Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
I sometimes wonder and reflect back on my decisions. Did I make the right one or did I just set myself out for disaster? 
                          
When I made the decision to run away, was it the right one? Thinking back to my life in Dallas compared to the life I have now, I decided I did make the right decisions. I left behind everything that hurt me, moving on to a place where I struggled but I was strangely happy. 
                          
Now staring at Xavier as he drove me back to my apartment, made me wonder if I'm making the right decision. I wanted to know the truth about my sister but as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. 
                          
But is ignorance really bliss? 
                          
"What are you thinking about that has you concentrated?" Xavier asked, sending a quick glance in my direction before continuing down the road. He drove past the speed limit again and only slowed down when we were getting closer to my apartment. 
                          
I looked out the window. 
                          
The sun continued to rise as the seconds passed on. 
                          
I smiled, staring at the rising sun.  
                          
Behind every darkness, the sun hides, ready to turn the day around. 
                          
Xavier stopped in front of my apartment. I didn't even bother to ask him how he knew where I lived. What's the point when I already knew the answer? A man like him has the power to figure out anything he wanted. 
                          
"How do you know about my sister?" I asked him. 
                          
He turned off the car and leaned back against his seat, staring forward. "When you have money and power, you can do anything." 
                          
"That's not what I asked," I said. I turned my head to him. "How did you know about my sister? Why do you believe that she's alive." 
                          
He chuckled as if my question was absurd. "Gattina, I don't just believe she's alive. I know she is." 
                          
Sparks of hope ignited inside my veins. My eyes watered and I grabbed a hold of my necklace. "Where is she?" 
                          
He turned his head towards me with a pained expression on his face. "A place that no six-year-old should ever be." 
                          
I let out a loud sob. Even though he didn't give me a full answer, I knew exactly what he meant. He seemed to already know what could kill me versus what could hurt me. I appreciate that from him. 
                          
"I'll do it," I whispered. 
                          
Xavier shook his head. He reached over and opened my door. He then pressed the button to remove my seatbelt. "You don't need to do it." 
                          
I shook my head. I grabbed his arm and looked into his eyes. "Please, save my sister. I'll do whatever you need. Just please, save her." I begged him. 
                          
He let out a sigh and smiled at me. "Don't worry. Your sister is safe." 
                          
I removed my hand and leaned back away from him. "What?" I whispered. 
                          
He leaned back against his seat, staring at the empty roads in front. "Your sister is safe. Despite what you may think, I'm not that heartless." 
                          
"Where is she now?" 
                          
"Safe." 
                          
His one-word answer pissed me off. 
                          
"Where is she?" I demanded. "Tell me." 
                          
"Why?" He turned and his eyes were on me but they didn't look at me. No. They looked beyond me. To my soul. 
                          
A tear slipped down my face. "I need to know. I can't go on another second without knowing where she is if she's truly alive."