Chapter Twenty-Two

Sophia stared at Javier as he held a gun on her and Mrs. Edgar.

“W-what are you doing?”

“This is your fault,” Javier said. “You started this, Sophia. Talking to that woman. Telling her lies. She ruined everything! I was building a nest egg to take care of you. You’re mine, you’ve always been mine.”

Sophia was shaking and didn’t know what to say or how to stop Javier from doing something rash. She feared he was on drugs, which scared her even more. She wouldn’t be able to reason with him if his mind was twisted.

“Put the gun down,” Mrs. Edgar said firmly. She sounded calm, but she had to be scared just like Sophia. “Walk away, Javier. I won’t stop you.”

“Not without Sophia.”

Javier’s movements were erratic, his eyes bloodshot; he was sweating. Where was Henry? Had Javier hurt him?

Javier pulled Mrs. Edgar’s purse off the shelf and dumped the contents on the dining table. He grabbed her wallet and car keys.

“Let’s go, Sophia.”

“I won’t go with you.”

She was trying to be strong, but her voice quivered.

Javier rushed to her side so fast she didn’t have time to scream. He put the gun to her head and said, “You think you’re better than me? You’re nothing. Your mother is a fucking drug addict murderer. Your daddy didn’t even want you. You should be grateful that I love you. One more word, one more, and you’ll understand my wrath.”

She couldn’t stop shaking.

Mrs. Edgar started to move toward the phone and the gun went off. Sophia screamed.

“The next one goes in your head,” Javier told the woman.

The bullet made a small crater in the wall. Mrs. Edgar went from calm to terrified, and Sophia hated that her brother had brought violence into the kind woman’s house. How could Henry have called Javier his brother when this boy terrorized them?

She didn’t want to cry, but tears fell. She wanted to be strong, but she’d lost Henry and she’d lost Sergio and nothing would ever be the same again. She would die if Javier killed Mrs. Edgar because of her.

“Let’s go. And Sophia? If you cause me any more problems, I will tie you up and put you in the trunk. Do you understand? Do you?”

She nodded. Yes, he would do what he said.

He would tie her up. He would hurt her. Would he kill her, too? She didn’t want to die.

“I—I—I’ll—I’ll go with you,” she stuttered.

“Sophia, you don’t have to,” Mrs. Edgar said.

But she did. She didn’t want anyone else to be hurt.

Javier grabbed her and opened the front door.

Police cars lined the street. A booming voice came through a loudspeaker. “Put your gun down and your hands up.”

Javier slammed the door and screamed in rage.