Sins of the Saverios

la's

eir families, my eyes scanning the sea of hugs, cheers, and flying caps. My heart s

h the crowd, weaving between families wrapped in celebra

ed. It was just Mateo the driver. Always Mateo. He sat stiffly in the front sea

otos, holding their children tight. I turned once more,

he passenger side with that sincere smile plastered on his face. He could always read my mood. It was routine by now, m

nerability had no place in my life now. Straightening my shoulders, I slipped into the back seat, shutti

his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror

me things to settle

urse

ide the ache. This has become the norm. Mateo would pick me

me everything shelter, education, the best dance training money could buy. I spoke fluent Spanish, Engl

n no one else would. But he did.

'd repay h

ow how close tha

compound of the Rodrigo estate. The towering white duplex s

caught a second car, a sleek, dark se

art l

as h

ment rushing through me. The sting from earlier evaporated as I ran u

d I graduated t

into the hallway, already imagining the

s clicked against the glossy tiles as

ushed open the off

f eyes turne

t, the warmth dra

ys. Beside him were three unfamiliar men, each wi

was, it wasn't

y. The look on their face was

is eyes still locked on mine, a s

oes th

e I was a prize on display. I resisted the urge to cross my arms ove

aid, a crooked smirk playi

o

hit me l

around the folds of my gown. I wasn't a piece of pr

ean?" I turned to Brown...no, Brian Rodrigo,the man who raised me, clothed me, paid for everything

to the men, and th

ce, the door closing wit

d this time. There was a different kind of ten

speak ri

judge about to pass sentence. His gaze was stone,

ns, girl." His lips curved into a small

shoulders relaxed slightly and

," I blurted. "And my thesis

rning away from me. "An intel

The words m

i

d you ju

in the corner of his office, pulled out a bottle of whi

ing. But my mind

trying to catch his gaze. "Wha

tainty carved into the lines of his face. The man who'd taken me in a

that?" I asked, my vo

en he

smile that always pre

around me like a wet towel, "it's time you

crawling down my spine. I pinched the side of my ar

. "They're coming over three d

ed, even though I already knew. E

l be the

shed out o

ocess the words. Trying to fi

trying to divert the attention from me to his only daughter "She's your daugh

the rules

he smile vanishing as qu

he one getting married," he said,

oes th

his daughter even though he had stood in as my parent for y

n us stretched, he

deal, I tried to tell myself. J

es. That final, chilling glint that

d. "Which famil

answer r

hair, sat down like a king in

said after a long

od ran

ir name sent shudders through political circles, criminal empires, and elite s

of it made me w

my parent'