SIXTEEN

KIERA’S POV

The weight of yesterday's events hung heavy in my mind, and I hadn’t seen Gabriel ever since he posed the ridiculous question. From the little I have discovered about their family, I wouldn’t want to f*ck with them, and the longer I stayed here, the more I felt like a ticking time bomb.

What if there’s an attack? What if I become collateral damage in a war I didn’t choose, and get caught in a crossfire? Or worse, what if I get kidnapped? I panicked as the dreadful thoughts faded in my mind.

I needed to talk to Gabriel. I had to convince him to take me back to my papa. I would work off every penny he paid El Diablo. I wasn’t cut out for this life—guns, gangs, revenge.

As I approached Gabriel's room, I heard voices in the hallway. I paused, leaning against the wall to eavesdrop, and Bella’s laughter rang out, sharp and cruel.

“Can you Imagine?” Bella sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “She just waltzed in here like she’s some kind of queen. What a joke!”

I clenched my