Page 85 of Forbidden Fate

A useful trait? Who is this person?

“I have family here,” I say.

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

She looks toward the staircase, up to the hallway that branches into the rooms where the women work. She knows what goes on here. “A collection of whores is hardly a family, Cruz.”

I’m fifteen. Tall already. Strong for my age. Strong enough to lift crates and carry sacks of flour for Señora V.

Not strong enough to hit a woman.

Not stupid enough either.

But I want to. I’d really like to crack this woman’s skull for insulting my family.

“Don’t call them that.”

Adriana smiles. Sort of. “You’re protective,” she says.

“They raised me.”

“They serviced men while you slept down the hall.”

Heat floods my face. “You don’t know anything about them.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I know enough.”

“No,” I say. “You don’t.”

“I didn’t come here to insult you,” she says.

“You did anyway.”

Another smile. “You’re grieving. I’ll forgive the tone.”

“I don’t need you to forgive anything.”

“Maybe not.” She steps closer. “But you need what I’m offering.”

I should ask her to leave. I’m about to, when⁠—

“You’ve captured the interest of my employer.”

“Your employer?”

“Señor Vega.”

I’ve heard the name from Señora V. From others. But I play dumb.

“Who’s that?”

“A very powerful man. A very wealthy man.” She looks around again. “A man who can offer you a future beyond this place.”

“I already have a future.”

“Do you?” she asks. “Señor Vega has helped many orphaned boys. Boys with no fathers. Boys with no direction. Boys who might otherwise be swallowed by poverty or bad choices.”