Each of them accumulated a few hours’ worth of sleep in fits and spurts. Chancho had slept with his back against the front door until around four in the morning. He figured he’d been awake for almost two hours when the first streaks of day shone through the slit in the curtains.
Motionless, he watched the slice of light intensify and shift along the back of the sofa where Chloe’s regular breathing indicated she still slept. He’d awoken to a dream of blood spattering from a shadowy man’s shoulder. A toothy grimace had slashed across the man’s face—his eyes piercing into his own.
It’d been a few years since Chancho had shot a man, much less killed one. He’d never killed anyone that close, and the darkness left more details to his imagination. The worst part had been not knowing. He didn’t have the slightest idea who the man was, or even why they were trying to kill each other. Both had tried.
The dead man’s bullet had only grazed Chancho. The bleeding had stopped before he’d fallen asleep. His own bullet had sent the stranger to his final home. Chancho was all too familiar with the odor and taste left behind by a fleeing spirit—one startled by violence. He rubbed the missing notch of his ear lobe between his thumb and finger.
Chloe shifted in her sleep, bringing Chancho back to the who, what, and why of the moment. Who had jumped them? What were they hiding, and why was it worth killing over? Someone had been watching them. But someone else had been watching the people watching them. Chancho could think of only one individual so paranoid and shifty. The rinche.
The thought left him dizzier than before. Maybe mother sun would bring answers along with the new day.
“Chancho?” Chloe peeked over the back of the sofa.
“Buenos días, señorita.” He pushed against the closed door and rose to his feet.
“Did you sleep?”
“Un poco.”
She shook her head but kept smiling. “I thought the sun would never come up.”
“I know the feeling.” He offered her a hand. “Come. Let’s wake the others and get some answers.”
“We’re awake.” Starr limped from the bedroom, Angelo right behind him.
“Yup. We have just been awaiting for you sleepy heads to stir.”
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