a dream.” She leaned forward to snap on the light. Her eyes landed on the gun that GTO had set there earlier, telling her she needed a weapon until her brothers were caught. She hated guns but her mother and aunt had insisted that they all learn to use them. So, she knew how to shoot someone, she just never wanted to actually do it.
“Luisa…”
Stilling, she did not look up. This voice was real. Or was she going crazy now? Her fears making her imagine—
“Why did you do it, sister?”
Gasping, she raised her head.
Arturo stepped from the dark shadows by the window.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she sucked in another breath.
He came a bit closer. “I need to know before I kill you,” he growled as his eyes gleamed with insanity. “Why would you tell them everything? WHY!” he shouted.
Flinching from the shout as her hands shook, she quietly replied, “It was time…”
He paused and cocked his head at her, the gun in his hand trained on her head. “What?”
She trembled and lowered her head. “I already knew I was dead the minute they snatched me. You would make that so.”
“Si…this is so.” He chuckled evilly. “So you just decided to kill off your whole family?”
She shook her head. “I wanted to shut down the drugs. The killings, the misery you and our family have inflicted on people.”
“Oh! So…you wanted to be pure, clean. Above what we do?”
Her eyes remained down, though they stayed on the gun on the nightstand that he did not seem to pay attention to. She knew though, he would kill her before she could even raise it. “I hate what you do. I always have.”
“Yes, yes mi pequena Luisa. So good, like a nun eh?” He looked around at the room. “Though, it seems you are not so pure anymore, are you?”
Her body shook but she refused to bite back. He saw GTO’s clothes and other things. He knew. But it was the one thing she never regretted… the one thing she got to have with her short freedom. To be able to love someone and feel loved. She knew she was to die soon, so she started in prayer, as she whispered the words, “Help me, God my Savior, for the glory of Your name, deliver me and forgive me for my sins for Your name’s sake…”
“You are praying?” Arturo laughed. “Well, you were raised as a good Catholic… so be it. Finish and then I will end you.”
Luisa ignored him and went on as best she could, “Please welcome me into your arms, dear Lord…Amen,” she finished then raised her head to look her brother in the eyes. “You now commit murder by killing your own sister, as evil has taken you from God’s arms. I forgive you, Arturo Jaleandro Brago.”
Arturo shook his head. “You stupid, little fool,” he hissed. Then he pulled the trigger.
Two things… maybe three—happened at once.
Arturo pulled the trigger.
Luisa flinched in fear, waiting for the brief pain and the darkness to come for her.
A metallic click sounded in the room.
And no roar of a bullet sounded out.
Luisa gasped and reached for the gun on the nightstand.
The door burst open as GTO came in and raised his weapon.
Two shots went off.
Arturo stared incomprehensively at his little sister who held a gun aimed at him. The barrel still smoking. His gaze shot down to his chest as blood spread across his shirt. Then he fell forward, his body hitting the floor with a thunk onto the beige carpeting.
Shaking like never before, the heavy gun slipped from Luisa’s fingers. “H-he pulled the trigger, but—no bullet came o-out.”
GTO walked across the room and knelt down, his gun aimed at the man’s head. He felt for a pulse. None. He looked up at her pale face. He grabbed the gun that had dropped from her brother’s hand. Opening the chamber, he saw 5 bullets but one blank slot. He stood and came over. “He didn’t fully load his gun.”
Luisa shook badly still. “I-I prayed first. Maybe God heard me?”
GTP pulled her up into his arms. “Maybe God did. If there is anyone worth saving in this world…it would be you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “No. I’m a Brag—”
GTO pressed his fingers to her lips. “You are a beautiful soul. A sweet angel born into a hell she never belonged in.” He kissed her soundly and wrapped her up into his embrace.
A week later…
It was green as far as the eye could see. Sunshine shone down through the trees. Everything just seemed to sparkle. It just could not be real.
Children squealed as they ran back and forth. Families walked by, as laughter rang from everywhere. Couples held hands while smiling and talking as they walked along.
