I don’t know how long I sat on that floor. Eventually the office light went out. I heard the scrape of a chair, then footsteps. Instinct took over. I rushed back to the bedroom, slipped under the covers, and pretended to be asleep.
A moment later Javier came in. The mattress dipped as he sat down. His familiar cologne, mixed with tobacco, drifted over me. His arm reached toward me, and every muscle in my body stiffened.
“Elena, are you still awake?”
His voice was soft. I swallowed hard and forced my tone to sound sleepy.
“I got thirsty and went to the bathroom. I’m going back to sleep.”
He paused, then withdrew his arm.
“Sleep. We’re leaving early tomorrow.”
Soon his breathing deepened, but I lay awake all night staring into the dark, my mind burning.
The mountain road. The pills. The ravine. The mansion. The money.
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