CHAPTER ONE

Isabella, get up!” my mother shook me awake. 

“Mami que pasa? What’s going on?” I sat up straining to see in the darkness. 

“He’s coming for you, Mariposa, you have to run.” 

“Mami, where am I going to go? There is nowhere to hide in Mexico from Don Ricardo. He’ll kill me.”

“You have to go to the United States.” 

“I’m not going to leave you. There is nothing in the states for me.” 

“You have to go there’s an underground tunnel. You can go through it. Your Aunt Rosita and your cousin Reina will be there waiting for you.” 

“Mami, no will stay. I’ll talk, Don Ricardo; I’ll make a deal or something.” I started to cry. 

“Oh, mi hija, don’t cry. It’ll be fine. Go to the truck stop at the fruit market. Just run and don’t look back, don’t stop for anything.” My mother held my face in her hands. A tear fell down her cheek. 

She kissed my forehead, “Go! Mi hija, go!” 

I got up and rushed to the door, nothing on my feet but socks. I looked at my mother from the doorway. She was trying to stifle her tears as she stood up. I turned and ran out the door and never looked back. I ran as fast as I could. I got to the food market and ran to the truck stop. I stopped as I saw one of Don Ricardo’s men guarding the entrance. As I looked across the street trying to find another way inside the truck stop, I saw my best friend Teresa crouching behind a box. 

We sat there for a moment. I looked around and saw a bat, and I threw an apple at his head. He bent down to pick it up. I jumped off the box and slammed the bat down on his head. He fell unconscious, some blood spilling from his head. 

Teresa walked over to me. “Just another day in Zamora, Mexico.”

“Yeah.” 

We heard a grunt. 

I turned around. “Awe man, did I not hit him hard enough. I thought he was done for. “ 

“You got to finish strong. Pass me the bat.” Teresa said. 

Before the man could get up, Teresa swung the back like she was going for a home run, and the man was down for the count yet again. 

We ran into the truck stop. 

“What number was that?” Teresa asked. 

“Ten or eleven, I lost count. “ 

“I can’t wait to leave. Do you think America is as great as people say?” 

 “I don’t know, I hope so.” 

“Isabella, Teresa, this way.” Toni, the merchant, said. 

We followed him. He moved a box underneath was a ladder leading down to a tunnel. 

“Best of luck,” Toni said. 

I went down the ladder first. Teresa followed. I heard the box being moved over top of the entrance. I let out a breath of relief, we were on our way to freedom, but that breath came too soon.

“Where are they?” I heard a man’s voice. 

Teresa and I froze. We looked at each other. 

“What are we going to do?” Teresa looked at me. 

“Run Teresa, I’m right behind you.” 

“What are you going to do, Isabella?”

“I don’t know.” 

I heard gunshots. Teresa grabbed my hand, and we ran. We heard dogs barking not too far behind us. We got to the end of the tunnel and banged on the top of the entrance. It opened. We got out of the tunnel and ran. My mind was completely taken over by fear.

We just kept running. If my family was there to greet me, I didn’t see them. Darkness was all that surrounded me. I turned to look back at the truck stop. When I turned back, there was a tall, dark figure in front of me. I couldn’t stop myself in time, and I fell on top of him. 

I stood up. “Lo siento, I am so sorry.” I helped him up. 

“It’s quite alright.” He brushed himself off. As he looked up the streetlight. I saw the masculinity of his face. Large cheekbones a five-o clock shadow barely forming on his face. His eyes were the only soft part about him. “I see you’re in a rush, perhaps I can help you.” 

“No one can help us.” I turned to run.

“Isabella.” He said. 

I looked back at him. “How do you know my name?”

“I’m from Zamora, everyone knows who the two of you are. You are the estranged children of my uncle Don Ricardo.” 

“Who are you?” Teresa asked. 

“I’m Chino, your cousin. Come with me.” 

“Where are you taking us?” I asked. 

“Somewhere safe.” He grabbed my hand. 

We followed Chino the whole time I was thinking. Where were we going to? Where were we, and what happens next?

Chino stopped at a tall gate. He typed in a code, and the gate opened. Chino walked in, and we both followed. As I looked up, a grand mansion was in front of me, the windows were high, and you could see in the house from the front to the back. We walked inside, men and women were dancing and grinding against each other. There were three women making out in a corner. There was a man and a woman having sex on the couch. I stared at them as we walked past. Sex is a concept I never experienced; I am a twenty-one-year-old virgin. We walked up the stairs, The was a double door. Chino pushed the door open. When we walked, in a man was sitting at a desk with two women on his lap, they giggled and ran off. 

“My son, where have you been, and who are these two ladies you have brought to me.” The way he said ladies made me cringe like we were something other than ladies.

“Teresa Montés and Isabella Valéz.” Chino responded. 

“These wouldn’t be my brother’s daughters, would they? 

“They are.” 

“So, you escaped Zamora. “

“Yes,” I said. 

“You must be Isabella. The older one, right? “He looked me up and down. “Hmmm.” 

He walked over to Teresa, she looked at me nervously. She is only 19. Barely even legal in the United States. He touched her shoulder, she jumped. “It’s no reason to be afraid.” He rubbed her shoulders.

