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I push it open barely a crack The mirror over the sink just outside the door is in view All that’s left of it now are three large uneven shards of broken glass barely hanging onto the wall

I can see the Ah the reflection

"I should tell you," he says "There will be a new deal now"

"You’re not the one to bedeals," Izel spits out the words

"I believe that I am," he replies "First, you will tellme to the compound"

"I’ll tell you shit!"

A muffled shot makes a quick fuddup sound and then Izel screa shot ht of theon the chair next to the wall Her face glistens with sweat and blood drains froh, her hands pressed over it trying to stop the flow Her bronzed face is contorted in agony and anger She spits at the floor defiantly

"Merely a flesh wound," the Aainst the door A pair of hands lay open near Izel’s feet: one of the men the American just killed I s hard and try to calainst it and I suck in sharply that breath I just took Izel’s head darts sideways as she faces thein here I try to step away from the door and move back into the darkness of the restroorin spreads across her face

"Come out, Sarai," she says harmoniously "Javier misses you"

I don’t move Maybe if I remain still, what she sees in the reflection of thetricks on her eyes

She turns her gaze away froain her attention

"Javier wants Guzmán dead," Izel says "He wouldn’t have hired you and let you leave with that money if he didn’t" She sneers and shakes her head at the American and adds, "You’re a fool"

I hear the bed creak as if he just sat on the end of it, facing her While she’s distracted, I position e of the door, but in a way that I can get a better view of the rooliainst the wall on the other side of her

"And if I kill Guzetting the other half of my money" It was a staterins "Of course" She tilts her head to one side "She’s gotten to you already"

No answer I know Izel is referring to ht or sold, just so you know," she adds

"I didn’t ask"

"You didn’t need to"

Izel looks toward theto be the hero?" she says this with sarcas to use her as leverage"

I s hard

Should’ve kept my mouth shut…

"That won’t sit ith Javier She wasn’t part of the deal You keep the girl and Javier will not be happy" A strand of black hair falls away from her face She reaches up as if to move the rest of her hair away, but her hand stops halfway and she places it back down beside her Anger helps to hide the fear in her face somewhat She knows that he’ll blow her brains out the back of her head

"The girl stays with me until I kill Guzmán and then ill make the trade: her for the rest of ive a shit?"

"You wouldn’t be here now if he didn’t"

CHAPTER FOUR

Izel rounds her chin defiantly, the skin around her dark eyes peppered with tiny flecks of blood-splatter

"You’rea irl, Javier will give you one Just not that one You’ll onlythis"

I know that worry in her voice all too well When Javier is unhappy, he tends to blame it on Izel If she doesn’t return to the compound with me, he’ll beat her senseless As s she’s done to me, I can’t help but pity her soence," the American says "She is the one I want because she is the one he treasures the most If Javier has no ill intentions then he should have nothing to worry about" Izel glances toward the bathrooirl until I kill Guzive the girl back We all leave e want"

I want to dash out of the bathroom and try for one of the cars outside, but I knoon’tI cut my left hand somewhere at some point I can’t remember when it happened

Izel curses him in Spanish and presses the palins to rise into a stand