Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
“I don’t believe shit either of you say.” Anna retorts and Hollis looks up to his mom. “They’re telling the truth. I text Zizi. Check my phone, it’s not broken. Dad doesn’t know, I swear. I didn’t want,” he begins to stutter as the tears start to fall, “I didn’t know I was going to get anyone in trouble. I’m sorry, Zizi,” he looks to Maritza and my heart breaks. “I was trying to help, momma. I just messed it all up.”
“It’s okay, buddy.” Maritza soothes. “No one is in any trouble. Your mom and I’ll work this out. Make sure your dad is okay with this little vacation. Don’t worry, honey. Your momma, she loves you and wanted more time with you, that’s all this is. I know it scared you that your dad would be worried and upset, but I’ll handle that okay. Don’t be upset, please, bud.”
“Take the other pair, put the one on your wrist and come over here,” Anna keeps at it, ignoring her son’s emotional breakdown. “Hollis you’ll hook the other one on your precious Zizi.”
Maritza does as she’s told, hooking one handcuff on her right wrist. Once Anna is close for Hollis to hook the left, Maritza takes her chance before Hollis can secure the other cuff. She reaches out, literally shoving Hollis away from his mother and putting her body between Anna and the boy. Anna reacts raising the gun into the air and coming down across Maritza’s face.
She cries out in pain as Dia and I move to guide Hollis away from the two women. “Run,” Maritza calls out as she goes at Anna again. “Dia get him out of here!” We are stumbling to get Hollis as he instinctively wants to go back to the two women fighting in front of him. Our hands are bound in metal handcuffs behind our backs because Maritza knew she couldn’t not follow Anna’s orders. We have no way to hold onto this boy who is desperate to help two women who matter to him.
I remember standing in the living room with my dad and Diem. Two people who mattered the most to me in the world in that moment. Feeling like I had to choose because we didn’t know at that time what my dad had done, I didn’t understand why Diem wouldn’t let him take us out of there. Her hesitation caused me to pause. That lead to her dad killing my dad by firing a gun shot into a window. All the emotions from my trauma invade and I don’t know how to process anything.
Fight or flight has kicked in. I want to yank Hollis up and flee, but he won’t leave. I’m going to have to fight. My hands may be bound, but my mind, I can think of something. I will think of something.
There is a pop. The gun goes off. Instantly, Maritza cries out in pain as Anna looks in shock. Maritza drops to the bed, her lower abdomen bleeding. Hollis takes off from standing behind Dia rushing to Maritza. His mother yanks him up again with the gun pressed to his head once more. Hollis cries out in fear.
“You two stay right where you are, or I’ll shoot her again and him.”
How in the hell can I get help?
“I’m okay, buddy,” Maritza chokes out grabbing her stomach while trying to calm Hollis. “Just do what your momma says, okay?”
Hollis shakes his head while trying to get out from his mother’s grip that is now around his neck. He kicks back hitting her in the shins, but she doesn’t release him.
“Hollis,” Maritza focuses on the boy. “Remember when it’s a foul ball and the ball is caught, it’s an automatic out. Right now, we hit a foul ball, and your momma caught it. We gotta take this as an out. I’m okay, but I need you to calm down.” She’s gritting her teeth to get the last words out.
“Why?” I ask Anna. “I don’t understand how you came here. I get wanting time with your son. Of all the places you come here, to me?” It’s been plaguing my mind since Dia and Maritza arrived.
I don’t believe in coincidence.
She looks to the ceiling like she’s losing patience. “I have a debt to a man. He said he would clear the debt if I got to you and got you to Key West.”
I look to Dia and then back to Anna. “Me? You came here for me?”
She nods, “I don’t know what makes you worth the headache, but in order to clear my debt I had to get you to Key West. I couldn’t come up with a plan until I got a second call from the man I owe. He said you were a sucker for kids. Since you’re an ol’ lady and my kid is a little Hellion, he said you wouldn’t resist a chance to keep my boy safe, even from me.” Tears begin to roll down her face and I’m in shock that the bitch has any emotions.