 Teresa looked at me, I looked back and motioned for her to stay calm. She relaxed a bit but still seemed a little tense. He walked to the front of his desk, he looked her up and down. She was wearing a tank top that showed her frame. Her chest was a nice size. Big enough to attract men. And her butt, which was outlined by her tights, was big. 

“Get this one bathed and dressed. “The man said. 

 Chino took her out of the room.

It was just the man and me now.

“Who are you?” I asked. 

“Have I not introduced myself? I am your father’s brother Javier Rodriguez.” He circled me like an animal ready to pounce. “So, what are you hiding in there?”

“Nothing,” I responded. 

Unlike Teresa, my clothes were baggy and hid my hourglass figure. My body was more mature than Teresa’s. I was wearing an extra-large sweatshirt that zips in the front and loose pair of sweatpants. 

“Nothing? Well, let me see for myself.” He approached me.

I backed away a little. Javier reached his hand out and grabbed me. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it. He turned it around, so my back was against him, and he had control of my wrist. He unzipped my zipper. 

“Oh, my, what do we have here?” He cupped my breast in his hand. “These are huge.”

He pulled my sweatshirt off and unbuckled my bra. My breast fell freely. He cupped the right one and licked my nipple. My heart stopped. I looked down at him. He was looking at me as he sucked and licked. His hands ventured down. 

“Stop.” 

“What are you still a virgin?” 

I looked at him. 

“Well, I can take care of that.” He turned my back to him again.

“You can’t do this. I’m your niece.” 

“Don’t worry, niña, I won’t hurt you. I just want to make you feel good.” He held me tightly. 

I couldn’t move away. 

One hand cupped my breast. The other was in my pants, rubbing my clit. This feeling was new to me; it felt kind of good. I tried to stifle any noises that would let him know I liked it. Then he put his finger inside and started going in and out. Every noise I had tried to hide came out. He turned my face to him and kissed me.

I pushed him away. He hit his desk. He looked at me. I backed away from him. I tried to run to the door he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. He squeezed my face. He looked into my eyes. Whatever he saw made him let go. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” His body relaxed. “How about we give you a bath.”

He pulled my pants down. I stepped out of them cautiously. I felt my body shaking.  

In my head, I repeated just pretend he isn’t family. 

Just as we started to walk into the bathroom, Teresa and Chino walked in. 

“Isabella, what’s going on?” Teresa said. 

Javier covered my body.

“Nothing, I’m fine, Teresita. I’m just going to take a bath.” I said. 

“Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Yeah.” 

“Chino, this one is mine, if anyone touches her, they’re dead,” Javier said. 

“What about Teresa?” Chino asked. 

“You can keep her if you would like, if not you know what to do.” 

“Sí, Papa,” Chino said. 

“Now go, I want to have some fun.” 

Javier led me to his bathroom. It was beautiful. Its something you would see in a magazine. There were a walk-in shower and a hot tub with jets on the sides. He started the bathwater and added some soap. It wasn’t long before the soap spuds were to the brim of the bathtub. 

A beautiful aroma filled the room. It was the sweet yet strong smell of peppermint. I breathed in deeply and let out a long breath. My body became relaxed. Peppermint has always been my favorite smell. 

Javier looked at me, “You like the smell of peppermint?” 

“Sí, my mama, used to put in my hair When I was young.” 

I sat in the tub. I looked down into the bubbles to avoid contact with Javier. 

“Did you know about my sister and meter?” 

“I knew your mother for a while before she was pregnant with you. She and your father were together for twelve years. She left him a year after you were born. Your mother was twenty-six at the time, and your father was twenty-seven. A year later, your father met Cameron; she seemed nice at the time within a month of their marriage. Cameron cheated on him with me. A year later, he cheated on her with Teresa’s mother.” 

“Then you know why Don Ricardo was sending people to kill us.” 

 “It wasn’t your father, it was Cameron. She thinks of you as a blight upon her family.” 

“So, Cameron cheated on Ricardo with you. Why would you do that to your brother?” I looked up at him. 

“He is no brother of mine. The whole of Zamora may see him as a savior, but he is a fiend and just an awful person. I know the true Ricardo Alejandro Alfonso Rosario Diaz.” 

I looked down at the bubbles. I sat back in the tub. 

“Let’s stop talking about him.” He massaged my shoulders. “You should relax, sweetheart.” 

“I have a question.” 

“Yeah, what’s your question?” 

“Are you a pimp?” 

“Well, that was unexpected. I mean, I would classify myself as a pimp. The word has a bad, uhm, what do the Americanos say, a uhm, bad vibe to it. I would say I’m a world-class lady seller.” 

“Do you have sex with the women?” 

“No, definitely not. With all the diseases people are carrying these days. I don’t play with these women,” 

“What about the women on your lap” 

“Those women are for show. They get nothing from me. Don’t worry, beautiful.” 

“I’m not worrying about anything.” 

“Then why are you asking so many questions?” 

“I’m just curious.” 

“Mhmm, well, curiosity killed the cat.” 

“And satisfaction brought it back.” 

“Aaah, quick response, I see.” 

I smiled. “My brain works like that.” 

“I like the way it works then.” Javier smiled at me.

His hands continued to work wonders on my tired, exhausted shoulders and upper back. He stopped for a moment and turned my face to him. 

“As long as you are by my side, I will protect you. You are special, Isabella.”