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"It wasn’t me, it was the China! She kidnapped me and held et rid ofyou toyou" There was simply no way to explain what had really happened I tried my best to relate the complexity of et all that ive you thirty thousand dollars while she got you locked away? No soy tonto cabrona!" I’m not stupid

I was screwed What could I say that made any sense? I had to try a new direction, a new motivation to keep me alive

"No … Listen The China has a boss … he made me work for hi you to get rid of et me back unharmed"

I hoped the taxi driver overheard our conversation, maybe he’d call the police and report it No luck there, he was blissfully ignorant of our little dra to the radio The driver hu about bleeding it out and digging deeper just to throw it away

The chorus line of the song repeated over and over with a fast pace beat and ripping guitar riffs The words belted out in a screae was eerily symbolic ofdeeper to ransom myself to Enrique, and for what? Arana wanted et his hands on Enrique’sdeeper just to throw it away – the story of my life

Arana assumed I lied "And what makes you so special? Why would they lock you up, pay you all thatthe truth I’et the truth" He wanted to hurtelse was just a bonus

The heartless bastard watchedour way back to Spanish Harlem, to his apartment, where he planned to hurt ive you a hundred thousand for ht, he’ll have it for you to you the truth!"

"Tell me why, Esperanza Why would some rich cabron on Park Avenue pay for you?"

I said the only thing I could think of that hed as I lied to hi but a pinche prostituta I’ll be doing the city of New York a favor by killing you"

He had dropped the pretense of returning ht, no one loved h to take me with him Lia wanted me dead Arana and Faustino would simply use me up and spit me out, if they let me live What reason did I have to live for? I couldn’t think of a reason, but I wanted to live I didn’t want to die! I wanted to live!

I persisted with the lie, hoping for a miracle "No … that’s not true! He loves et rave!"

"Hmmm … who is he? Do I know him?"