SOFIA
“What the fuck?” Nico growls as he glances at the rearview mirror. He puts the truck in Park. “Call 911.” He releases his seat belt.
I grab his arm while juggling the phone to make the call and checking on Mateo, who’s still asleep. “What’re you doing?”
“Someone just hit us. I need to check the damage.”
I recoil from the face in the car next to us. “Wait. It’s Joaquín’s cousins. They probably have guns.” I no sooner say those words than one is pointed at us from the next car over. Diego points to me and crooks his finger. If I go with him, he’ll kill me. I have no doubt about that, but if I stay, he’s apt to kill Nico and Mateo, and I can’t risk that.
I release my seat belt.
“Don’t move,” Nico says in a low, scary tone I’ve never heard from him before.
“911, state your emergency.”
Thankfully, Nico does the talking for us, because I’m so scared, I can hardly breathe.
Diego gets out of his car and uses the gun to bang on the window.
Nico ignores him while holding my hand as tightly as he ever has before.
The scream of sirens is the best sound I’ve ever heard.
Diego glances in the direction of the sirens and then gives me a menacing glare. He stares at me, makes a gun of his fingers and points it at me and Mateo in the backseat. With his message delivered, he gets into his car and takes off before the police arrive.
My hands are shaking so hard that I push my free hand between my legs to try to make it stop.
The police arrive, and Nico gets out to talk to them.
I need to end this with him right now. This is the last thing he needs in his life, even though leaving him will be the most heartbreaking thing that’s happened since Mateo’s illness. I’m sick to my stomach and everywhere else by the time Nico returns, bringing a police officer with him.
“We’ll need to get your statement, Ms. Diaz,” the officer says.
“There’s not much to say. They hit us, pulled a gun on us and threatened me and my son.”
“Can you give me the names of the people you recognized?”
I feel like I’m risking my life as well as Mateo’s when I recite the names and tell him where they’re most likely to find them.
“Do you have somewhere safe you can stay while we sort this out?” the officer asks.
“She and her son will be at my house in a gated community.”
“No,” I say. “We’ll be at home.”
“No, you won’t,” Nico says, his expression unyielding. “You’re not safe there.”
“I’m not safe anywhere, and there’s no way I’m endangering you with my mess.”
“I can take care of myself.” To the officer, he says, “They’ll be at my place.” He gives the address and his phone number to the officer.
“We’ll be in touch.”
After he walks away, I look over at Nico. “Please take us home and go on with your life. You don’t need this.”
“Maybe not, but I do need you, and there’s no way I’m taking you somewhere that you can be easily found and possibly harmed. We’ll go get what you need, and then you guys can stay with me for as long as you need to. No one is getting in my neighborhood who doesn’t belong there.”
“I don’t want to involve you in this.”