This was a park. A normal city park. With benches and tables. Pathways and people.
But to her, it wasn’t anything normal or dull at all.
Luisa looked around. Marveling at how free everyone was. At how happy they seemed. She sat on a bench by herself and just stared at everyone and everything.
“Hey, little girl,” someone called from close by.
Gazing up, her eyes landed on this beautiful man. With sparkling dark eyes and wavy, silky looking hair. He had a goatee that suited his jawline perfectly. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, he could turn many female’s head.
Luisa smiled up at him. Gannon Torin O’Dell. And he was all hers.
He stopped close and said, “I sure hope you like vanilla.” He handed her a double scooped ice cream cone.
She sat up straighter, feeling so excited about this small thing that was a huge deal to her. “Yes, yes. I love it!” She grabbed it from his offering hand like a greedy 5 year old and took a big, long lick. Then she let out a moan at the flavor.
Silence reined above her. She peered up to see the beautiful Gannon staring down at her.
“Listen, Sweet Angel of mine,” he nearly growled the words. “You are free to do anything you want, but just don’t do that, okay?”
Batting her lashes, she cocked her head at him “Do what? This?” She again, took a long lick at the ice cream and let out an even longer, purring moan.
Groaning, he sat down next to her and grabbed one of her hands then proceeded to tie something around her wrist.
Luisa was confused for a second then she smiled. It was the string of a blue balloon. It then popped up above her.
“I got it for you and managed to keep a hold of it and your ice cream,” he stated. “But now, since you wanna tease me, I might just take you back to the motel and have you reenact the ice cream cone thing.”
Still marveling at the balloon, she laughed as her gaze remained on the blue orb bouncing in the breeze. “Oh, that doesn’t sound like much of a punishment, Mio.”
He crossed his legs at the ankle and looked over at her. “No, it would be all pleasure and it also reminds me that I have a few lessons left to teach you.” He wiggled his dark brows at her.
She giggled and licked at her ice cream.
“But I won’t teach you yet. We have a movie to catch.”
She turned and stared at him. “Really?”
He nodded. “A real movie theater with 100 dollar sodas and popcorn that is so expensive that it has to be made out of gold.” He grinned at her. “Hey, I didn’t ride all the way to Austin, just for a park, Luisa.”
She sighed and looked around. “It was so worth it though and the bike ride was the best thing I have ever…” She paused and looked over at him. “No…that isn’t right. The best thing that ever happened to me was when some strange man grabbed me up and shoved me into his truck.”
GTO blinked rapidly and he looked a bit alarmed. “No…No, we cannot have that story.”
She stared at him and licked at her ice cream. “Story?”
He nodded and reached out to swipe some ice cream from her upper lip with his finger and raised it up to lick it off. “Damn, cookies and ice cream? It will be the death of me yet.”
Luisa laughed. “You are so silly.” She moved her balloon up and down like a child would, just to see it bounce. “I mean the story…what story?”
“The one we tell our kids. About how we met.” He shook his head. “You can’t say ‘well, your daddy came out of the dark and kidnapped me.’ I mean what will they think?”
Laughing, Luisa finished her cone then stood up and bounced around with her balloon. “Ok, then how about I say… ‘Your daddy came on his steel stead as a Soldier of Hades to rescue me from a dungeon?’ ”
GTO looked up at her and grinned. “Yeah, I like that one.” He stood and grabbed her up. “The knight will now kiss his damsel.” He leaned in close and their lips met. “Damn though, you still taste like cookies and now, its vanilla cookies. Maybe we can catch the late showing of the movie. After going back to the motel?”
She smiled to his lips. “Only if you promise to teach me the ice cream cone thing.”
GTO laughed and grabbed her hand. “Oh yes. I can already see that you won’t even need a manual for this one.”
Laughing at him, she allowed him to tug her along. To her, they were like everyone else here. Holding hands and laughing freely.
Free. Luisa grinned.
Her Mio Gannon kept tugging her through the park like he was now in a real hurry… the bouncing blue balloon following them.
